COVID-19 has delayed elections worldwide at an unprecedented rate, which will affect peacebuilding efforts. This policy brief argues that Germany should support national institutions in developing consultation mechanisms between electoral management bodies, public health authorities and other relevant actors and assist in crisis communication to create spaces for dialogue and to counter disinformation.   Read more

This article argues that many African countries moved rapidly to curb the initial spread of coronavirus, but they have been slower to cushion their citizens from its economic impact.   Read more

COVID-19 presents particular risks for many persons with disabilities and elderly around the world. Governments and partners should make extra efforts to protect the rights of persons with disabilities in responding to the pandemic, including ensuring that public health information is accessible to all. Persons with disabilities and elderly, potentially face higher exposure to the virus, are at risk of being discriminated against and face various environmental and attitudinal barriers to access critical information, including…

Health systems in sub-Saharan Africa cannot withstand a COVID-19 surge. But many African countries are proactively availing themselves of the guidance to enact non-medical protective measures: curfews, lockdowns and attempts at social distancing. The author of this article argues that, however, implementing this guidance in sub-Saharan Africa, as in other low-income settings, requires some adaptation, contextualization and reprioritization for an effective and acceptable response. Strong government leadership and national guidance are critical, but insufficient to…

Epicast is a podcast series about epidemics from Sonar-Global. The aim of this podcast is to explore the social dimensions of infectious diseases outbreaks so that we can get better at controlling them. This first will be focusing on the Coronavirus outbreak.   Listen to the podcast

The Coronavirus COVID-19 is spreading globally. How can the Sphere Handbook guide our response? Sphere collates and disseminates emerging practice and evidence in the Coronavirus response and released a four-page document guiding you through the relevant parts of the Sphere Handbook. Why is Sphere relevant for COVID-19? Sphere offers a holistic, people-centred approach to humanitarian work, with the three foundation chapters – Humanitarian Charter, Protection Principles and Core Humanitarian Standard – supporting the four technical chapters. For the Coronavirus response, there are three…

Women and girls are at high risk for rape and sexual violence, as well as death – whether from armed conflicts, from conditions in refugee camps or from domestic violence while trapped at home with their abusers. Mandatory lockdowns have limited women’s access to life-saving support, including sexual and reproductive health clinics. Deaths in childbirth, already high, are expected to climb. The combined effect is catastrophic in countries affected by armed conflict and by humanitarian…

The question of why the virus has overwhelmed some places and left others relatively untouched is a puzzle that has spawned numerous theories and speculations but no definitive answers. That knowledge could have profound implications for how countries respond to the virus, for determining who is at risk and for knowing when it’s safe to go out again. This article explores different explanations for this observation.   Read more

There is no doubt that the coronavirus pandemic will lead to enormous changes for countries in both Africa and the world. What might a post-Covid-19 Africa look like? In this article, the authors are starting to glimpse the shape of the continent to come — and it’s not all bad news (although there is plenty of that).   Read more

As low- and middle-income countries are hit by the health and economic effects of COVID-19, the international community is working to mobilize billions of dollars in grants, loans, and debt relief. Beyond addressing the direct health impacts of COVID-19, routine essential health services must be delivered, health workers protected, and continuity assured in health worker wages. Earlier this month, World Bank experts estimated that sub-Saharan African countries would need up to 3 percent of the…