This timely collection coincides with both a period of reflection on the implications of the recent global COVID pandemic and the important resurgence of African perspectives on global issues. The editors draw from a diverse range of academics and policy makers to focus on how pandemics in general and COVID in particular affected how various state actors responded to and took advantage of the challenges that public health crises posed. Contributors cover specific case studies across the continent, from Nigeria to Namibia and Zimbabwe, as well as the wider dimensions of American and Chinese responses to the pandemic as they affected the African continent. Each chapter is grounded in political theories related to security studies and treats the centrality of public health crises to state security and people’s well-being. Given the diversity of approaches, readers may find it hard to compare the case studies. The collection is, nevertheless, useful for gaining a better understanding of African views on the pandemic and includes important voices that hitherto have not always been valued. Recommended. Advanced undergraduates through faculty.