IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/ijphth/v65y2020i3d10.1007_s00038-020-01338-x.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Hotspot or blind spot? Historical perspectives on surveillance and response to epidemics in the Central African Republic

Author

Listed:
  • Pierre-Marie David

    (Université de Montréal)

  • Emmanuel Nakouné

    (Institut Pasteur de Bangui)

  • Tamara Giles-Vernick

    (Institut Pasteur)

Abstract

Objectives The Central African Republic (CAR), a site of recurrent disease emergence, developed a noteworthy epidemiological surveillance system from the colonial period, but its health measures have remained among the world’s lowest. To understand this disparity between surveillance and public health, we examined selected moments in its history of surveillance and changing relations with public health structures. Methods We conducted archival research in CAR and French archives and 18 semi-structured interviews with key researchers working in CAR. Results We find long-term continuities in privileging surveillance over the health system and population health, making the CAR a “hotspot” for emerging diseases and a “blind spot” of primary health care. From the colonial period, the country attracted considerable support for surveillance, without concomitant investment in public health system. Political disputes and financial constraints have obscured real primary care needs on the ground. Conclusions As both a hotspot and a blind spot for global health, the CAR signals the need to reorient health interventions to address the long-term health of Central African people.

Suggested Citation

  • Pierre-Marie David & Emmanuel Nakouné & Tamara Giles-Vernick, 2020. "Hotspot or blind spot? Historical perspectives on surveillance and response to epidemics in the Central African Republic," International Journal of Public Health, Springer;Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH+), vol. 65(3), pages 241-248, April.
  • Handle: RePEc:spr:ijphth:v:65:y:2020:i:3:d:10.1007_s00038-020-01338-x
    DOI: 10.1007/s00038-020-01338-x
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s00038-020-01338-x
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s00038-020-01338-x?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Bonwitt, Jesse & Dawson, Michael & Kandeh, Martin & Ansumana, Rashid & Sahr, Foday & Brown, Hannah & Kelly, Ann H., 2018. "Unintended consequences of the ‘bushmeat ban’ in West Africa during the 2013–2016 Ebola virus disease epidemic," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 200(C), pages 166-173.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Randolph, Shannon G. & Ingram, Daniel J. & Curran, Lisa M. & Holland Jones, James & Durham, William H., 2022. "Urban wild meat markets in Cameroon: Actors and motives," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 160(C).
    2. James McNamara & Elizabeth J. Z. Robinson & Katharine Abernethy & Donald Midoko Iponga & Hannah N. K. Sackey & Juliet H. Wright & EJ Milner-Gulland, 2020. "COVID-19, Systemic Crisis, and Possible Implications for the Wild Meat Trade in Sub-Saharan Africa," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 76(4), pages 1045-1066, August.
    3. Moyen, Natalie & Hoque, Md Ahasanul & Mahmud, Rashed & Hasan, Mahmudul & Sarkar, Sudipta & Biswas, Paritosh Kumar & Mehedi, Hossain & Henning, Joerg & Mangtani, Punam & Flora, Meerjady Sabrina & Rahma, 2021. "Avian influenza transmission risk along live poultry trading networks in Bangladesh," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 112514, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    4. Vanderslott, Samantha & Enria, Luisa & Bowmer, Alex & Kamara, Abass & Lees, Shelley, 2022. "Attributing public ignorance in vaccination narratives," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 307(C).
    5. Saylors, Karen E. & Mouiche, Moctar M. & Lucas, Ashley & McIver, David J. & Matsida, Annie & Clary, Catherine & Maptue, Victorine T. & Euren, Jason D. & LeBreton, Matthew & Tamoufe, Ubald, 2021. "Market characteristics and zoonotic disease risk perception in Cameroon bushmeat markets," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 268(C).
    6. Ashley Lucas & Charles Kumakamba & Karen Saylors & Erby Obel & Reggiani Kamenga & Maria Makuwa & Catherine Clary & Guy Miningue & David J McIver & Christian E Lange & Placide Mbala Kingebeni & Jean J , 2022. "Risk perceptions and behaviors of actors in the wild animal value chain in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 17(2), pages 1-19, February.
    7. Ammar Yasir & Xiaojian Hu & Munir Ahmad & Abdul Rauf & Jingwen Shi & Saba Ali Nasir, 2020. "Modeling Impact of Word of Mouth and E-Government on Online Social Presence during COVID-19 Outbreak: A Multi-Mediation Approach," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(8), pages 1-21, April.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:ijphth:v:65:y:2020:i:3:d:10.1007_s00038-020-01338-x. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.