2023/11/22 by Jia Hui Lee, Laura A. Meek, Jacob Katumusiime · 1 voice
Social Sciences · Medicine · #African cultural and philosophical studies #Viral Infections and Outbreaks Research #Anthropological Studies and Insights
paper · pdf · doi:10.1017/asr.2023.69
openalex publication_date 2023/11/22 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/02
Abstract The comparative analysis of three “contested truths” around COVID-19 in East Africa demonstrates that knowledge is a product of knotted, uneven, and disputed epistemological practices tied to structures of power. Lee, Meek, and Katumusiime examine: (1) the construction of a pan-African skepticism of COVID-19 that drew on anti-imperialist discourses; (2) social media posts through which Tanzanian digital publics critically evaluated steam inhalation as an alternative therapeutic for COVID-19; and (3) the resistance by many Ugandans to complying with public health measures such as lockdowns. “Contested truths” is used as an analytical framework to center the specificity and situatedness of truth-making in East Africa during the COVID-19 pandemic.