African Perspectives

Abstract

Africa is very diverse and has a complex multicultural society. This diversity has dictated, consciously or subconsciously, the type of bioethics and applications that have evolved over the years. African bioethics is constructed through interaction and association with the environment and it is not new but has existed since time immemorial. It is presently hybrid bioethics as a result of infusion and dominance of foreign concepts that may not be relevant to the practices in Africa. Best practices and reflections in bioethics should be harnessed and promoted without infringing on the rights of the individuals and communities, even when confronted by emerging technologies and globalization. A large population in Africa relies on traditional medicine, a good testimony that modern medicine has lost its efficacy against the new emerging diseases. Modern medicine and traditional medicine should complement each other by use of knowledge acquired through dialogue. With the high diversity of communities, African bioethics lacks universality, and this makes legislation on its application complex. With bioethics application and relevance transcending all spheres of life, including the existence of the human race and the biosphere in general, bioethics education should be considered in the curriculum of African schools and universities. The extent of bioethics education in Africa is unknown and its current status is also difficult to ascertain. Despite the efforts by UNESCO to promote it, it is still in its infancy and its development is bedeviled by numerous challenges. It requires immense resources and goodwill for it to develop to any significant levels. Some of the strategies that could be used to promote bioethics development in Africa are presented in this chapter; it is up to the relevant government ministries to choose the most appropriate. Bioethics education in Africa could be summarized thus: no significant progress has been made in bioethics education and its future is bleak unless the strategies and recommendations herein are taken into consideration by schools, universities, and governments.