Strategies for Community Engagement in Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness and Response in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Scoping Review

Abstract

Background Community engagement is essential for the successful implementation of infection control activities during epidemics and pandemics. Recent reviews of community engagement lack evidence of engagement during the COVID-19 pandemic, while previous reviews have largely focused on concepts and models of community engagement. To address this gap, we conducted a scoping review to identify and consolidate the strategies for community engagement that have been employed as part of epidemic and pandemic preparedness and response activities in Sub-Saharan Africa. Methods We used the PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) and the methodological framework for scoping reviews from Arksey and O’Malley (2005) to guide the review. Peer-reviewed primary research was retrieved from search engines and databases, including EMBASE, EBSCO-host, PubMed, Global Health, CINAHL, Google Scholar, and Web of Science. The gray literature was retrieved from the websites of international organizations and ministries of health in the 5 sub-Saharan African countries. We included a total of 89 articles in the review, extracted data from the articles and analysed them using a thematic analysis approach. Results This review showed that community engagement strategies vary widely across different contexts. In response to COVID-19 and Ebola, the primary strategies employed were social and behavioural change communication (SBCC) and surveillance and contact tracing. For the political response, the main strategies used were SBCC and community entry and trust building. The SBCC was the most common strategy employed in all the responses. The key enablers of and barriers to community engagement include factors such as trust, cultural norms, and resource availability. Conclusion Effective community engagement for epidemic and pandemic preparedness and response requires tailored strategies that address the specific disease in question and the needs and concerns of different communities. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the strategies for community engagement that have been implemented in sub-Saharan Africa and highlights the need for further research and evaluation of these strategies. The protocol for this review was registered in Open Science Framework with registration DOI: https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/D478Z