COVID-19 Brief: Preliminary evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa

This paper focuses on actions taken by disaster risk reduction actors in Africa in relation to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The results from the information were gathered through both desk research and a survey. This paper first describes the integration of biological hazards in Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) strategies, by looking at eight DRR strategies from countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Secondly, it looks at the roles and responsibilities of DRR agencies in the response to COVID-19 and, by looking at contingency plans available online, it describes common characteristics of response planning for COVID-19. Thirdly, by reviewing official websites to complement the responses to the questionnaire, it describes the risk communication activities ongoing in targeted countries. Finally, it looks at the main DRR policies across Sub-Saharan Africa and the involvement of National Disaster Risk Management Agencies (NDRMAs) to both lower the spread of the disease as well as to curb the socioeconomic impacts of the crisis.