A historical reflection on Africa's experience in health pandemics since early times to the COVID-19 pandemic

Using primary sources, oral interviews and secondary literature, the proposed book explores historical-cum public-health and intimate engagements, conversations and experiences on responses in Africa (but not excluding transcontinental associations) to health-pandemics since early times (i.e. Spanish Influenza) to the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the WHO, many cases and deaths have been reported in Africa and worldwide from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic outbreak. South Africa represents the continental epicentre. By mid-2020, all the 54 countries in Africa had recorded an infection, the last being Lesotho. Though the rising death toll captures the eye and mind, it will be the experiences, action-taking activities by government, the medical-sector and equally so the economic-sector, with social life being locked for definite reasons, that will capture the communities of today and tomorrow. Community behaviours in difficult circumstances, requires research and a narrative not to be forgotten from researchers of the African continent. The book project will be typically collaborative according to an integrative multidisciplinary-research method that seeks to interrogate several diverse research questions from the disciplines involved, with as a major focus Africa and its people. The project is one of the first encyclopaedic-like surveys on COVID-19 as the first and perhaps getting to be one of the worst public-health crises/emergencies in Africa. This study, using its main research-objectives, is to leverage existing, multilateral-collaborations (within and beyond Africa) in support of Africa's consolidated-response to the COVID-19 pandemic and attract new collaborations from international funding sources. It also reflects on how the broad international experiences inform (and have informed) and have contributed to the African response to the pandemic (regional and continental). Many issues on COVID19 and pandemics are examined to encourage effective research-collaborations. These issues include valued research contributions such as: the diverse experiences and actiontaking-activities by government, the medical-sector and equally so the public and economic-sectors, with layers of social-life being nearly confined into an aged (not urbanized) era. Community's (and gender specific) ways of coping in Africa are valued pointers to this research. An analysis is made of issues of border restrictions and porosity, deportations and other migration tendencies in the wake of other pandemics like the cholera outbreak (2008/09) in southern Africa. These and related issues shed insights and sharing of ideas about COVID-19 from an African perspective and from different continental bases. This is important, given Africa and global nations' different historical and cultural backgrounds, irrespective of which country or continent has suffered comparatively lower or higher cases or fatalities. The study will determine whether COVID19 by December 2022 was Africa's biggest health threat? Prominent African and world organizations dealing intensively on a daily basis with Africa's health concerns, among others, will also be important sources of information for this study. Expected Outputs The study of approximately six (6) chapters will be inclusive of the seven (7) core historical outputs/outcomes. The essence of the research is to address the seven main objectives as outlined. The first thereof will be to raise the level of awareness in Africa about health pandemics from a multidisciplinary perspective which considers a health historical analysis from diverse fields and phenomenological research from multiple angles in Africa up to the recent COVID-19 pandemic. This research in Africa includes knowledge production related to all levels of society: From the poor and vulnerable and also more able backgrounds. A second output envisaged is to interrogate public-health efforts on different levels of societal life in Africa (local, regional and country specific). The integrative multidisciplinary lens will be used to contextualize, inform, and contribute to prepare and respond to disease outbreaks. Thirdly, gender specific perspectives about the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the social, cultural and economic dimensions of communities are foreseen. Fourthly, it is expected that from the findings to emerge from objectives one to three it will be possible to communicate research on awareness of threats, social disruption and perhaps a future management of pandemics through the health sectors of countries in Africa. Fifthly, the role of governments, the part played by politics in health pandemics such as COVID-19, is expected to unravel to understand rationales and realities of this scourge. The sixth output is expected to assist with scholarly knowledge on multiple levels that provides for information to capacitate a broad range of stakeholders (in Africa and beyond). As a seventh output, the focus and emphasis from a much more holistic point of view and with the support of all disciplines involved, would be to determine how historical contexts of disease outbreaks could inform future situations and recommend a pathway for implementation of such recommendations for purposes of empowering communities and governments and other players particularly in Africa (and indeed elsewhere). Though all these knowledge outputs were envisaged from the broader research team, it should be noted that each discipline will also develop an additional set of 2-3 research questions as secondary project research objectives towards additional knowledge outputs and outcomes. The contribution therefore will be comprehensive.