Health Diplomacy in Africa: Trends, Challenges, and Perspectives

The purpose of this book is to project diplomacy as an unavoidable instrument for monitoring, prevention and control of health and disaster risks among African countries. The book advocates health cooperation in Africa at a time when pandemics are recurrent. Outside of the WHO, many countries, even within regional groupings have not actively pursued health cooperation. We intend this book to provide the basis for advocating the inclusion of health diplomacy in the curricula of the training of the African diplomat with the hope to stimulate gradual policy shifts in foreign ministries, regional groupings, and the African Union.

Humphrey Ngala Ndi is Cultural Counsellor at the High Commission of Cameroon in London. He is also professor of health geography at the University of Yaounde I, Cameroon. He holds an MSc degree in Diplomacy, Foreign Policy, and Statecraft from Loughborough University. Humphrey has many articles in peer-review journals to his credit.

Henry Ngenyam Bang is a disaster management scholar with extensive research, publication, and higher education teaching experience. He teaches courses in Disaster and Emergency Management at Coventry University, UK. Henry holds a PhD in Environment and Development from the University of East Anglia. His research interest bisects crises and diplomacy/foreign policy.

Takwa Zebulon Suifon serves as senior Peace and Development Advisor (PDA) for Zimbabwe. In this role, he provides regular strategic analytical support to the UN Resident Coordinator and supports the UN Country Team in its programmatic engagement with national stakeholders in relation to conflict prevention, peacebuilding, social cohesion, and democratic governance.

Anna B Mbur Tasha is Minister Counsellor at the Cameroon High Commission in London. Anna graduated with History and English from Bayero University Kano in 1989 and proceeded to study diplomacy and international relations at the International Relations Institute of Cameroon. For over 30 years, she served in several senior positions in Cameroon’s foreign ministry before being posted to London. She has expertise in development, peace, and conflict management.