Not immune: Children in conflict

|by

, |, , |||,

The goal of this report is to shine a spotlight on the important issue of immunising children affected by conflict and to ensure vaccine investments, policies and actions address the needs of these children. The report draws on evidence from published literature; and on the insights of vaccination experts who work on the ground with Save the Children to deliver vaccinations to children in conflict zones.   Download

Read more

RVI researchers organize public health messaging in South Sudan

|by

, , ||||

In April 2020, when COVID-19 reached South Sudan, many of RVI’s South Sudanese researchers decided to return to their hometowns to avoid what they believed would be a large outbreak in the country’s capital, Juba. Following discussions with friends and family, the researchers proposed that RVI work with them to conduct a programme of messaging and awareness-raising on COVID-19.1 These activities would draw on the strong network of chiefs established during the five years of RVI’s…

Read more

Moving from rhetoric to action: how Africa can use scientific evidence to halt the COVID-19 pandemic

|by and

||||, ,

The ongoing pandemic of the coronavirus disease 2019 has spread rapidly to all countries of the world. Africa is particularly predisposed to an escalation of the pandemic and its negative impact given its weak economy and health systems. In addition, inadequate access to the social determinants of health such as water and sanitation and socio-cultural attributes may constrain the implementation of critical preventive measures such as hand washing and social distancing on the continent. Given these facts,…

Read more

12 leaders’ perspectives on supporting Africa’s health systems through Covid-19

|by

||||

The AU Commission’s joint meetings of African Ministers of Health and of Finance build on the African Leadership Meeting Declaration (ALM), in which governments committed to both increasing domestic investment in health and improving the efficiency and effectiveness of health spending. These meetings could hardly come at a more important time. They provide an opportunity to share experiences in sustaining health gains through reforms to mobilise additional resources for health and to improve the value for money…

Read more

Beyond the Disease: Contextualized Implications of the COVID-19 Pandemic for Children and Young People Living in Eastern and Southern Africa

|by and

||||

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has created extraordinary challenges and prompted remarkable social changes around the world. The effects of COVID-19 and the public health control measures that have been implemented to mitigate its impact are likely to be accompanied by a unique set of consequences for specific subpopulations living in low-income countries that have fragile health systems and pervasive social-structural vulnerabilities. This paper discusses the implications of COVID-19 and related public health interventions…

Read more

The impact of COVID-19 on the Horn of Africa

|by

|, ||

The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) was first reported in the Horn of Africa region in early March 2020. At first, the number of cases seemed low compared to other regions, both on the continent and around the globe; however, these figures did increase steadily. Six months into the pandemic, it is encouraging to note the downward trend in the number of cases and deaths over the past few weeks. Thus far, more than 150,000 cases have…

Read more

The impact of Covid-19 on climate change and disaster resilience funding: trends and signals

|by

, ||||

Prior to Covid-19, concerns were being raised that funding for climate and disaster resilience was insufficient to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement and Sendai Framework. Since the pandemic, initial signals are that the funding gap will widen. Opportunities exist to harness co-benefits for pandemic recovery and climate and disaster resilience. To leverage climate and disaster resilience finance, especially during the Covid-19 response, decision-making needs to be more risk-informed and incorporate risks from multiple…

Read more

“The greatest need was to be listened to”: The importance of mental and psychosocial support during COVID-19

|by and

, |, |||

Early in 2020, as the world was beginning to realise the magnitude of the humanitarian and societal consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, we began to see the huge psychological implications of the virus itself and the measures to prevent it. Worries and fears about losing loved ones, becoming sick or about health systems being over-loaded continue to be common among the people we support. Moreover, measures imposed by governments to prevent the spread of the…

Read more

Systems thinking for health emergencies: use of process mapping during outbreak response

|by and

|, |, ||, ,

Summary: There is little to no published research on process mapping being conducted during health emergen-cies to improve the current outbreak response. Our research shows that despite the chaos and complexities associated with emerging pathogen outbreaks, process mapping can address immediate response priorities while simultaneously strengthening components of a health system. This methodology could be applied to any country that has an outbreak, including COVID-19 cases. There is an acute need in the global health…

Read more

Solidarity with the people and governments of Africa in tackling COVID-19

|by

||||

Africa has responded swiftly to the COVID-19 pandemic and, as of now, reported cases are lower than early pessimistic estimates. It is too early to know the full impact of COVID-19 on Africa. To date, the experience has been varied. Moreover, as with other regions, there is not one homogenous narrative around the COVID-19 pandemic in Africa. The pandemic is affecting African countries differently, given varied strengths and vulnerabilities. There are causes for concern, but…

Read more