Changing the COVID-19 Narrative in Africa: Using an Implementation Research Lens to Understand Successes and Plan for Challenges Ahead
Changing the COVID-19 Narrative in Africa: Using an Implementation Research Lens to Understand Successes and Plan for Challenges Ahead
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DOI：
10.5334/aogh.3001
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发表时间：
2020-01-01
影响因子：
2.9
通讯作者：
Hirschhorn, Lisa R.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Binagwaho, Agnes;Frisch, Miriam F.;Hirschhorn, Lisa R.
尽管预测非洲因COVID-19死亡的人数将达到1000万，但总体而言，与世界其他地区相比，非洲大陆报告的病例相对较少。许多非洲国家通过借鉴其他国家的COVID-19应对措施和以往流行病的实施战略，迅速采用循证干预措施，成功遏制了最初的疫情。然而，目前尚不清楚这些干预措施是否会导致阻止COVID-19传播的长期和完全成功。实施研究是一种工具，各国可以利用它来学习如何识别和理解影响COVID-19预防和控制的背景因素，并选择已知可减少病毒传播的循证干预措施和策略。我们确定了七个关键的背景因素，这些因素是促进者或障碍，以实施这些干预措施，和几个战略，可以利用，如果该因素存在或加强，如果薄弱，以改善实施。这些因素是：问责文化、国家协调、人口的财政稳定、创新文化、研究文化和能力、卫生系统实力和跨界经济。实施科学方法可有助于在国家和区域一级发展关于如何确定、利用和解决这些和其他背景因素的知识，并为相关的循证干预措施和实施战略提供信息。这种方法可以支持非洲国家应对出现的关键挑战的能力，包括应对COVID-19和未来卫生系统挑战。
Despite predict ions that the number of deaths in Africa due to COVID-19 will reach 10 million, overall, the continent has reported relatively few cases compared to the rest of the world. Many African countries have been successful in containing initial outbreaks by rapidly using evidence-based interventions through implementation strategies adapted from other countries' COVID-19 response as well as from prior epidemics. However, it is unclear whether these interventions will lead to long-term and complete success in stopping COVID-19 spread. Implementation research is a tool that can be used by countries to learn how to identify and understand contextual factors impacting COVID-19 prevention and control and select evidence-based interventions and strategies known to reduce spread of the virus. We identify seven key contextual factors that are facilitators or barriers to implementation of these interventions, and several strategies that can be leveraged if the factor is present or ones to strengthen if weak to improve implementation. These factors are: a culture of accountability, national coordination, financial stability of the population, culture of innovation, culture and capacity for research, health systems strength, and cross-border economies. Implementation science methods can serve to develop knowledge at a country and regional level on how to identify, utilize, and address these and other contextual factors, and inform relevant evidence-based interventions and implementation strategies. This approach can support African countries' ability to address key challenges as they arise, both in fighting COVID-19 and future health systems challenges.