June 2024 —  Utilizing effective strategies to engage children is crucial for optimizing responses to disease outbreaks and mitigating their impact, all while ensuring the protection, well-being, and resilience of children. Enhanced understanding of disease outbreaks empowers children to better cope, contribute, and recover, ultimately fostering well-being and affirming their agency. The Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA) region faces a heightened risk of disease outbreaks such as Ebola, haemorrhagic fevers, measles, cholera, anthrax, and meningitis, which can disproportionately impact children.

This brief explores why, when and how to engage children in the prevention, response and recovery stages. Drawing on published and grey literature, including project reports, and the authors’ extensive experience, it provides guidance to support the design and development of child-friendly communication and engagement strategies related to disease outbreaks. The brief covers efforts involving children and adolescents under 18 years and recommends three levels of participation. Organisations and practitioners can select a level based on organisational objectives, resources and readiness to engage with children.

Key considerations include: 

• Populations of ESA have heightened vulnerability to disease outbreaks and children in the region are even more vulnerable to disease. 

• Engaging children in response efforts, especially RCCE, can mitigate the risks and adverse effects children face during outbreaks.

• Engaging and communicating with children before, during and after outbreaks enhances children’s agency, promotes well-being and protects children. 

• Children can act as agents of change in their families and communities. 

• Child-centred RCCE is responsive to the needs of children and their families and builds trust among family and community members. 

• Child engagement strategies often make RCCE more inclusive.

• RCCE should complement health, education, protection, and disaster preparedness and risk reduction efforts. 

• More research into child engagement strategies is necessary as environmental, political, economic and digital landscapes shift. 

Read the full brief here.

This infographic summarises the insights.