'We would rather die from Covid-19 than from hunger' - Exploring lockdown stringencies in five African countries

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Food Security
• African Studies

Background:

• COVID-19 presented a dilemma for African countries balancing public health with food security.
• Strict lockdowns to curb the virus raised concerns about severe food shortages across the continent.
• Early evidence indicated lower COVID-19 morbidity and avoidance of widespread famine in Africa.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore how five African nations managed the trade-offs between public health and food security during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• To analyze the influence of food security concerns on policy responses and lockdown stringency.
• To investigate the role of country-level democracy in shaping these policy decisions.

Main Methods:

• Content analysis of 1188 newspaper articles from five African countries.
• Qualitative assessment of policy debates and their drivers.
• Comparative analysis of policy responses in relation to democratic governance.

Main Results:

• Food security was a significant factor in public policy discussions regarding COVID-19.
• Concerns about food security influenced the stringency of implemented lockdowns.
• The impact of food security considerations on policy was more pronounced in more democratic countries.

Conclusions:

• African countries navigated the COVID-19 crisis by integrating food security into public health strategies.
• Democratic governance structures appear to enhance the consideration of food security in pandemic policy-making.
• The study highlights the interconnectedness of health crises, food systems, and governance in Africa.