Ebola and public authority
CPAID conducts research into the political, social, and economic circumstances under which outbreaks of Ebola spread and can be contained. By investigating how public authority shapes governance in regions affected by the virus, the research better equips policymakers to manage health responses based on knowledge of local power relations and popular social attitudes.
In the last year our researchers have produced extensive evidence-based research on Ebola outbreaks, ranging from academic papers to action-oriented research briefs and blog posts. In Uganda, our researchers have met with regional public health authorities to discuss critical recommendations based on previous government interventions.
View the full scope of research and publications on Ebola.
COVID-19 and public authority
Since the outbreak of COVID-19 across the continent in 2020, CPAID researchers have used an extensive network on the ground to monitor the impact of public health responses on citizens’ everyday lives.
Through a public authority lens, researchers have investigated the role of religions, charities, local community organisations, and militias in their pandemic response.
The LEAD research project has created the ongoing blog series Shifting Spaces, which tracks the varying impact of the COVID-19 pandemic across geographies in East Africa (Uganda, South Sudan, Tanzania, Kenya and Malawi) using on-the-ground reportage.
The CPAID research team continue to track fast-moving developments for peer-reviewed research. In June 2020, CPAID Investigator Professor Melissa Parker presented at the online event ‘Preparedness’ and ‘Response’ to COVID-19 with the Royal Anthropological Institute, during which she provided anthropological insights on events in Africa drawn from local networks.
Photo: A Red Cross volunteer wearing protective clothing as part of an Ebola response. Credit: IFRC. Licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.