The Politics Of Managing Epidemics As Global Security Threats: The Case Of Covid-19 And Ghana.

Abstract

The study analysed the politics of managing epidemic threats with Ghana as the case in point. The securitization theory served as the framework. It was a qualitative study and data was sourced from both secondary and interview sources. It found that Ghana’s response to the Corona Virus Infectious Disease (COVID-19) threat was to protect its citizens unfulfilled its responsibilities under the World Health Organization (WHO) and Section 169 of the Public Health Act, 2012 (Act 851) in harmony with WHO’s IHR 2005. The 1994 Emergency Powers Act 1994 (Act 472) rolled back civil liberties and imposed autocratic policies. Ghana’s role in limiting the 2013 Ebola outbreak in West Africa equipped it with vital skills in pandemic management. Laboratories within and outside the GHS were ascribed to provide testing for COVID-19 raising the testing laboratories from 2 to 16 by April 2020 to reduce facility shortfalls; and the private sector, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), and the global community aided. The regime of COVID-19 was adversely affected by muddles, delusion, and myths that increased vaccine apathy and sapped pandemic rules zeal. The 2020 Elections and political expediency adversely impacted effective COVID-19 control. The huge financial mobilization contracts and supplies engendered by the pandemic promoted corruption. Contracts were awarded without complying with contract and procurement laws, costs of contracts were bloated, contracts were awarded without tenders mostly to unregistered companies, huge sums of funds were not accounted for, unused funds were not returned to government covers, beneficiaries of contracts and source of some fund were not stated, and healthcare and allied workers were not paid wages often. The sleaze resulted in a decrease in citizens’ trust, approval, and interest in pandemic activism. The study concluded that sociocultural and political culture ills such as superstition and corruption dysfunctional impacted the effective and efficient management of pandemics. It recommended high hygiene etiquette and good housing outlays, pro-health government expenditure, counter-misperception and superstitious media, empowerment of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) with corruption oversight powers, and greater international donors and accountability.