Three American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Congressional Notification (CN) awards are currently in place to support COVID-19 vaccination awareness campaigns among university communities in Côte d’Ivoire. The first award, ARPA CN #164, is targeting two of the country’s seven universities. The second award, ARPA CN #18, is targeting three additional universities and two university hospitals. ARPA CN #31 is an additional award designed to expand on activities in the same five universities and two university hospitals. AFROHUN CDI is contributing to accelerating widespread and equitable access to and delivery of safe and effective COVID-19 vaccination. To achieve this objective, interventions specifically address the identified significant gaps in the university communities’ own vaccine hesitancy, confidence, and behavior. This should significantly impact how university communities recommend vaccination against COVID-19 to others.
Over the span of the ARPA projects, a wealth of information has been collected. AFROHUN CDI is conducting an in-person 4-day write-shop to document experiences and lessons learned, to then develop dissemination products that include success stories, information leaflets, audiovisuals, and manuscripts. This activity brings together stakeholders that participated in and benefited from the implemented ARPA trainings and activities, to write about their experiences and findings throughout ARPA activity implementation.
The Write-shop in Grand- Bassam took place from April 24-28where faculty and partners engaged in the implementation of ARPA activities across the country documented their experiences and developed knowledge products, ranging from scientific manuscripts, success stories, and policy briefs. Eighteen (18) participants, 2 facilitators from the OHW-NG Global Team, and 3 leaders from the AFROHUN Secretariat were involved in the write-shop.
Dr. Jaber Belkhiria (second left) of the OHW-NG Global team facilitating one of the writing teams.
A team of two writers working on their manuscripts at the write shop that was held in Grand-Bassam
The Write-shop approach was highly practical, with participants working on both individual projects and joint projects, working in mentored small group discussions, and conducting peer reviews within their respective teams. The bulk of the write-shop proceedings, including the writing, were conducted in French, to ensure that all writers are comfortable.
Outcomes and Products
Manuscripts
- « Mise en Place des Clubs d’Innovation One Health des étudiants dans les Universités de Cote d’Ivoire” (“Implementation of Student One Health Clubs in Universities in Ivory Coast”)
- « Facteurs Déterminants de la Vaccination anti-COVID-19 du
Personnel Soignant du CHU d’Angré-Abidjan » (Factors Determining COVID-19 Vaccination of Healthcare Workers at the CHU d’Angre, Abidjan ») - « Évaluation du risque de contamination de la COVID-19 dans les services de soins chu d’Angré. »
- « Stress et Détresse psychologique chez le personnel soignant du CHU d’Angré dans le Contexte de pandémie a COVID-19 » (« Stress and Psychological Distress among Health Care Workers at the University Hospital of Angré in the Context of the Pandemic a COVID-19 »)
- « Conditions de Travail dans les Services Médicaux et Médicotechniques du Centre Hospitalier Universitaire d’Angré dans le Contexte de COVID-19 en 2020 » (“Working Conditions in the Medical and Medicotechnical Services of the University Hospital of Angre in the context of COVID-19 in 2020”)
- « Obstacles a la pratique du concept One Heath en milieu universitaire : cas de l’universite Felix Houphouët-Boigny d’Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire »
- “Processus d’implémentation du One Health en Milieu Universitaire: Case de l’université Félix Houphouët Boigny Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire.” (One Health Implementation Process in the University Environment: Case of the Félix Houphouet Boigny University Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire”)
- « Évaluation des capacités et des performances organisationnelles
de la plate-forme Nationale Une seule santé avec l’outil OH APP
(USAID) de 2018 à 2021 en Côte d’Ivoire : bilan et perspectives » (« Organizational Capacity and Performance Assessment of the National One Health Platform with the OH APP tool (USAID) from 2018 to 2021 in Côte d’Ivoire : assessment and perspectives ») - « COVID 19 : PROCESSUS DE SENSIBILISATION ET DE MOBILISATION EN FAVEUR DE LA VACCINATION EN MILIEU UNIVERSITAIRE EN CÔTE D’IVOIRE » (« COVID 19 : Awareness and Mobilization Process for Vaccination in Universities in Ivory Coast»)
- « Stratégies de mobilisation de la communauté universitaire pour leur adhésion à la vaccination contre la COVID-19 en Côte d’Ivoire. » (Strategies for mobilizing the university community for vaccination against Covid-19 in Côte d’Ivoire”)
- “Evaluation des connaissances sur le concept One Health des étudiants en sciences médicales à l’université Felix Houphouët Boigny Abidjan” (“Evaluation of student knowledge on the One Health concept at the Medical Sciences Faculty, Felix Houphouët Boigny University in Abidjan.”)
- “Mythe, processus d’identification et dynamique de dé-responsabilisation
individuelle face à la COVID-19 et à la vaccination” (“Myth, identification process and dynamics of disempowerment to COVID-19 and vaccination”) - « Vaccination contre la COVID-19 et engagement communautaire en milieu
universitaire en Côte d’Ivoire (2022-2023)” (Covid-COVID-19 immunization and community engagement in the university setting in Côte d’Ivoire (2022-2023 »)
At the end of the Write-shop, several manuscripts were nearly ready for submission to journals for publication. Other products have been generated from these manuscripts, including three Success Stories and three policy briefs.
Dean, Professor Alphonsie Kouassi working with another faculty on their paper that examines the process (challenges and drivers) of introducing One Health approach in a university setting
This has been an enriching experience for the participants, one that they say will have an enduring impact beyond the immediate work
“In the writing workshop, we learned how to identify a journal with a good impact factor, one that specializes in our domain, in our case Medical Anthropology. In the interdisciplinary context we are working in, for social sciences, we found that we can use a qualitative mixed method or descriptive approach in such a journal. We then were able to structure our paper into the 3 major components, Methods, Results, and Discussion. It was a very rich and satisfying experience.” Dr. AMOUZOU Emile, Université Félix Houphouët-Boigny.
Conclusion
Key achievements of the write-shop include the products generated, and manuscript development capacity gained by key actors in the ARPA work in Cote d’Ivoire. These achievements will go a long way in bolstering the visibility of AFROHUN, the investment by USAID, and the contribution of AFROHUN and ARPA funding to addressing COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy in Côte d’Ivoire.
This approach to the documentation of project impact is effective when working with a diverse range of actors based in different sectors across the country. We can now use these products as advocacy tools while looking for additional funding, and partnerships, telling our story, getting more member institutions to join the network, and demonstrating the value of this important investment.