DESCRIPTION: This presentation surveys the various effects of religion as a social force on the COVID-19 response globally.  Those effects are varied.  Religion may hinder a sound public health response; for example, religious devotion has led some faith communities to continue meeting in person, contributing to the spread.  Religion may also contribute in distinctive ways to that public health response; for example, when religious leaders communicate infection control guidance they reach some members of the general public who would be less persuaded by health officials.  Drawing on insights and lessons learned from the 2014-2016 Ebola outbreak in western Africa, this presentation explores religion’s effects on the response to the current COVID-19 outbreak employing a conceptual model that examines religion in light of  three domains: beliefs and practices, organizational structures, and relationship to the broader society.

TOPICS:  Inter-disciplinary Scholarship:  Public Health Research