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

Strategies for Community Engagement in Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness and Response in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Scoping Review | Authorea try { document.documentElement.classList.add('js'); } catch (e) { } var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'G-8VDV14Y67G']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })(); Skip to main content Preprints Collections Wiley Open Research IET Open Research Ecological Society of Japan All Collections About About Authorea FAQs Contact Us Quick Search anywhere Search for preprint articles, keywords, etc. Search Search ADVANCED SEARCH SCROLL This is a preprint and has not been peer reviewed. Data may be preliminary. 17 June 2025 V1 Latest version Share on Strategies for Community Engagement in Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness and Response in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Scoping Review Authors : Gyesi Razak Issahaku 0000-0001-9210-9537 [email protected] , Hanna-Tina Fischer , Emmanuel Appiah-Brempong , Daniel Opoku , and Johanna Hanefeld Authors Info & Affiliations https://doi.org/10.22541/au.175016348.86207903/v1 194 views 134 downloads Contents Abstract Supplementary Material Information & Authors Metrics & Citations View Options References Figures Tables Media Share Abstract Background: Community engagement is essential for effective epidemic and pandemic preparedness and response. However, existing reviews often focus on conceptual models rather than practical strategies, and few incorporate evidence from the COVID-19 pandemic. To address this gap, this scoping review aims to identify and synthesize strategies used to engage community members during epidemic and pandemic responses in Sub-Saharan Africa. Methods: We conducted a scoping review using the PRISMA-ScR and the methodological framework from Arksey and O’Malley. We searched six databases (EMBASE, PubMed, EBSCO-host, CINAHL, Global Health, Web of Science) and Google Scholar for peer-reviewed literature, and also reviewed gray literature from health ministries and international organisations. A total of 88 documents were included. Data were thematically analysed and mapped using the Gilmore et al. framework for community engagement in infectious disease control. Results: Among the six broad types of engagement identified, social and behavioural communication (SBCC) was the most commonly used strategy across all disease contexts. COVID-19 and Ebola responses emphasized communication and surveillance, while polio and HIV/AIDS response incorporated culturally embedded, locally led approaches. Key enablers included trust, pre-existing networks, and decentralisation; barriers included misinformation, resource constraints, and exclusion of marginalised groups. Most strategies stopped short of full community ownership. Conclusion: Effective community engagement requires tailored, context-specific approaches that go beyond information sharing to foster shared decision-making and local ownership. This review provides a comprehensive synthesis of the strategies for community engagement used in sub-Saharan Africa and highlights the need for more robust implementation research to evaluate the implementation of the strategies and ultimately to support transformative, community-led epidemic response. The protocol for this review was registered in Open Science Framework with registration DOI: [https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/D478Z](https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/D478Z) Supplementary Material File (manuscript_scoping review_27_05_25.docx) Download 132.76 KB File (table 1.docx) Download 17.08 KB File (table 2.docx) Download 15.68 KB File (table 3.docx) Download 16.32 KB Information & Authors Information Version history V1 Version 1 17 June 2025 Copyright This work is licensed under a Non Exclusive No Reuse License. Keywords community engagement pandemic strategies Authors Affiliations Gyesi Razak Issahaku 0000-0001-9210-9537 [email protected] Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology View all articles by this author Hanna-Tina Fischer Charite - Universitatsmedizin Berlin Institut fur Virologie View all articles by this author Emmanuel Appiah-Brempong Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology View all articles by this author Daniel Opoku Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology View all articles by this author Johanna Hanefeld Robert Koch-Institut Aussenstelle Wildau View all articles by this author Metrics & Citations Metrics Article Usage 194 views 134 downloads .FvxKWukQNSOunydq8rnd { width: 100px; } Citations Download citation Gyesi Razak Issahaku, Hanna-Tina Fischer, Emmanuel Appiah-Brempong, et al. Strategies for Community Engagement in Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness and Response in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Scoping Review. Authorea . 17 June 2025. DOI: https://doi.org/10.22541/au.175016348.86207903/v1 If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download. For more information or tips please see 'Downloading to a citation manager' in the Help menu . Format Please select one from the list RIS (ProCite, Reference Manager) EndNote BibTex Medlars RefWorks Direct import Tips for downloading citations document.getElementById('citMgrHelpLink').addEventListener('click', function() { popupHelp(this.href); return false; }); $(".js__slcInclude").on("change", function(e){ if ($(this).val() == 'refworks') $('#direct').prop("checked", false); $('#direct').prop("disabled", ($(this).val() == 'refworks')); }); View Options View options PDF View PDF Figures Tables Media Share Share Share article link Copy Link Copied! Copying failed. 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