Sedentist Epidemiology: COVID-19 Policies and Pastoral Mobility in Turkana County, Kenya
Authorities have often seen pastoralist mobility as a challenge for public health and veterinary disease control. While the movement of humans and animals can influence disease transmission, authorities often overlook the complexity of these epidemiological relations and ignore the ecological and ec...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
The White Horse Press
2023-09-01
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| Series: | Nomadic Peoples |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/whp/np/2023/00000027/00000002/art00004 |
| _version_ | 1797658143607488512 |
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| author | Cory Rodgers Greta Semplici |
| author_facet | Cory Rodgers Greta Semplici |
| author_sort | Cory Rodgers |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Authorities have often seen pastoralist mobility as a challenge for public health and veterinary disease control. While the movement of humans and animals can influence disease transmission, authorities often overlook the complexity of these epidemiological relations and ignore the ecological and economic trade-offs of restricting pastoral mobility. This study reviews the Covid-19 response at the border between Turkana County (Kenya) and Moroto District (Uganda), with particular focus on the Kenyan side. Drawing on interviews with Kenyan public health officials, NGOs’ practitioners and pastoral households, we examine the treatment of pastoralist mobility in the Covid-19 response. Our findings suggest that, while there is special attention to and investment in extending health services to pastoralists, most of the thinking focuses on their rural location and household dispersal, rather than their mobility. In fact, pastoral transhumance was at times treated as a threat to disease control and national public health while other forms of cross-border mobility continued. We apply the concept of ‘sedentist bias’ to suggest that this understanding of pastoral mobility has become entrenched in the technics of public health planning. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T17:54:53Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-38f2848656f94900abac75293e90b09c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0822-7942 1752-2366 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T17:54:53Z |
| publishDate | 2023-09-01 |
| publisher | The White Horse Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nomadic Peoples |
| spelling | doaj.art-38f2848656f94900abac75293e90b09c2023-10-17T13:11:38ZengThe White Horse PressNomadic Peoples0822-79421752-23662023-09-0127222124110.3197/np.2023.270204NP270204Sedentist Epidemiology: COVID-19 Policies and Pastoral Mobility in Turkana County, KenyaCory Rodgers0Greta Semplici1University of OxfordUniversity of TurinAuthorities have often seen pastoralist mobility as a challenge for public health and veterinary disease control. While the movement of humans and animals can influence disease transmission, authorities often overlook the complexity of these epidemiological relations and ignore the ecological and economic trade-offs of restricting pastoral mobility. This study reviews the Covid-19 response at the border between Turkana County (Kenya) and Moroto District (Uganda), with particular focus on the Kenyan side. Drawing on interviews with Kenyan public health officials, NGOs’ practitioners and pastoral households, we examine the treatment of pastoralist mobility in the Covid-19 response. Our findings suggest that, while there is special attention to and investment in extending health services to pastoralists, most of the thinking focuses on their rural location and household dispersal, rather than their mobility. In fact, pastoral transhumance was at times treated as a threat to disease control and national public health while other forms of cross-border mobility continued. We apply the concept of ‘sedentist bias’ to suggest that this understanding of pastoral mobility has become entrenched in the technics of public health planning.http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/whp/np/2023/00000027/00000002/art00004pastoralismpublic healthcovid-19borderssedentism |
| spellingShingle | Cory Rodgers Greta Semplici Sedentist Epidemiology: COVID-19 Policies and Pastoral Mobility in Turkana County, Kenya Nomadic Peoples pastoralism public health covid-19 borders sedentism |
| title | Sedentist Epidemiology: COVID-19 Policies and Pastoral Mobility in Turkana County, Kenya |
| title_full | Sedentist Epidemiology: COVID-19 Policies and Pastoral Mobility in Turkana County, Kenya |
| title_fullStr | Sedentist Epidemiology: COVID-19 Policies and Pastoral Mobility in Turkana County, Kenya |
| title_full_unstemmed | Sedentist Epidemiology: COVID-19 Policies and Pastoral Mobility in Turkana County, Kenya |
| title_short | Sedentist Epidemiology: COVID-19 Policies and Pastoral Mobility in Turkana County, Kenya |
| title_sort | sedentist epidemiology covid 19 policies and pastoral mobility in turkana county kenya |
| topic | pastoralism public health covid-19 borders sedentism |
| url | http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/whp/np/2023/00000027/00000002/art00004 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT coryrodgers sedentistepidemiologycovid19policiesandpastoralmobilityinturkanacountykenya AT gretasemplici sedentistepidemiologycovid19policiesandpastoralmobilityinturkanacountykenya |