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Nigeria’s response to Covid-19

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Nigeria was successful in eliminating Ebola, despite a weak public health system. In this blog post, expert on governance in Nigeria, Clare Cummings, uncovers why this was and whether Covid-19 could be addressed in the same way.   Read more

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The COVID Pandemic and Social Networks in South Sudan

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Strong, positive social bonds, both within and between communities, are a foundation for building peace. Ensuring that aid programmes do not erode these bonds is fundamental to conflict sensitive programming. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on South Sudan’s social networks is yet unknown. Drawing on research conducted by Mercy Corps and Tufts University in Unity State, this paper explores the role of social networks in South Sudan and how they could be impacted by…

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Responding to COVID-19 in Africa: Using Data to Find a Balance

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In this report, the Partnership for Evidence-Based Response to COVID-19 (PERC), a consortium of global public health organizations and private sector firms, brings together findings from a survey conducted March 29-April 17, 2020 in 28 cities across 20 AU Member States, along with epidemiological measures of disease transmission and indicators of population movements and unrest, among others. Synthesized, these data provide a first-of-its-kind snapshot of baseline conditions in Africa during this rapidly evolving pandemic.  …

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The Impact of COVID-19 on Transitional Elections and Peacebuilding

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COVID-19 has delayed elections worldwide at an unprecedented rate, which will affect peacebuilding efforts. This policy brief argues that Germany should support national institutions in developing consultation mechanisms between electoral management bodies, public health authorities and other relevant actors and assist in crisis communication to create spaces for dialogue and to counter disinformation.   Read more

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Africa’s coronavirus safety nets cannot cover all

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This article argues that many African countries moved rapidly to curb the initial spread of coronavirus, but they have been slower to cushion their citizens from its economic impact.   Read more

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Humanity & Inclusion South Sudan, Guidance on Inclusive messaging in COVID-19 response

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COVID-19 presents particular risks for many persons with disabilities and elderly around the world. Governments and partners should make extra efforts to protect the rights of persons with disabilities in responding to the pandemic, including ensuring that public health information is accessible to all. Persons with disabilities and elderly, potentially face higher exposure to the virus, are at risk of being discriminated against and face various environmental and attitudinal barriers to access critical information, including…

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The missing link in Africa’s COVID-19 response

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Health systems in sub-Saharan Africa cannot withstand a COVID-19 surge. But many African countries are proactively availing themselves of the guidance to enact non-medical protective measures: curfews, lockdowns and attempts at social distancing. The author of this article argues that, however, implementing this guidance in sub-Saharan Africa, as in other low-income settings, requires some adaptation, contextualization and reprioritization for an effective and acceptable response. Strong government leadership and national guidance are critical, but insufficient to…

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The social dimensions of the Coronavirus outbreak – Podcast by Sonar-Global

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Epicast is a podcast series about epidemics from Sonar-Global. The aim of this podcast is to explore the social dimensions of infectious diseases outbreaks so that we can get better at controlling them. This first will be focusing on the Coronavirus outbreak.   Listen to the podcast

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The Sphere Standards and the Coronavirus Response

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The Coronavirus COVID-19 is spreading globally. How can the Sphere Handbook guide our response? Sphere collates and disseminates emerging practice and evidence in the Coronavirus response and released a four-page document guiding you through the relevant parts of the Sphere Handbook. Why is Sphere relevant for COVID-19? Sphere offers a holistic, people-centred approach to humanitarian work, with the three foundation chapters – Humanitarian Charter, Protection Principles and Core Humanitarian Standard – supporting the four technical chapters. For the Coronavirus response, there are three…

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Africa: Triple Threat – Conflict, Gender-Based Violence and COVID-19

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Women and girls are at high risk for rape and sexual violence, as well as death – whether from armed conflicts, from conditions in refugee camps or from domestic violence while trapped at home with their abusers. Mandatory lockdowns have limited women’s access to life-saving support, including sexual and reproductive health clinics. Deaths in childbirth, already high, are expected to climb. The combined effect is catastrophic in countries affected by armed conflict and by humanitarian…

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