Global Journal of Human Social Science, F: Political Science, Volume 22 Issue 5

COVID-19 and Human Security: Western Populism, Chinese Strong State and Africa’s Submissive Populace © 2022 Global Journals Volume XXII Issue V Version I 51 ( ) Global Journal of Human Social Science - Year 2022 F Blessed Ashmond α , Isaac Nunoo σ , George Sowah Boye ρ & Bernice Quampah Ѡ Abstract - The COVID-19 has been one pandemic that has greatly impacted the world and its economies since it was identified in 2019. This current research therefore sets out to investigate the COVID-19 and Human Security in relation to western populism, Chinese strong state and Africa’s submissive populace. The study was undertaken in the University of Cape Coast (UCC) which is a diverse community of both Africans and Euro-Asians. Three categories of respondents are involved in this study namely: Africans (mainly Ghanaians), Euro-Americans and Chinese. Purposive sampling technique was used to interview respondents who are Chinese and Euro-American since they form a very small population and need to be specifically identified. The study also adopted simple random sampling for the respondents who are African (mainly Ghanaians) in a survey research. The study revealed that China’s strong state in defeating the virus could be attributed to mandatory testing and quarantine for 14 days on arriving in China. Again, China was able to defeat the virus because of mobile hospitals and mandatory vaccination that the government implemented. The Western world could not contain the spread and fatality rate of the virus because of their disregard to ensuring and following social distancing and other COVID-19 protocols and their insistence for their rights and freedom to engage in social life. Africa on the other hand submitted to the virus and learnt from the devastating experiences of the West and implemented policies to contain and control the spread of the pandemic. Policies such as strict enforcement of the adherence to the COVID-19 protocols and provision of quarantine and isolation centres for infected people account for Africa’s submissive populace and her ability to contain the virus. Recommendations have been made for policy implication and this includes: governments could consider rolling out mobile hospitals to provide health care assistance to their citizens; provision of free testing and vaccination and investment in research to develop and come up with vaccination and medication for the COVID-19 virus. Keywords: covid-19, human security, western populism, chinese strong state, africa’s submissive populace, university of cape coast. Author α : School of Medical Sciences, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast. e-mails: blessed.ashmond@ucc.edu.gh, b.ashmond@uccsms.edu.gh Author σ : Centre for African and International Studies, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast. e-mail: isaac.nunoo@ucc.edu.gh Author ρ : School of Allied Health Sciences, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast. e-mail: gsboye@ucc.edu.gh Author Ѡ : Sunyani Technical University, Sunyani. e-mail: bernicequampah@yahoo.com I. I ntroduction a) Background to the study he coronavirus has challenged humanity. The virus was identified on March 11, 2020 and declared coronavirus disease and declared pandemic by the World Health Organisation (WHO 2020). Human Security as a result of the outbreak of the pandemic has been crucial and a matter of great concern to all countries due to high rate of infection of the virus. China is the first country to report an incidence case of coronavirus. However, China has been able to curtail the spread of the virus. Wuhan city which first recorded the outbreak has not seen any incidence of new case since 19 th March, 2020 (Wu & McGoogan 2020). China at the moment records zero case of COVID-19 in their treatment and isolation centres. China has proven to be a strong state in her fight against the coronavirus (Wu & McGoogan 2020). The US President did not consider making budget allocation to provide test kits or contact tracing and also did not enforce laws on adhering to the COVID-19 protocols all in the name of freedom of movement (Brady 2020). The Education Secretary during the Trump administration as part of his policy exempted students with no records from COVID-19 relief aid, a policy that accounted for the spark and high infection rate of the virus in the US (Schwartz 2020) and in the United Kingdom, Boris Johnson’s move to trivialise the COVID-19 led to escalation of infection cases and fatality rate in the United Kingdom. He chose populist tactics and laboured on prospects of unemployment and diminishing economic activity for the citizens to have their rights and freedom of movement and social engagement. There is a tradeoff between populist tactics and personal safety, public health and economic activity (Landler 2019). African continent is dominated by developing and underdeveloped countries. The continent is deviled with poor health infrastructural facilities and qualified medical personnel in relation to China and western countries (OECD 2020). As a result of these infrastructural deficits and inadequate health personnel, Africa has acted urgently and put in place measures to contain pandemic. African countries introduced complete lockdowns, suspension of foreign travels, T