The UK-PHRST is pleased to share a technical case study describing the successful collaborative delivery of the first-of-its-kind cross-border Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) training to the Ministry of Health, Red Cross/Crescent National Society, UNICEF and WHO staff from seven East African countries - Kenya, Somalia, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Uganda, Rwanda, and Tanzania.
Background
Lessons learned from outbreak response have shown the importance of communities at-risk or affected by outbreaks leading on decision-making within the response. In the face of frequent public health emergencies, compounded by regional factors including forced migration and climate change, cross-border collaboration is essential to strengthening readiness for outbreaks.
The RCCE Technical Working Group (RCCE TWG) in East and Southern Africa, co-led by UNICEF and IFRC with the support of the Collective Service, UK-PHRST and other partners, has been supporting regional public health emergency response since 2020. Participating partners identified the need to strengthen cross-border collaboration around RCCE, focusing on collection, sharing and utilisation of community data for more effective responses through training and support to key RCCE stakeholders in the region.
To address these identified gaps and recommendations, the technical partners jointly convened public health focal points, including Surveillance, Case Management, Infection Prevention and Control (IPC), RCCE and Points of Entry, from the seven member states in eastern Africa for a practical scenario-based training using a fictitious unknown viral haemorraghic fever outbreak.
The overall aim of the training was to strengthen national and cross-border RCCE readiness for outbreak response in Kenya, Somalia, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Uganda, Rwanda and Tanzania through scenario-based learning exercises.
Outcomes
The workshop led to an agreed set of cross-border commitments to be implemented by all participating countries to enable stronger RCCE coordination for outbreak readiness and response. It also secured consensus amongst all participants to jointly operationalise the cross-border commitments and country-level action plans over the next 12+ months. You can read the full training report on the Collective Service website.
UK-PHRST experts
- Sophie Everest, Risk Comms & Community Engagement Specialist, UKHSA
- Tanu Soni, Capacity Strengthening Project Officer, UKHSA
Participants at the cross-border RCCE training workshop. Photo credit: Africa CDC