Socio-cultural Dimensions of Emerging Infectious Diseases in Africa (eBook)

This volume examines the most important socio-cultural, political, economic, and policy issues related to emerging infectious diseases in Africa. The volume covers the work of the Global Emerging Pathogens Treatment Consortium (GET); it looks at the challenges of science education and communication in Africa, the global health and governance of pandemics and epidemics, and more. It looks beyond such threats as Ebola, SARS, and Zika to consider the ways communities have sought to contain these and other deadly pathogens. The chapters provide a better understanding of a global health problem from an African perspective, which help clarify to readers why some responses have worked while others have not.

Overall, the volume captures the state of the art, science, preparedness, and evolution of a topic important to the health of Africa and the world. It has a broad appeal across disciplines, from medical science and biomedical research, through research ethics, regulation and governance, science and health communication, social sciences, and is also of interest to general readers.

Godfrey Tangwa: Godfrey B. Tangwa is emeritus professor of the University of Yaounde 1, Cameroon, where he was Head of the Department of Philosophy from 2004-2009. He is a Fellow of the Cameroon Academy of Sciences (CAS), the African Academy of Sciences (AAS), Vice Chairperson of the Cameroon Bioethics Initiative (CAMBIN) which he founded in 2005, an executive committee member of the Pan-African Bioethics Initiative (PABIN) and Chairperson of the Cultural, Anthropological, Social and Economic (CASE) work group of the Global Emerging Pathogens Treatment Consortium (GET). He has extensive teaching and research experience in the domains of philosophy and bioethics. He obtained a BA (1977) from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, an MA (1979) from the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University), Ile Ife, and a PhD (1984) from the University of Ibadan, all in Nigeria. He has served on several expert advisory committees for the WHO, has been a member of the Scientific Ethics Advisory Group (SEAG) of Hoffmann La Roche since 2005 and is currently also an advisory board member of both ALERRT and SARETI. Professor Tangwa's publications' record shows about 10 books, 35 book chapters and 45 journal articles.

Nchangwi Syntia Munung is based at the University of Cape Town (UCT), South Africa. She holds an M.Sc in Biochemistry and an M.Sc in Medicine. Her current research focus is on the governance of global health research; and Justice and fairness in genomics research and biobanking in Africa. She also has an interest in science communication and public engagement with Science. She has worked on a number of projects aimed at building capacity in health research ethics in the Central African Sub-region. Nchangwi has about a dozen publications in international peer-reviewed journals.