Faith, Culture, and Public Health Workshop: Translating Religious and Cultural Practices into Infectious Disease Prevention
Religious beliefs and practices are powerful determinants of health behaviours. Various religious teachings offer ethical guidance and practical rituals that intersect with hygiene, vaccination, quarantine, and outbreak response. Some faith-informed interventions—such as male circumcision, breastfeeding promotion, and fasting—have been successfully leveraged in public health.
This workshop introduces faith-informed approaches to contemporary public health strategies. Participants will explore conceptual foundations, ethical considerations, and operational pathways for integrating faith-informed interventions into outbreak preparedness, hygiene promotion, vaccination campaigns, and risk communication. We will discuss how culturally congruent and ethically grounded approaches can enhance compliance, strengthen health systems, and support community-led solutions to infectious disease challenges.
Participants:
Elmoubashar Farag, Professor of Global Health | Visiting Fellow, Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies
Tolulope Osayomi, Associate Professor of Medical Geography, Ibadan University (Nigeria)
