Health Diplomacy in Africa: Trends, Challenges, and Perspectives (Studies in Diplomacy and International Relations)

✍ Scribed by Humphrey Ngala Ndi (editor), Henry Ngenyam Bang (editor), Zebulon Suifon Takwa (editor), Anna Tasha Mbur (editor)

• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
• Year: 2023
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 254
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

The purpose of this book is to project diplomacy as an unavoidable instrument for monitoring, prevention and control of health and disaster risks among African countries. The book advocates health cooperation in Africa at a time when pandemics are recurrent. Outside of the WHO, many countries, even within regional groupings have not actively pursued health cooperation. We intend this book to provide the basis for advocating the inclusion of health diplomacy in the curricula of the training of the African diplomat with the hope to stimulate gradual policy shifts in foreign ministries, regional groupings, and the African Union.

✦ Table of Contents

Preface
Book Description
Contents
Notes on Contributors
Abbreviations and Acronyms
List of Figures
List of Tables
Chapter 1: Introduction
A Brief Historical Review of African Diplomacy
Africa in Colonial to Post-colonial Diplomacy
Africa, the African Union, and Health Diplomacy
References
Chapter 2: Health in Diplomacy and Foreign Policy
Introduction
The Framework for Health in Foreign Policy
The Emergence of Health Diplomacy and the Case of Africa
References
Chapter 3: Health Diplomacy and Africa: An Overview
Introduction
The African Union and Africa’s Health Reawakening Agenda
The Vulnerable African Health Sector
Medical Tourism in Perspectives
Health Diplomacy, the New Imperative
Opportunities and Ways Forward
Conclusion
References
Chapter 4: The Role of Regional Agencies in African Health Diplomacy
Introduction
Africa’s Health Diplomacy Actors
State Actors
Non-State Actors: Intergovernmental Organisations
Non-State Actors: International Non-Governmental Organisations
Non-State Actors: Multinational Corporations (MNC)
The African Union (AU) Health Strategy: Examining the Africa Centre for Disease Control (CDC)
The AU Health and Nutrition Policies and Strategies
The African Centre for Diseases Control and Prevention (Africa CDC)
Challenges of Health Diplomacy in the AU and Africa CDC
The Role of African Sub-Regional Groupings in Health Diplomacy
The Arab Maghreb Union (AMU)
The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA)
The East African Community (EAC)
The East African Health Research Commission (EAHRC)
The Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS)
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)
The Southern African Development Community (SADC)
Conclusion and Recommendations
References
Chapter 5: Diseases, Epidemics, and Diplomacy in Africa
Introduction
A Snapshot of Pandemics in Africa
Diplomatic Cooperation in Epidemics and Pandemics in Africa
The Institutional Architecture of African Health Diplomacy
Africa’s Multilateral Partners and the Fight Against HIV/AIDS
TRIPS Flexibilities and the Negotiation of Generic HIV/AIDS Medicines
The Prospects for Health Diplomacy in Africa
The Community Health Workers initiative
The Western and Central Africa Catch-up Plan
The Challenges of Health Diplomacy in Africa
References
Chapter 6: Violent Conflict, Diplomacy, and Health in Africa
Introduction
Structural Causes of Intra-state Conflict in Africa
Kinstate Dynamics in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo Crisis
The Nexus of Violent Conflict, Diplomacy, and Health
The Health Implications of the Conflict in Eastern Congo
Conclusion
References
Chapter 7: Crisis Communication in Twenty-First Century Diplomacy: Implications for Digital Transformation of Foreign Policy
Introduction
Conceptual Clarity in Digital Diplomacy: Concise Underpinnings
Diplomatic Signalling (DS)
Digital Diplomatic Signalling (DDS)
Sender’s Status
Structure/Design of Messages
Frequency of Messages
Content of Messages
Recipient of Messages or Audience
Crisis Communication
Digital Medium
Communicating Crises in Twenty-First-Century Diplomacy
The Shifting Perception of Crises
Digital Diplomacy (DD)
Online Diplomatic Networks
Media Platforms for DD
Ambiguous Signalling in Digital Diplomacy
COVID-19’s Influence on African Digital Diplomacy
Discussion and Conclusion
References
Chapter 8: Health in Climate Change Diplomacy in Africa
Introduction
Impact of Climate Change on Africa’s Health Systems
Africa Within the Climate Change Negotiations
Health Diplomacy Within the Climate Change Negotiations
Conclusion
References
Chapter 9: Health Data Sharing for Public Health Resilience: Benefits, Challenges, and Prospects in Africa
Introduction
Data/Information Sharing: Succinct Conceptualization
Health Data Sharing Policy/Guidelines
Merits of Sharing Health Data
The State of Health Data Sharing in Africa
Challenges in Data Sharing in Africa
Conclusion, Discussion, and Recommendation
References
Chapter 10: With or Without Diplomacy: The Urgent Need to Decolonize Healthcare in Africa
Introduction
COVID-19 Pandemic and the War in Ukraine
Cameroon, an Interesting Case Study
Africa and the World Health Organization
Different Healthcare Systems
Mental Decolonization
Decolonization and Development
Research and Development
Conclusion
References
Chapter 11: Conclusion
References
Index