Social Engagement in the Fight Against COVID-19 in the Urban and Peri-Urban Areas of Cotonou (Benin, Sub-saharan Africa): Acceptability of the Vaccination and Tracking Program

Frontiers in Medicine

article

Alessia Maccaro¹  Davide Piaggio¹  Iyabosola Busola Oronti¹  Marius Vignigbé²  Antoinette Gbokli²  Roch Houngnihin²  Leandro Pecchia¹ 

[1] Applied Biomedical Signal Processing and Intelligent e-Health Lab, School of Engineering, University of Warwick;Laboratoire d'Antropologie Médicale Appliqué, University of Abomey Calavi;School of Engineering, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma

关键词: COVID-19;    vaccine;    acceptance;    tracking;    social engagement;    pandemic management;    Benin;    Sub-Saharan Africa;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fmed.2022.857890

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: Frontiers

【 摘 要 】

Introduction This article aims at investigating social engagement in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic in low-resource settings (LRSs). In particular, it focuses on Benin (Sub-Saharan Africa), and reports the results of a field study that investigated the local people's acceptance of the vaccine and the tracking program. Methods This project is the product of a collaboration between the ABSPIE (Applied Biomedical and Signal Processing E-Health) Lab of the University of Warwick (UK) and the LAMA (Laboratoire d'Antropologie Medical Appliqué) of the University of Abomey Calavi (Benin). This international multidisciplinary collaboration brought together engineers, sociologists, anthropologists, and bioethicists. In light of the aims of the project, a qualitative methodology was deemed appropriate. The research team prepared two questionnaires that provided the basis for semi-structured interviews that took place between June and August 2021. Results The research team interviewed 34 Beninese respondents, comprising people aged 60+ (with multiple comorbidities), who were primarily healthcare workers and/or traditional therapists. The results of this work highlight the fact that there is widespread reticence about the vaccination program in Benin, both due to local beliefs and uncertainty about governmental management. In this study, we uncovered several local reasons interfering with the involvement of the population in the vaccination campaign against COVID-19, e.g., the existence of traditional medical practices considered as valid alternatives to vaccines, and many beliefs showing a fear of neo-colonialism hidden in the pandemic threat. Yet, another hindrance can be traced to shortcomings in the management of the vaccination campaign which resulted in obstacles to the implementation of the program. Conclusions This work does not intend to denounce any governmental effort or foster a regressive mindset, but shows how the overall confusion (defined by the World Health Organization as infodemic) linked to the pandemic and its management has caused even more dramatic consequences in LRSs. In addition, the paper proposes a specific framework for the interpretation and management of bioethical and biomedical issues in LRSs that the authors are validating in their current research.

【 授权许可】

CC BY