Beyond medical xenophobia: Congolese and Somali refugees' struggles, perceptions and responses to the COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa.

IF 1.2 3区 社会学 0 HUMANITIES, MULTIDISCIPLINARY
Dostin Mulopo Lakika, Tackson Makandwa
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引用次数: 0

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic was an unprecedented crisis characterised by widespread disruption and significant loss of life. Governments worldwide responded with a myriad of containment measures aimed at curbing the spread of this deadly virus. In South Africa, a nation accommodating migrants from diverse backgrounds, COVID-19 mitigation protocols were authorised but met with criticism not limited to local citizens. Cross-border migrants decried these measures as manifestations of medical xenophobia and 'migrantcide', engendering reluctance among many, particularly migrants, to seek medical treatment from public healthcare facilities.This article delves into the perspectives and beliefs of Congolese and Somali asylum seekers and refugees living in South Africa, with a particular emphasis on their perceptions of COVID-19 within an immigration landscape often fraught with hostility. The central argument posits that animosity and state negligence in a time of socioeconomic difficulty exacerbated migrants' misconceptions regarding COVID-19, contributing to their hesitancy in using South African public healthcare facilities during the pandemic. The profound deficit in trust between refugees and healthcare practitioners, stemming from inadequate communication channels, further exacerbates existing tensions and mistrust.Based on extensive fieldwork conducted in 2021 among Congolese and Somali communities in Yeoville and Mayfair-two suburbs of Johannesburg, South Africa populated by migrants-this paper explores the various meanings, perceptions and beliefs surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. It examines how these factors contributed to rising anxiety and fear, as well as the diverse responses adopted to address the deadly disease. The hesitancy of migrant groups to seek medical assistance from public healthcare facilities led them to explore alternative means of managing COVID-19 symptoms. While some of these approaches occasionally yielded positive outcomes, they often fell short of achieving the desired results, potentially resulting in an increased number of infections and fatalities that remained untested and unreported.

COVID-19 大流行是一场史无前例的危机,造成了广泛的破坏和重大的生命损失。世界各国政府采取了大量遏制措施,旨在遏制这一致命病毒的传播。南非是一个接纳来自不同背景移民的国家,COVID-19 减缓协议在南非获得批准,但却遭到了不限于当地公民的批评。跨境移民斥责这些措施是医疗仇外心理和 "移民杀戮 "的表现,导致许多人,尤其是移民,不愿到公共医疗机构就医。本文深入探讨了生活在南非的刚果和索马里寻求庇护者和难民的观点和信仰,特别强调了他们在经常充满敌意的移民环境中对 COVID-19 的看法。中心论点认为,在社会经济困难时期,敌意和国家的疏忽加剧了移民对 COVID-19 的误解,导致他们在大流行病期间对使用南非公共医疗设施犹豫不决。本文基于 2021 年在南非约翰内斯堡郊区移民聚居区 Yeoville 和 Mayfair 的刚果和索马里社区进行的广泛实地调查,探讨了围绕 COVID-19 大流行病的各种含义、看法和信念。本文探讨了这些因素是如何导致焦虑和恐惧加剧的,以及为应对这一致命疾病而采取的不同应对措施。移民群体不愿向公共医疗机构寻求医疗援助,这促使他们探索其他方法来控制 COVID-19 的症状。虽然其中一些方法偶尔会产生积极的结果,但往往达不到预期效果,可能导致未经检验和报告的感染和死亡人数增加。
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来源期刊
Medical Humanities
Medical Humanities HUMANITIES, MULTIDISCIPLINARY-
CiteScore
2.60
自引率
8.30%
发文量
59
期刊介绍: Occupational and Environmental Medicine (OEM) is an international peer reviewed journal concerned with areas of current importance in occupational medicine and environmental health issues throughout the world. Original contributions include epidemiological, physiological and psychological studies of occupational and environmental health hazards as well as toxicological studies of materials posing human health risks. A CPD/CME series aims to help visitors in continuing their professional development. A World at Work series describes workplace hazards and protetctive measures in different workplaces worldwide. A correspondence section provides a forum for debate and notification of preliminary findings.
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