Resources for those responding to COVID-19

By CDAC Network
24/02/2021

As the COVID-19 pandemic spreads, at the CDAC Network we remain acutely aware that the full force of its impact has not yet been felt in many humanitarian crises. However, what is clear is that without effective communication about the virus – how to prevent it, treat it and issues relating to self-isolating – we have little hope of containing what could rapidly become a catastrophe.

To this end, CDAC is committed to bringing those working in humanitarian settings the very latest guidance, messaging, advice and resources. This summary will be updated daily as new information and resources come online and are made available.

CDAC COVID RESOURCES

HEALTH INFORMATION HUBS

WHO remains the main hub of the response and issues regular situation reports.
WHO is mapping the outbreak of the virus worldwide.
The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention's website on COVID-19 remains one of the best for general health and travel advice.
Global MediXchange for Combating COVID-19, a partnership between the Alibaba Foundation and the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University, brings together all of the latest research on virus prevention and treatment.
COVID-19 scientific resources as collated by the Geneva Centre for Education and Research in Humanitarian Action (CERAH).

RESOURCE PORTALS

WHO Partners Platform collates all of the WHO advice and guidance for those responding to COVID-19.
IFRC’s Community Engagement Hub continues to collate the latest communication and community engagement-related resources, while there is an excellent list of COVID-19 Risk communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) resources also from the IFRC.
UNOCHA’s Humanitarian Data Exchange COVID-19 Pandemic Page includes over 50 datasets on the crisis in machine-readable formats, which are also available through the HDX API.
ALNAP’s COVID-19 Response Portal curates resources and guidance from across its membership.
Anthrologica as part of SSHAP have recently released a number of key documents: Key considerations: COVID-19 and informal urban settlements, Key considerations: quarantine in the context of COVID-19, also available in French and Chinese, a paper on Compliance with Physical Distancing Measures for COVID-19 and Implications for RCCE along with a host of in-depth social science research related to the pandemic available on the SSHAP COVID-19 resource portal.
Compass have created a great selection of resources relating to COVID-19 for Social and Behaviour Change - in both English and French
The IASC has created a portal of tools and resources aimed at those working on accountability and inclusivity in humanitarian response and a portal related to documents concerning readiness and response.
Evidence Aid has curated a portal containing a series of summaries of COVID-19 research.
Disaster Ready offers two free online learning platform and COVID-19 specific playlists for those responding, both in English and French.

HUMANITARIAN GUIDANCE

Asia-Pacific Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) Working Group producing a frequently updated 4Ws mapping of RCCE.
Jointly developed by IFRC, IOM, UNHCR and WHO is this great Interim Guidance on Scaling-up COVID-19 Outbreak in Readiness and Response Operations in Camps and Camp-like Settings.
OCHA has developed key UN guidance for those working in the cluster system.
Translators without Borders has issued a rapid global assessment of COVID-related information needs and a brief on the importance of language in the COVID19 response.
WFP, IFRC and partners UNHCR, IOM, and ICRC have created Hotline-in-a-Box, an inter-agency tool to help any organisation assess, set up, and manage different types of channels to communicate with communities during humanitarian crises.
IFRC has released Towards a community-centred approach to preparedness and response in health emergencies.
COVID-19 Rapid Assessment Tool, developed by WHO, IFRC and UNICEF.
Focus group discussion guide for communitiesdeveloped by IFRC.
Sphere have produced guidance related to the Sphere Standards and the Coronavirus response in eight languages, and counting.ACAPS has a number of new resources out including a dataset on government measures implemented around the world and special reports on the COVID-19 risk for refugees in Yemen and the Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh.
A4EP have issued an important Localised response to COVID-19 global pandemic position paper
Briefing paper from OHCHR on COVID-19 and the Rights of LGBTI People.
IOM have created a COVID-19 UK Migrant Information Service to provide support to migrants in these challenging times.

STRATEGY

WHO Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan: outlines public health measures to support countries to prepare for and respond to COVID-19.
OCHA: Global Humanitarian Response Plan for COVID-19 – next iteration planned for beginning of May 2020.
WHO has developed a Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) Action Plan Guidance COVID-19 Preparedness and Response, and the accompanying Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) Action Plan Guidance
UNHCR has issued this Risk Communication and Community Engagement paper.
COVID-19: How to include marginalized and vulnerable people in risk communication and community engagement - updated and in a number of different languages, from IFRC, OCHA and WHO.
IFRC has produced a Risk communication and community engagement strategy for Africa – also available in French.

MESSAGING

Merriam Webster dictionaries have developed a simple guide to COVID-19 terminology, while Translators Without Border have created a glossary for COVID-19 in 34 languages.
Translators without Borders has released a new set of language data maps to help inform effective communication in the COVID-19 response.
Doctors of the World, in association with the British Red Cross, have translated the latest (UK) National Health Service recommendations and advice for patients into 43 languages.
International SOS has created a series of videos, presentations and infographic posters available in a variety of languages.
UNICEF has created some key messaging for the prevention of the spread of COVID-19 in schools.
Great posters related to health and hygiene from the BBC that anyone is free to download and use: available in English only.
Excellent and easy-to-use and read card sheets relating to issues around COVID-19 for those with communications disabilities. Invaluable resource.
Translators Without Borders has teamed up with health publisher Hesperian to create a series of COVID-19 Factsheets, available in 28 (and growing) of the world's most widely used languages.
The Refugee Response has created a simple animation explaining the basic facts and safety information for COVID-19, currently available in Burmese, Karen, Nepali, Kinyarwanda, Arabic, Swahili with more languages being added.
Canva, the online digital graphics platform, has created a set of great social media-ready graphic related to COVID-19.
Developed together with the Speech and Language Therapy Team at Weston General Hospital, these symbol boards in a wide variety of languages can assist medical staff in communication with patients who are critically ill due to COVID-19

MISINFORMATION

H2H Network has funded BBC Media Action, Internews, Evidence Aid and Translators Without Borders to lead a project to fight misinformation around the virus. To receive the weekly Connect:COVID-19 bulletins, email COVID-19@internews.org
WHO has created a series of myth busters to counter the spread of misinformation and rumours.
Those working on communication should refer to CDAC’s Practice Guide to Working with Rumours – also available in Arabic and French.
Internews with the Standby Taskforce and Translators Without Borders have created a Social Media Rumour Bulletin in which they track information circulating across six Asian languages.
BBC Media Action and Translators without Borders have released the latest edition of the What Matters? humanitarian feedback bulletin focusing on COVID-19 rumours spreading in Rohingya refugee settlements in and around Cox’s Bazar.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

CDAC's How To Guide on communication and community engagement (CCE) in humanitarian action, which brings together a decade of best practice in CCE and its coordination, is available in English, French, Spanish and Portuguese.
Guide to community engagement at a distance from BBC Media Action and available in English and Bangla.
InsightShare have done some great working looking at how indigenous and marginalised communities are affected by the pandemic.
Compass has produced and timely and necessary report on Tips for Engaging Communities during COVID-19 in Low-Resource Settings, Remotely and In-Person.

PSYCHOLOGICAL SUPPORT

IASC: Briefing note on addressing mental health and psychosocial aspects of COVID-19.
Guide to addressing stigma associated with COVID-19 from WHO, UNICEF and IFRC.
Health Communication Resources has put together a resource page aimed at small community based organisations and local faith groups, to help them bridge between information sources and community members, with a particular emphasis on working to psychosocial support strengths.

WORKING WITH MEDIA

Those working with the media should refer to BBC Media Action’s Guide for the media on communicating in public health emergencies. Also available in Arabic, French, Russian, Ukrainian, Georgian, Romanian, Azeri and Armenian with more languages being made available in the coming days.
BBC Media Action have also created a Handbook for media: the new coronavirus and COVID-19, which is also available in Ukrainian - more languages coming soon.
BBC Media Action have also launched a new Lifeline programming website for open access training, resources and tools for media professionals and aid workers
First Draft News has created a comprehensive list of tools and guides for journalists covering COVID-19.
Reuters Institute has released a factsheet identifying types, sources, and claims of COVID-19 misinformation based on an analysis of 225 rumours in English collected by First Draft.
Thomson Reuters have created a COVID-19 Resource Centre containing excellent free and subscription-only insights.
Internews has produced a new guide including considerations for journalists, freelancers, and newsrooms to keep safe in this crisis.
The Carter Center has compiled a list of resources focusing on journalists’ mental health in this crisis.
The International Center for Journalists also provides tips on journalists’ mental health.

TRAINING

WHO: health-specific online training courses and a simulation exercise relating to the pandemic.
Save the Children's free online training aims to equip humanitarians, including local responders, to respond to COVID-19.
CDAC offers a comprehensive curriculum on Communication and Community Engagement designed to equip complete beginners with adequate skills and support experts. Our three-hour online Communication is Aid basic training is complemented by our face-to-face day-long Briefing Module, week-long Technical Training.

If you have a resource you would like to share, please send it to info@cdacnetwork.org marked "COVID-19 Resources"