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ABSTRACT
Bioterrorism – the manipulation of disease crises by terrorist groups to achieve political aims – is an under-researched threat to Africa. The increasing frequency of epidemics and pandemics such as Ebola and Covid-19, concurrent with the regional increase in terrorism, increases the potential for disease crises to be exploited as political weapons by terrorist groups, either directly or indirectly. This paper produces insights about the intersection of terrorism and disease in Africa through the exploration of terrorism’s interaction with the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), with reference to targeted violence, anti-vaccination rhetoric and anti-West suspicions in Nigeria, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Terrorism is shown to be significantly hindering polio eradication in these states, and it is argued that these actions should be incorporated into an expanded conceptualisation of bioterrorism. Lessons are drawn from the GPEI to augment current understandings of terrorism, counter-terrorism and disease in Africa, with recommendations for future action.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Notes
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67 Institute for Economics and Peace, Global Terrorism Index 2019. 40. Furthermore, terrorist attacks attributed to ‘Fulani extremists’ in Nigeria rose by 75% in 2019, as part of the ongoing conflicts between Nigerian pastoralists and various farming communities.
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77 Habibzada, Taliban, IS Deprive Afghan Kids of Polio Vaccine.
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120 World Health Organisation, ‘WHO reports fivefold increase in cyber attacks, urges vigilance,’ April 23, 2020, https://www.who.int/news/item/23-04-2020-who-reports-fivefold-increase-in-cyber-attacks-urges-vigilance
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Notes on contributors
Kayla Arnold
Kayla Arnold is a Master of Science candidate in Global Health and Development at University College London, United Kingdom. She has a BA(Hons) degree in International Studies (cum laude) from the University of Stellenbosch, South Africa, and previously worked for the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation in Cape Town. Her research interests lie in the intersections of conflict, humanitarian crises, gender, and global health, particularly focused on the African continent.