Socio-Cultural Dimensions of Emerging Infectious Diseases in Africa: An Indigenous Response to Deadly Epidemics

Godfrey Tangwa: Godfrey B. Tangwa is emeritus professor of the University of Yaounde 1, Cameroon, where he was Head of the Department of Philosophy from 2004-2009. He is a Fellow of the Cameroon Academy of Sciences (CAS), the African Academy of Sciences (AAS), Vice Chairperson of the Cameroon Bioethics Initiative (CAMBIN) which he founded in 2005, an executive committee member of the Pan-African Bioethics Initiative (PABIN) and Chairperson of the Cultural, Anthropological, Social and Economic (CASE) work group of the Global Emerging Pathogens Treatment Consortium (GET). He has extensive teaching and research experience in the domains of philosophy and bioethics. He obtained a BA (1977) from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, an MA (1979) from the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University), Ile Ife, and a PhD (1984) from the University of Ibadan, all in Nigeria. He has served on several expert advisory committees for the WHO, has been a member of the Scientific Ethics Advisory Group (SEAG) of Hoffmann La Roche since 2005 and is currently also an advisory board member of both ALERRT and SARETI. Professor Tangwa's publications' record shows about 10 books, 35 book chapters and 45 journal articles.

Akin Abayomi is Professor of Medicine at the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research in Lagos, Nigeria. Prior to that he was the Chief Pathologist and Head of the Division of Haematology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa. A specialist in internal medicine and haematology, environmental health and biosecurity, Professor Abayomi studied at the Royal Medical College of St Bartholomew's Hospital in the University of London where he attained his first graduate degree in medicine. He has obtained fellowships from the Royal College of Medicine and Pathology in the United Kingdom and the College of Medicine of South Africa. He has worked in several countries around the world in both internal medicine and haematology and has been exposed to a variety of geographical variations and disease patterns within these areas. Professor Abayomi's focus has mainly been on the concept of emerging diseases like Ebola, HIV and TB and the development of laboratory and clinical capacity in Africa. He is the cofounder and Principal Investigator of the Global Emerging Pathogens Treatment Consortium (GET).

Samuel Ujewe is a scholar, researcher and analyst in Bioethics & Health Policy, especially: health research ethics, healthcare ethics, mental health ethics, indigenous populations' health ethics & policy, global health ethics & policy, ethics of infectious diseases management, international and cross-cultural bioethics. His research interests span through integrating major ethical theories with relevant indigenous principles and values to enhance just, responsible and actionable health policies and interventions, especially in African health systems.His research focuses on the intersection of ethics and policy, using a moral compass that aligns with indigenous contexts. He obtained a PhD in Bioethics & Health Policy from the University of Central Lancashire, United Kingdom; a Master of Health Sciences (MHealSc) in Bioethics from the University of Otago, New Zealand; and a First Class BA Hons in Philosophy from the University of Zimbabwe. He has since completed two postdoctoral fellowships at the University of Pretoria, South Africa, and McMaster University, Canada. He is currently an Adjunct Research Fellow at the Canadian Institute for Genomics and Society, where he undertakes collaborative research on the ethical implications of genomic innovations for indigenous settings.

Dr Ujewe is an Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, UK; a member of the International Forum of Teachers of Ethics, Bioethics and Medical Law (IFT); and a Fellow of the Global Emerging Pathogens Treatment Consortium (GET), working with the "Cultural, Anthropological, Social, and Economic Impact (CASE) Work Group". He has also held Visiting Research Fellowshipsat the University of Central Lancashire in Cyprus, and The Nathaniel Center, New Zealand.

Nchangwi Syntia Munung is based at the University of Cape Town (UCT), South Africa. She holds an M.Sc in Biochemistry and an M.Sc in Medicine. Her current research focus is on the governance of global health research; and Justice and fairness in genomics research and biobanking in Africa. She also has an interest in science communication and public engagement with Science. She has worked on a number of projects aimed at building capacity in health research ethics in the Central African Sub-region. Nchangwi has about a dozen publications in international peer-reviewed journals.