Browsing by Author "Kagaha, Alexander"

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    Containing COVID-19 and the social costs on human rights in African countries
    (Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 2022) Manderson, Lenore; Chavarro, Diego; Kaunda-Khangamwa, Blessings; Kagaha, Alexander; Zakumumpa, Henry
    Multiple social interventions were introduced to contain the COVID-19 pandemic across Africa, limiting social engagement, school and workplace attendance, and travel. In anticipation of negative economic consequences and social impact, many governments introduced cash transfers, social pensions, food aid, and utility and tax waivers. However, people living precariously and/or under conditions of structural vulnerability were often unable to access to this support. A rapid review was undertaken on COVID-19 and the effects of interventions on human rights in African countries, examining primary studies, editorial notes, opinion papers, and literature reviews, with focus on qualitative approaches and discussions. In examining the links between health, human rights and non-pharmaceutical interventions on vulnerable populations, the review identified that: (1) people who were vulnerable were excluded from or not adequately represented in policy responses to COVID-19; (2) the precarious socio-economic conditions of these populations were not adequately addressed by dominant policy responses; and (3) only partial support was offered to those whose relationship with the state was ambiguous or conditional, so compromising human rights. Interactions between health, human rights, and underlying social and economic conditions amplified poor health and impoverishment of those who were already vulnerable. The challenge is to find a balance between stopping the spread of COVID-19 and the protection of human rights; to implement population-specific responses to supplement uniform public health responses; and to address causes (structural vulnerability) rather than symptoms. There is a need to plan rather than react to pandemics, and to co-construct interventions with rather than delivering instructions to populations. These recommendations serve as instruments to be considered when designing new policies, to incorporate a human rights perspective in responses to current and future pandemics.
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    Covid-19 Policies: Human Rights Approaches to Protecting Vulnerable Groups in Africa
    (Africa Academic Science, 2021) Chavarro, Diego; Kagaha, Alexander; Kaunda, Blessings; Zakumumpa, Henry; Manderson, Lenore
    Multiple social interventions have been introduced to contain the COVID-19 pandemic across Africa. These policies have caused school and workplace closures, controlled informal work activities, led to the cancellation of many public events, restricted the size of public and private gatherings (including religious congregations, weddings and funerals), suspended public transport, limited travel, imposed curfews, and required contact tracing. In anticipation of negative economic impacts of these measures, many governments introduced cash transfers, social pensions, food aid, utility and tax waivers and related measures. However, people living precariously and/or in a structurally vulnerable position have not always had access to this support, and the measures imposed to contain and mitigate the pandemic did not take sufficient account of the effects of the human rights of these individuals. The pandemic is too recent for much empirical research on the impacts of COVID-19, or on the effect of interventions to protect human rights. In undertaking a rapid review of these questions, we examined primary studies, editorial notes, opinion papers and literature reviews using mainly qualitative approaches, and discussions of quantitative studies where these contribute to further understanding the impacts of interventions on human rights in Africa. In this synthesis and analysis, we contribute to understanding how social interventions impact the human rights of vulnerable populations and identify proposals for a policy response to COVID-19 that better integrates the needs of these populations in Africa.