African Sociology of Health and Well-Being

Abstract

Abstract This chapter takes a critical and macro stance showing the sociological interrogation of health and well-being in Africa, focusing on the social context of health and disease, including social life, institutions, and human health behaviors. Sociological discourse about health in Africa is no different from that in the rest of the world, as the exploration of macro and micro social processes influences social etiology, social response to illness, and access to healthcare. The chapter explores the social situation in Africa, including economic and gendered circumstances, increasing population, cultural and traditional practices, limited access to modern medicine, traditional medicine use, social constructions of health, and the influence of globalization. The chapter emphasizes that understanding health and well-being requires a sociological lens that can unravel the fundamental causes of the health situation in Africa and elsewhere.