Human Security and Epidemics in Africa: Learning from COVID-19, Ebola and HIV

by Andreas Velthuizen (Editor), Caroline Varin (Editor)

Overview

This book examines the impact of epidemics in Africa, exploring some of the adaptation and crisis management strategies adopted to tackle COVID-19, Ebola, and HIV-AIDS. The authors reflect on lessons learned from solving complex problems and difficult decisions made by leaders on pandemic management to shape the security environment and, thus, the well-being of people living in Africa for years to come.

Drawing on cases from across the continent, the book demonstrates that, significantly, during the COVID-19 pandemic, African countries and communities frequently displayed regional solidarity, creativity in decision-making, decisiveness in dealing with corruption and opportunism, and resilience and discipline in implementation. Adopting a human security framework, the authors share their lived experiences and explore the impact of epidemics on public policy decision-making, foreign policy implementation, global relations, collaboration in the community dimension, and, ultimately, the future of socio-economic development in Africa.

This book will be a welcome addition for practitioners and researchers across the fields of security studies, health management, and African studies, making an essential contribution to the security discourse in a post-COVID world.

The Open Access version of this book, available at http://www.taylorfrancis.com, has been made available by KU 2024 under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives (CC BY-NC-ND) 4.0 license.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781032551371
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	08/29/2025
Series:	Routledge Studies in Peace, Conflict and Security in Africa
Pages:	220
Product dimensions:	6.12(w) x 9.19(h) x (d)

About the Author

Andreas Velthuizen is a full professor at the University of South Africa (Unisa), at the time of writing on the Thabo Mbeki African School for Public and International Affairs (TM-School) faculty, specialising in African Conflict Studies. His primary academic interest is to teach and develop new theories for conflict resolution, peace, and security in Africa, informed by the African way of knowing (epistemology), following a transdisciplinary approach. As a National Research Foundation (NRF) -rated researcher (C2), he shares his research through the supervision of post-graduate students, teaching advanced learning programmes and as Editor-in-Chief of the reputable African Security Review (ASR). His qualifications include a D Litt et Phil degree in Politics from Unisa, an MA in Strategic Studies, and a BA in International Politics. He published extensively and presented his work at academic conferences and workshops on most continents as part of international collaborations. Velthuizen is a Paul Harris Fellow (Sapphire) of Rotary International, appropriately focusing on peace and conflict resolution. In this regard, he is a guiding force of the Africa Rotary Community Mediation (ARCOM) programme to train community mediators in Africa.

Caroline Varin is a co-founder and CEO of educational charity Professors Without Borders. She holds a PhD in International Relations from the London School of Economics and an LLM in International Law from the Università di Bologna. She has published six books on international and African security and a textbook on the use of games in higher education. Caroline was Senior Lecturer in International Relations at Regent's University and has taught at the London School of Economics and Richmond American University London.

Table of Contents

1: Decision-making for Human Security in a Complex Crisis  2: South Africa’s Response to COVID-19 and the Return of the State in Africa  3: Bringing in the Big Guns: Analysis of Military Response to Ebola in West Africa  4: Unrelenting Criss-crosses: Pandemic-Related Restrictions and the Rekindling Aflao-Lome (Ghana-Togo) Border Issues  5: The Impact of COVID-19 on Human Security and Development in Ethiopia  6: From Civil War to Ebola to Covid-19: The Untold Saga of Liberia's Developmental Challenge  7: The Economic Impact of COVID-19 on Small and Medium Enterprises and Its Immediate Local Mitigations in Africa: Special Focus on Zambia  8: Economic Security in Nigeria Amidst COVID-19 Pandemic: Lessons and Mistakes  9: The Impact of Pandemics and Epidemics on Young Women and Girls in Sierra Leone  10: The Imprint of the Crown: Future Scenarios for Security and Development in Africa from a Catastrophe Theory Perspective  11: Concluding comments: Lessons learned from Africa in dealing with people’s insecurity during crises