HEALTH: How COVID-19 Affects Politics, Religion, Society, and Healthcare in Africa | Robert Dowd, CSC, PhD

COVID-19: Commonsense Conversations on the Coronavirus Pandemic

Originally recorded 3/27/2020.Today’s episode brings a different perspective and looks at the situation outside of the United States, specifically in Africa. Reverend Dowd is interested in african politics and helping communities and here he shares information about how the pandemic is affecting African communities. Questions in this episode include:I know that part of what you have been doing is focused on improving maternal/child healthcare access in Africa and also working on small business empowerment. Can you tell our audience about this, and particularly about the new maternal/child hospital in Dandora?The healthcare system in most countries in Africa looks very different than it does in the United States. Can you tell us what the healthcare system looks like in the countries where you have focused your work?In countries that are less well-developed than the United States and that don’t have the healthcare resources we have, how are they trying to address the COVID-19 pandemic?What approaches are they taking to prevent the spread of COVID-19?What are the unique challenges in developing countries that don’t have robust communications, technology, and healthcare systems?Your host is Dr. Ted O’Connell, family physician, educator, and author of numerous textbooks and peer-reviewed articles. He holds academic appointments at UCSF, UC Davis, and Drexel University's medical schools and also founded the Kaiser Permanente Napa-Solano Community Medicine and Global Health Fellowship, the first program in the U.S. to formally combine both community medicine and global health. Follow Ted on Instagram (@tedoconnellmd) and Twitter (@tedoconnell)! Today’s guest is Reverend Robert Dowd, who is an Associate Professor of Political Science and Director of the Ford Family Program in Human Development Studies and Solidarity at the University of Notre Dame. His research interests include African politics, ethnic politics, and the relationship between religion, political institutions, national identity, and human development. He is the author of Christianity, Islam, and Liberal Democracy: Lessons from Sub-Saharan Africa. He is currently focusing on research concerning religion and the integration of migrants and refugees in Europe and North America and the effects of faith-based schools on citizenship and civic engagement in Africa. Father Dowd founded the Ford Family Program in 2008, which is part of Notre Dame’s Kellogg Institute for International Studies in the Keough School of Global Affairs. Its mission is to integrate teaching, research, and grassroots community engagement in parts of the world where extreme poverty continues to be a major challenge. Ordained a Holy Cross Priest in 1994, Father Dowd holds a BA in economics from the University of Notre Dame and a PhD in political science from UCLA.Get involvedThose interested in learning more about Brother Andre Medical Centre in Nairobi, Kenya can go tohttps://www.holycrossusa.org/visitation-maternity-ward/http://brotherandremedicalcentre.org/Ford Family Program in Human Development Studies and SolidaritySubmit Your Questions for the PodcastSend an email to [e-mail] or check out covidpodcast.comWhat Can You Do?You can help spread commonsense about COVID-19 by supporting this podcast. Hit subscribe, leave a positive review, and share it with your friends especially on social media. We can each do our part to ensure that scientifically accurate information about the pandemic spreads faster than rumors or fears. Remember to be vigilant, but remain calm. For the most trusted and real time information on COVID-19 and the coronavirus pandemic, both the CDC and WHO have dedicated web pages to keep the public informed. The information presented in this podcast is intended for educational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice. Producers: Madison Linden and Christopher Breitigan.Executive Producer: Patrick C. Beeman, MD

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