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Policy Brief - Maximising the impact of COVID-19 communication with refugees: What can we do better?

Countries
Uganda
Sources
Govt. Uganda
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Publication date
Origin
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Background

In late 2020 U-Learn1 conducted an assessment on COVID-19 risk communication and community engagement (RCCE) in Uganda. The assessment was designed in collaboration with Ministry of Health (MoH) and refugee response stakeholders to inform policy and programming for COVID-19 risk communications and community engagement. The assessment collected qualitative and quantitative information on COVID-19 preventive behaviours, risk perceptions and communication channels from a range of locations in Uganda, with particular focus on refugee settlements and refugee hosting districts2 .
The assessment findings were reviewed by a range of government, UN, NGO and civil society stakeholders in January 20213 , resulting in this policy brief presenting recommendations (page 2 and 3).

High-Level Summary of Research Findings

  • Current Behaviour. Respondents to the phone survey self-reported that they implement COVID-19 preventive measures of hand washing, mask-wearing and social distancing. However, this self-reported data appears to be biased, since it is contradicted by qualitative and observational findings which show that these behaviours are not taking place consistently. Preventive measures such as mask-wearing are more common in certain spaces (eg – NGO offices, hospitals) than others. In addition, youth and children tend not to adhere to social distancing.

  • Perception of COVID-19 as a threat to livelihoods and from the ‘outside’. The majority of respondents across all areas consider COVID-19 a serious threat but seem to focus more on the social and economic threats posed by COVID-19 rather than the immediate health threat. Respondents also downplay the health threat within one’s immediate community/surroundings, and rather associate the main sources of the disease itself with outsiders (safety within community, threat from outside). Refugees tend to feel particularly threatened by COVID-19, reportedly because of the increased economic pressures and impact on livelihoods within the settlements.

  • Information received on COVID-19. Across groups, most respondents reported to have received information about the symptoms of COVID-19, the nature of the disease, its transmission, social distancing, and risks and complications of the disease. Few people receive information on caring for those affected or on the impact of COVID-19 in Uganda or in their own district or community.

  • COVID-19 information channels. Across every group, radio is by far the most commonly mentioned and most preferred channel to receive information on COVID-19 (85%). Ugandans living in both hosting districts and non-hosting districts frequently mentioned television and phone texts/messages as relatively commonly used and preferred information channels. Only 16% of respondents reported printed material as a COVID-19 information channels. However, when shown a range of MoH IEC materials, images and posters were preferred.