A step towards reinvigorating the Covid-19 response

An intra-action review of the WHO Regional Office for Africa Incident Management Support Team

Bibliographic Data

ID21881255
AuthorsThierno Balde (World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa), Boniface Oyugi (0000-0002-9550-9138, University of Kent, corresponding author), Ebenezer Obi Daniel (0000-0001-7286-7904, World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa), Joseph Okeibunor (0000-0002-6696-8503, World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa), Roland Kimbi Wango (0000-0002-5258-5704, Dakar Hub - Emergency Preparedness and Response, WHO Regional Office for Africa, Dakar, Senegal), Hillary Njenge (Nairobi Hub - Emergency Preparedness and Response, WHO Regional Office for Africa, Nairobi, Kenya), Pierre Ongolo-Zogo (0000-0001-5941-1048, Central Hospital of Yaoundé), Pierre Ongolo Zogo (Centre for Development of Best Practices in Health, Yaoundé Central Hospital & University of Yaoundé 1, Yaoundé, Cameroon), Helena O’Malley (World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa), Etien Luc Koua (World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa), Adama Thiam (World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa), Dick Chamla (0000-0001-7149-8684, World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa), Fiona Braka (0000-0002-4734-9408, World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa), Abdou Salam Guèye (0000-0003-4613-4904, World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa)
Year2023
Volume8
Issue6
Pagese012258
Publication date2023-06-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueBMJ Global Health (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2059-7908 • E-ISSN: 2059-7908
PublisherBMJ (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1136/bmjgh-2023-012258
PMID37311582
OpenAlexW4380479750
LanguageEN
References cited28

The WHO Regional Office for Africa (AFRO) COVID-19 Incident Management Support Team (IMST) was first established on 21 January 2020 to coordinate the response to the pandemic in line with the Emergency Response Framework and has undergone three modifications based on intra-action reviews (IAR). An IAR of the WHO AFRO COVID-19 IMST was conducted to document best practices, challenges, lessons learnt and areas for improvement from the start of 2021 to the end of the third wave in November 2021. In addition, it was designed to contribute to improving the response to COVID-19 in the Region. An IAR design as proposed by WHO, encompassing qualitative approaches to collecting critical data and information, was used. It employed mixed methods of data collection: document reviews, online surveys, focus group discussions and key informant interviews. A thematic analysis of the data focused on four thematic areas, namely operations of IMST, data and information management, human resource management and institutional framework/governance. Areas of good practice identified, included the provision of guidelines, protocols and technical expertise, resource mobilisation, logistics management, provision of regular updates, timely situation reporting, timely deployment and good coordination. Some challenges identified included a communication gap; inadequate emergency personnel; lack of scientific updates; and inadequate coordination with partners. The identified strong points/components are the pivot for informed decisions and actions for reinvigorating the future response coordination mechanism

Best practice · Business · Computer security · Corporate governance · Emergency management · Focus group · Incident management · Knowledge management · Political science · Process management · Qualitative research · Sociology · Software deployment · Thematic analysis · Computer Science · COVID-19 epidemiological studies · Medicine · Vaccine Coverage and Hesitancy · Viral Infections and Outbreaks Research