David Nderitu
Moi University, Philosophy, Graduate Student
Informed by evidence from past studies and experiences with epidemics, an intervention combining quarantine, lockdowns, curfews, social distancing, and washing of hands has been adopted as “international best practice” in COVID-19... more
Informed by evidence from past studies and experiences with epidemics, an intervention combining quarantine, lockdowns, curfews, social distancing, and washing of hands has been adopted as “international best practice” in COVID-19 response. With massive total lockdowns complemented by electronic surveillance, China successfully controlled the pandemic in country within a few months. But would this work for Africa and other communalistic resource-poor settings where social togetherness translates to effective sharing of basic needs? What ethical and practical challenges would this pose? How would communalism be translated in special contexts to be useful in contributing to the ultimate common good? This paper uses examples from the current situation of COVID-19 in Kenya to address these questions.
Research Interests:
The diverse global sociocultural world views pre-empt difficulty in the standard conceptualization of a human person. Often, the Western world view is contestably perceived as the yardstick for personhood. In Africa, despite the... more
The diverse global sociocultural world views pre-empt difficulty in the standard conceptualization of a human person. Often, the Western world view is contestably perceived as the yardstick for personhood. In Africa, despite the heterogeneity of culture and diversity in perception of reality, there has been more or less common conceptualization of personhood. The African anthropocentric ontology of nature is perceived in this chapter as the foundation of personhood. By and large, the chapter dwells on the fundamental African understanding of a human person from communalism world view. The limitation of African communalism to the ethnic boundaries and the consequences associated with this limitation are argued to be a setback in the conceptualization of personhood in Africa.
This paper explores the unique realities and effects of Covid-19 as experienced in the global North and global South with special reference to Canada and sub-Saharan Africa; it also examines the moral responsibilities countries have... more
This paper explores the unique realities and effects of Covid-19 as experienced in the global North and global South with special reference to Canada and sub-Saharan Africa; it also examines the moral responsibilities countries have towards their own people and the duty they have to work together to minimise and mitigate the devastating effects of the pandemic worldwide. We illuminate the importance of countries sharing their own world views, strengths, and expertise, and learning from one another in order to better situate all in tackling the pandemic. We argue that it is only insofar as all countries work collaboratively commensurate to each party’s capacity to contribute towards the tackling of the Covid-19 pandemic that we may truly be said to be “all in this together”.
In this commentary on Section 9 (Social and Behavioural Sciences Research for Health) of the National Ethical Guidelines for Biomedical and Health Research Involving Human Participants (2017) by the Indian Council of Medical Research... more
In this commentary on Section 9 (Social and Behavioural Sciences Research for Health) of the National Ethical Guidelines for Biomedical and Health Research Involving Human Participants (2017) by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), we appreciate that the guidelines clarify that human beings are "research participants" and not merely "subjects". Further, we appreciate and commend the ICMR for: i) contextualising the guidelines to India's unique sociocultural and economic situation and ii) affirming the multidisciplinary nature of health research and the wide scope of social and behavioural research. However, we question the prominence given to the difference between biomedical research and other aspects of health research and the description of social and psychological risks and discomforts as minor risks. Finally, we suggest that the guidelines would express greater value and diversity of the social aspects of health if they recommended wider representation of these aspects in the composition of research ethics committees.