African science and global opinions

Leslie Swartz

doi:10.17159/sajs.2022/13062

Abstract

African science and global opinions

Highlights

In late 2021, African scientists discovered a new variant of COVID-19
The travel ban, which was not evidence- or science-based, has correctly been described by a group of eminent African scientists as ‘political theatre’[1], and the health consequences for Africans, as these authors pointed out, had the potential to be grave, given the economic implications of travel bans. The irony of this is clear: as Africa helped in all likelihood to make the world more healthy, many in the world have helped to make Africans more sick. What does this mean for South African and African science? Perhaps the saddest observation is that the kind of reaction we saw is nothing new
A key feature of how African science continues to be viewed is through the lens of ‘capacity building’

Summary

Introduction

In late 2021, African scientists discovered a new variant of COVID-19. We should be proud and grateful, as should and is the world, to our scientists for identifying the latest variant of COVID and for choosing, correctly, to communicate this scientific information rapidly. This travel ban, despite evidence of spread of the Omicron variant in countries which selectively closed their borders, had potentially devastating implications for health and well-being on our continent.

Results

Conclusion