Alice Desclaux, Blandine Bila, Marc Egrot, Khoudia Sow
The Covid pandemic was a reminder of the need to be prepared for epidemics and pandemics and to take into account their socio-political dimensions by developing socioanthropological and interdisciplinary approaches. In the post-crisis era, the challenge is one of operationality. How can these dimensions be made more visible? How can we develop analyses that can help to humanize institutional responses, make inequalities visible to limit them during the crisis, reveal structural determinants of transmission, and define interventions that are scientifically sound, ethically just and respectful of diversity?Three strategies are relevant to meet these challenges: (1) more social scientists in Frenchspeaking Africa must get expertise on epidemics to investigate associated issues before, during and after epidemic crisis; (2) public health professionals, health and social workers must get informed about social, historical, economic and political aspects of epidemics that shape risk, care and control; (3) collaborations between researchers and those involved in responding to epidemics on the basis of shared knowledge must develop...
December 31, 2023: Med Trop Sante Int