The Africa Research and Impact Network is supporting the Africa Academy of Sciences to implement the Science Engagement to support Evidence Informed Policy Responses to COVID-19 in Africa project. This project builds on the science-policy convenings that the ARIN network is convening on COVID 19.

Project Background

On 11th March 2020, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the outbreak of a new type of Coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2 that causes Covid-19 respiratory disease, a global pandemic. While the African continent recorded lower numbers of COVID-19 cases and deaths since the start of the outbreak compared to Europe, the Americas, Asia and the Middle East, there has been a resurgence in new cases and death on the continent marking a potential “second wave”.

The COVID-19 has had deep seated health and socio-economic effects on Africa. Different social groups have been affected differently. While African countries have responded to the pandemic in various ways, the continent has lacked clear evidence base to support response and recovery. This project aims to undertake rapid evidence synthesis on particularly health and socio-economic priority areas relevant to Africa.  The aim is to create a learning platform to support Evidence Informed policy Responses to COVID-19 in Africa and promote policy coherence at the national, regional and continental level during the coronavirus pandemic.

The project Rapid evidence synthesis and associated policy briefs will be tailored to the African country level issues drawing on local evidence and international best practice.  The objective is to promote regional and continental policy coherence in COVID-19 response strategies, while being informed by country level concerns.

Expected outputs

• Rapid Evidence Synthesis around key priority areas
• Tele-convenings with stakeholders to shape key questions and concerns
• Policy briefs
• Blog
  • Science engagement to support evidence-informed and context-specific policy responses to COVID-19 in Africa: understanding transmission dynamics and diagnostics
  • Public confidence and COVID-19 vaccine acceptance in Africa
  • The impact of COVID-19 on mental health and mental health treatment in Africa

Project partners

• The African Academy of Science (AAS)/ Alliance for Accelerating Excellence in Science in Africa (AESA) platform (Project Leader)
• African CDC,
• Africa Union Commission
• World Health Organisation (WHO)
• East African Science and Technology Commission (EASTECO)
• West African Health Organisation (WAHO)
• Africa Research and Impact Network
• Africa Institute for Development Policy
• Cochrane Network