This brief focuses on cross-border movement in Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA) and its implications for development of risk communication and community engagement (RCCE) strategies aimed at preventing transmission of COVID-19 in the ESA region.

Given the extensive risk of cross-border transmission of the virus and the imminent reopening of borders, such strategies are essential to containment efforts. The brief can be read in conjunction with previous SSHAP briefs on cross-border dynamics in the context of Ebola.

It was developed for the Social Science in Humanitarian Action Platform (SSHAP) by Anthrologica (led by Leslie Jones) and IDS (Megan Schmidt-Sane), and with reviews from International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (Petronella Mugoni) and IOM (Sandrine Martin). The brief is the responsibility of the SSHAP.