Faith, Healing And Medicine In The Time Of Covid-19
FAITH, HEALING AND MEDICINEIN THE TIME OF COVID-19DR EMMA WILD-WOOD
FA IT H, HE AL IN G AN DME DI CI NE IN TH ETI ME OF CO VI D- 19TO CRIS ES SUCH AS A GLOB ALFAITH SHAP ES THE WAY SOCI ETIES RESP ONDUNIV ERSI T Y OF EDIN BURG H IN THEPAND EMIC . DR EMM A WILD -WOO D, FROM THEONS ES TO THE COV ID-19 PAND EMIC INUK, IS STUD YING HOW FAITH INFO RMS RESPOF AFRI CA’S POO REST COU NTRI ESTHE DEM OCR ATIC REPU BLIC OF CON GO, ONEGLOSSARYFAITH - a religious belief or a particularreligion i.e., Christian faithBIOMEDICAL – encompassing thesciences and modern medicineFAITH COMMUNITIES – any groupthat is organised around a common faithpractice, such as churches, mosques orother informal faith groupsFAITH-BASED ORGANISATIONS –structured organisations such as charitiesor hospitals, which are run by faith groupsFor many people, the provision of healthcare haslittle to do with religion and faith. However, inparts of the world, faith communities are the mainproviders of health services. For example, duringthe COVID-19 pandemic, religious groups inAfrica have played a significant role in providingboth healthcare and communicating public healthmessages. While this role is clearly important,tensions can exist between the ways in whichpublic health officials create responses to diseaseand the views of faith communities on diseaseand healing. Without cohesive public healthmessaging, diseases like COVID-19 are quickto spread.Dr Emma Wild-Wood is a senior lecturer at theUniversity of Edinburgh’s Centre for the Studyof World Christianity. She and a team of expertsINDIGENOUS THERAPEUTICMODELS – healthcare based on beliefsand practices that originate from within aregion’s cultureSOCIO-CULTURAL PERSPECTIVE- awareness of the circumstancessurrounding individuals and how theirbehaviours are affected by social andcultural factorsVENERATION – the act of honouring orrespecting someone or somethingleaders hold significant public authority. It isperhaps unsurprising that Congolese people lookto faith leaders for guidance on health issues.in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) areworking on a project called ‘Belief in the time ofCOVID-19’. The team is investigating how publichealth officials and faith leaders communicatewith each other, and to the public, on healthemergencies. Their aim is to help public officialsunderstand the vital role faith communities playand find ways to improve public health messagingin the DRC.“From the 1920s, faith-based medical servicesof Catholic and Protestant churches have playeda large role in providing healthcare,” says Emma.“They introduced biomedical ways of givinghealthcare whilst never entirely effacing theindigenous therapeutic models already available tothe population. From 1971, they started workingon behalf of the DRC’s Ministry of Health in acomplex, negotiated system of co-management.”Indeed, faith communities in the DRC wereinstrumental in leading medical responses to theoutbreaks of Ebola (2,250 dead between 2018and 2020) and measles (6,500 dead since 2019).WHY ARE FAITH COMMUNITIESPROVIDING HEALTHCARE IN DRC?According to the Pew Research Centre, 95.8%of the population in the DRC is Christian, but alarge proportion combine traditional beliefs andpractices – such as spirit and ancestor veneration– with Christianity and Islam. Faith communitiesplay a central role in Congolese society and faithWHAT IS THE RESPONSE TO COVID-19IN THE DRC?There were 61,932 confirmed cases ofCOVID-19 and 1,118 deaths in the DRC between3 January 2020 and 15 December 2021,according to the World Health Organization.As of 10 December 2021, 246,840 peoplewere vaccinated against the disease. Compared
with other countries in Europe and NorthAmerica, for example, the number of COVID-19infections and deaths in the DRC appears to berelatively low.While limited diagnostic and testing facilitiesin the country may, in part, explain these lownumbers, the impact of disease outbreaks suchas Ebola meant that people were more prepared.For example, in Bunia, the capital city of IturiProvince in the DRC, wash basins becamecommon in homes, offices and commercialbuildings after the Ebola epidemic. COVID-19was first detected in the DRC in March 2020and, in the same month, many churches closed,following COVID-19 restrictions imposed byPresident Félix Tshisekedi. Faith leaders alsoencouraged members to follow governmentadvice on COVID-19.This is often associated with a view that therich and powerful, particularly those in theWest, are benefiting from the pandemic insome way. People’s previous experience of theEbola epidemic had a significant impact on theirreactions to COVID. While measures such asthe introduction of washbasins were positive, theresponse to Ebola was largely coordinated byinternational groups and some national officials.These groups did not involve local communitiesin the DRC, creating mistrust between healthauthorities and the public. This was before thehealth authorities realised the importance oftaking differing socio-cultural perspectivesinto account.HOW IS COVID-19 PERCEIVED INTHE DRC?Emma’s team found that there were threemain responses to COVID-19 amongCongolese people. Around two-thirds acceptthat COVID-19 is a disease caused by thetransmission of a virus. People who hold this viewrecognise that public health measures are neededto control the spread of the disease. Prayer canstill play an important role in the response toCOVID-19 but biomedical treatment is alsoconsidered necessary.WHAT IMPACT COULD ‘BELIEF IN THETIME OF COVID-19’ HAVE?The team hope that understanding therelationship between faith and healthcare incountries like the DRC will lead to more effectivecommunication and cooperation with publichealth officials. Emma explains, “The languageof faith is familiar to people. It is focused onwell-being and can be used to communicate goodhealth practice.” Faith leaders are therefore wellpositioned to deliver public health messages.However, the team’s research has found thatfaith leaders need training to understand themessages they are transmitting and why theyare important, otherwise these messages can bepoorly communicated.A small number of people believe thatCOVID-19 is a direct intervention from God,the devil, spirits or ancestors. Not all peoplewho hold this belief reject biomedical treatmentbut, for them, prayer and faith healing areessential to treating the disease. Therefore, theclosure of places of worship and restrictionson gatherings was problematic. This is becausesome people believed that these measures wereharming the response to COVID-19 ratherthan aiding it. Interestingly, this perspective ledto the reopening of places of worship, but withprecautionary measures, such as avoiding largegroup gatherings. This made it easier for faithleaders to engage with these communities anddeliver public health messages.From around 2015 onwards, global healthauthorities started to acknowledge theimportance of faith communities. While theyare working with faith-based medical services,health officials often try to use faith communitiesfor their own public health ends. Unfortunately,this approach can backfire and create mistrustbetween public health authorities and faithcommunities, as the response to Ebola hasshown. The research undertaken by Emma’steam demonstrates that a different approach isneeded. To cooperate with faith communitieseffectively, health officials need to understandhow faith communities view health and wellbeing, and whether they see their relationshipwith government as positive.A smaller group of people believe thatCOVID-19 is a fabricated disease, that it doesnot exist, or that it was created to harm others.Officials also need to engage those faithcommunities that do not have a biomedicalapproach to healing rather than ignore them orDR EMMA WILD-WOODSenior Lecturer in African Christianityand African Indigenous Religions, Centrefor the Study of World Christianity,University of Edinburgh, UKRESEARCH PROJECT‘Belief in the time of COVID-19’ –Understanding the relationships betweenfaith, society and responses to diseaseduring the COVID-19 pandemic in theDemocratic Republic of the Congo(DRC)TEAMUniversity of Edinburgh, UK: Dr JeanBenoit Falisse (African Studies andDevelopment), Dr Liz Grant (GlobalHealth Institute); Anglican University ofCongo, DRC: Dr Amuda Baba (PublicHealth), Dr Yossa Way (Theology), SadikiKangamina (Biblical Studies and Rector);Primary Care International: Dr NigelPearson (Health Consultant in FragileStates and General Practitioner)FUNDERArts and Humanities Research Council(AHRC)try to impose their views upon them. With thisin mind, two of Emma’s Congolese collaboratorsare planning to write booklets in Swahili, whichdiscuss relationships between faith and health, inorder to provide education and training to localfaith leaders.“The World Health Organisation has already beencalling for collaboration with faith communities,”Emma explains. “For this to happen, work isstill required to understand faith communities.Otherwise, health officials might try to useor manipulate faith communities, instead ofrecognising their inherent value and working withthem in strong partnerships.”
ABOUT WORLD RELIGIONSReligion has played an integral role in shapingsocieties across the globe for millennia andcontinues to have a public and collective roletoday. It is therefore very important to studyworld religions and people’s religious beliefs.As the work of Emma’s team has shown,responses to events such as disease, famineand environmental crises are influenced bybeliefs. Solutions to challenges that may workin one region of the world may be completelyinappropriate in another.“Aspects of society – like health – areinfluenced by both the distinctions betweenfaith traditions and the way in whichthey sometimes overlap,” says Emma.“Understanding these great human traditionstells a lot about who we are, and also itcontributes to improving societal problems– like disease. Indigenous religions havetraditionally been neglected in the study ofworld religions. As humans recognise the needfor planetary health, they are seeking thewisdom of Indigenous peoples who live close tothe land.”THE IMPORTANCE OF HUMANITIESAccording to Learn.com, “The humanitiesrefer to courses in two major categories, artsand culture, that are designed to enrich astudent’s knowledge of the world beyond theirown life.” The study of humanities subjectslike religion provides us with frameworks tounderstand how solutions to challenges suchas disease, climate change and poverty canbe applied in different cultural and societalsettings. “Studying humanities enables usto think outside the box and engage withphilosophies, beliefs, practices and behavioursthat are different to our own,” says Emma. “Itinculcates respect and understanding for theway humans operate in the world.”A PATHWAY TO A BROAD RANGEOF CAREERSGiven the many transferable skills humanitiessubjects such as religious studies can offer,graduates can find themselves working ina broad range of sectors from charities tojournalism, teaching, civil service, culturalheritage and retail management. “A degreein humanities gives a great foundation forsomeone who wants to develop skills whilst notbeing sure exactly what they want to do,” saysEmma. “I firmly recommend taking a theologyand religious studies degree. It does all thethings mentioned above, and it’s so varied– philosophy, sociology and anthropology,literature and languages, law and history.Students get a wide disciplinary education witha focus on things that have made the world goround for millennia – religions!”MEET EMMAWhen I left school, I didn’t know what I wantedto be. I had travelled as a student and learned a lotfrom being in different societies. I wanted to learnmore and to give back, so I looked for a position thatwould enable me to spend more time in one placeand develop a more profound understanding of thepeople there. I taught history and theology in theDRC and Uganda for a number of years.I studied theology at the University of Edinburghbecause I wanted to gain an academic understandingof my own Christian faith and heritage. I becameincreasingly interested in the way in whichChristianity and Indigenous religions interacted inAfrica, particularly exploring how and why peoplechanged and adapted religious traditions. It’simportant to study places and people in the worldthat are often overlooked.I have learned a lot from people and events thatappear marginal to the dominant concerns of ourown society. I have a much greater appreciationof the impact of Christianity and other religioustraditions on the world – both positive and negative.I have learned greater empathy and appreciation forpeople who live different lives from my own.I enjoy teaching students – often about things theyhave never been able to study before. I enjoy theconnection and collaboration with people across theglobe, like the Congolese team on this project whobrought new perspectives to our work.EMMA’S TOP TIPS01 Study what fascinates you.02 Make sure you understand the methodsand theories behind the academic study.03 Go into the world, meet people and seeif the theory matches the lived experience.
MEET AMUDADr Amuda Baba Dieu-Merci is a lecturer in publichealth at the Anglican University of Congo andnursing colleges in Bunia. He is also CEO of the PanAfrican Institute of Community Health in the DRCand member of the ‘Belief in the time of COVID-19’research project.‘Belief in the time of COVID-19’ has contributedto strengthening the relationships between, andcohesion of, different faith communities, as theyhave realised that, together, they can be moreeffective in dealing with future outbreaks anddisasters.Conducting this research amidst health threats(COVID-19), conflict, and fragile social and healthsystems has exposed many challenges in the DRC:poverty, the proliferation of churches with diversebeliefs on social and health-related issues, andCOVID-19 not being a top priority.What I enjoy about my work is listening to andobserving community members as they deal withdifferent life issues, particularly in rural and remoteareas of the DRC. I like having the opportunityto use participatory active approaches. Theseapproaches empower community members to comeup with their own solutions to challenges.The late Dr Patricia Jane Nickson inspired meto study community health at IPASC UniversityCollege in the DRC and the Liverpool Schoolof Tropical Medicine in the UK. Her lifestyle,community approach and integration, and capacity tolisten to and observe communities was so inspiring.It isn’t usual for students in DRC to follow in myfootsteps, as many choose to study law, economics,medicine, social sciences and international relations.But, as I’m a lecturer in community and publichealth, some of my students say they would like tobenefit from the same training I received. I’m alwaysvery open to discussing these opportunities withthem, even outside the lecture hall, in churches, athome and in social gatherings.AMUDA’S TOP TIPS01 Listen to your heart to understand whatyour passion is.02 Spend time with your local communityto understand people’s different experiencesand the challenges they face.03 Find a role model whose lifeinspires you.04 There are no drafts in life. Whateveryou choose to do, do it with completecommitment and love.
WORLD RELIGIONS WITHDR EMMA WILD-WOODTALKING POINTSKNOWLEDGE1. What is the relationship between faith communities and healthcareproviders in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)?COMPREHENSION2. C an you summarise the different responses people have to COVID-19in the DRC?ANALYSIS3. What challenges do you think arise in undertaking research in countriessuch as the DRC? Think about challenges that fall into differentcategories such as: geographical, cultural/social, political, personalsafety.4. Amuda says COVID-19 is not seen as a top priority in the DRC. Whydo you think this is?5. H ow do views on COVID-19 and infectious diseases in the DRCcompare to those in your own country and/or local community?SYNTHESIS6. The research project focuses on the DRC but what lessons can bedrawn from Emma’s team’s research that would be applicable todeveloping disease prevention strategies in other countries?EVALUATION7. Do you think the role of international organisations in providinghealthcare in developing countries is generally positive or negative?What are some of the problems with international aid and how canthese be addressed?8. What are the benefits of incorporating views from humanities subjectsto address problems such as disease, climate change and poverty?MORE RESOURCES These two blog posts provide a fascinating insight into the team’s -congo-in-conversation-with-emma-wild-wood The School of Divinity at the University of Edinburgh offers outreachprogrammes for schools, including visit-days for students and CPD eventsfor teachers: nt/schools-outreachACTIVITIES YOU CAN DO ATHOME OR IN THE CLASSROOM1. Imagine you are interviewing Dr Wild-Wood for a schoolmagazine. Write a list of 10 questions you would like to askabout her research. Topics you might be interested to askabout include:- The challenges of conducting research in a developingcountry and during a pandemic- How research projects like ‘Belief in the time of COVID-19’are translated into practical applications- Emma’s career path to get to this field- Motivations for this type of researchIf you would like answers to your questions, visit Emma’sarticle online and post them in the comments in-thetime-of-covid-192. Read the World Health Organization’s strategy for engagingreligious leaders, faith-based organisations (FBO) and faithcommunities in health 0037205- Looking at the table of ‘Actions’, identify two you thinkshould be the top priority. Explain your reasons in a posteror class presentation.- Use this document to prepare a set of 10 questions to ask afaith-based organisation about their relationship with localgovernment and the response to COVID-19. Examplequestions to ask are: How much contact do you have withlocal government? Are you working together on publichealth messaging? How are your members responding topublic health messages? If possible, contact a faith-basedorganisation near you and ask them your questions. The School of Divinity’s ‘Approaching Religion Through Story’ resourceis particularly interesting, covering Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhismand sources The US Food and Drug Administration has developed lots of useful andfree educational resources on COVID-19, including videos and ducational-resources
A photo opportunity with head nurses from a rural health district in the DRC.Credit: Bonheur AyikoAfter a participatory workshop with faith community leaders in Bunia, the DRC.Credit: John K.A participatory workshop with faith community leaders in Bunia.Credit: Amuda BabaA focus group discussion with head nurses in a rural health district in the DRC.Credit: Grégoire MadhiraAfter a training session with research assistants in Bunia. Credit: John K.Travelling to collect data from a rural health district. Credit: Bonheur Ayiko
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FAITH - a religious belief or a particular religion i.e., Christian faith BIOMEDICAL - encompassing the sciences and modern medicine FAITH COMMUNITIES - any group that is organised around a common faith practice, such as churches, mosques or other informal faith groups FAITH-BASED ORGANISATIONS - structured organisations such as charities
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Faith and Social Justice Faith and Film Faith and Ministry Faith and Science Faith and Sacred Art Faith and Drama Faith and Music Faith and Business Ethics In Term Three, all students complete a common unit exploring themes from St John Paul II’s Theology of the Body.
inquiry-based instruction supported 5E learning cycle . In the instruction based on 5E learning cycle method, teaching and learning activities and lesson plans were designed to maximize students active involvement in the learning process. The topics included in the lesson plans were about the three units of fifth-grade sciences book; they included: hidden strangles (microbes, viruses, diseases .
