We are pleased to announce the publication of a new article by CPEMPH members Alex Broadbent (Durham University) and Pieter Streicher (University of Johannesburg), titled “Was Lockdown Racist?”, in Ergo: An Open Access Journal of Philosophy.

In this paper, the authors introduce the concept of negligent racism—a form of racism that does not require intent but arises when policy choices foreseeably cause disproportionate harm to certain racial groups, and alternatives are available but ignored.

Focusing on the impact of COVID-19 lockdowns in sub-Saharan Africa, the article argues that these measures, regardless of intention, were ill-suited to the region’s socio-economic realities. The authors contend that the adoption of lockdown policies, modeled after responses in wealthier nations, led to significant harm in African contexts, where factors such as overcrowded housing, reliance on informal economies, and limited access to essential services made strict lockdowns particularly detrimental.

The paper challenges the notion that the adverse effects of lockdowns were merely consequences of existing inequalities. Instead, it posits that the global implementation of such policies, without adequate consideration of their suitability for diverse contexts, exemplifies negligent racism.

This publication contributes to ongoing discussions about equity in global health policymaking and underscores the importance of context-sensitive approaches.

📄 Read the full article here

Or listen to an AI-generated podcast about the article here…