RCCE: Perceptions, Misinformation, and Concerns in African Countries in the Time of COVID-19

Speakers: Kathryn Bertram, READY / Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs; Sharath Srinivasan, Africa’s Voices Foundation; Sharon Reader, IFRC Africa Regional Office || Theme: Understanding the concerns, perceptions, and misinformation barriers to practicing preventative behaviors in Sub-Saharan African countries, and what is being done to address them.

This Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE)-focused webinar took place on Wednesday, April 29, 2020. For more up-to-date RCCE resources, please visit READY’s RCCE Toolkit or the COVID-19 Micro-Trainings RCCE Module.

Webinar Summary

Recent reports and provisional modeling by UN agencies and the WHO estimate that the number of cases and lives lost in Africa due to COVID-19 could surge within 3-6 months. Urban populations are of particular concern since the majority live in overcrowded neighborhoods, while unreliable access to hand-washing facilities and widespread rumors and misinformation are challenges in both rural and urban settings. In this webinar, Sharon Reader, Senior Advisor for Community Engagement and Accountability, IFRC Africa Regional Office, and Sharath Srinivasan, co-founder and Senior Advisor, Africa’s Voices Foundation, discussed the work they are doing to understand the concerns, perceptions, and misinformation barriers to practicing preventative behaviors in Sub-Saharan African countries, and what is being done to address them.

Msimamizi: Kathryn Bertram, Social Behavior Change Advisor, READY; Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs

Expert Speakers:

  • Sharath Srinivasan, Co-founder and Senior Advisor, Africa’s Voices Foundation
  • Sharon Reader, Community Engagement and Accountability, IFRC Africa Regional Office
United States Agency for International Development Johns Hopkins Center for Humanitarian Health, Save the Children, Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs, UK Med, EcoHealth Alliance, Mercy Malaysia

Tovuti hii imewezekana kwa msaada wa Watu wa Marekani kupitia Shirika la Maendeleo ya Kimataifa la Marekani (USAID) chini ya mpango wa TAYARI. READY (sio kifupi) inaungwa mkono na USAID  Ofisi ya Demokrasia, Migogoro, na Usaidizi wa Kibinadamu,  Ofisi ya Msaada wa Maafa ya Kigeni ya Marekani (OFDA)  na inaongozwa na Okoa Watoto  kwa kushirikiana na  Kituo cha Johns Hopkins cha Afya ya Kibinadamu,,  Kituo cha Johns Hopkins cha Mipango ya Mawasiliano,  UK-Med, Muungano wa EcoHealth, na Rehema Malaysia. Yaliyomo kwenye tovuti hii ni jukumu pekee la Save the Children. Maelezo yaliyotolewa kwenye tovuti hii si lazima yaakisi maoni ya USAID, washirika wowote au wote wa muungano, au Serikali ya Marekani, na si taarifa rasmi ya Serikali ya Marekani.