Yeah, the way we talk about ‘African diseases’ is racist

‘Africans’ aren’t dirty, stupid, and ignorant. Check your language

I could tell you a lot of seriously stupid things Europeans and Americans do in terms of hygiene and health and safety. I’ve seen women change diapers and leave bathrooms without washing their hands. I’ve seen men pick their noses and smear mucus on the seat next to them. I’ve seen waiters cough over food and serve it up. I’ve seen children eat bugs. But we don’t think of ourselves as disgusting or uncivilised, because the narrative is we’re clean. Right?

A lot of what we credit ourselves with as ‘superior and clean’ over rural ‘African communities’ comes down to infrastructure. We have running water, so having a bath every day is hardly a great effort. We have affordable soap available in every shop, so it’s not difficult to wash your hands. We can grab cheap condoms whenever we want, so safe sex isn’t a moral feat. We have rigorous systems in place to disinfect meat and produce, so it’s not hard to avoid food…