September 2022 — To respond to the second wave of COVID-19 occurring in the Comoros Islands between December 2020 and March 2021, the UNICEF SBC team supported the implementation of community engagement interventions in 194 localities of the three islands.

It is pretty uncommon for Comoros community workers and volunteers to apply effective community engagement as the standard is more on “messages dissemination”, especially for health emergencies such as Covid-19. Switching from information providers to community dialogue facilitators was challenging for local association members and community mobilizers. Therefore, the UNICEF SBC team, in collaboration with other UN agencies and the Government of Comoros, adapted the specific community dialogue approach – SALT approach: (1) Stimulate, (2) Appreciate, (3) Listen, (4) Transfer.

402 SALT facilitators were trained on community engagement techniques (focus group discussion, educational approach and simulation), thematic messages and information (COVID-19 and COVID-19 vaccines, PCI and EDS), and information monitoring and feedback. The newly trained SALT facilitators have then gathered a total of 2,500 community members with an average of 12 people by village. Most of them were identified as influencers and community leaders in their localities. Led by the facilitators, each village conducted a social diagnosis to define the barriers and problems the population is facing, especially in terms of trust, appropriate behaviors and attitude. The villages have then defined specific “dreams” and objectives and developed realistic initiatives to reach them.

Up to 300 initiatives were defined and implemented by the communities of Comoros, from interpersonal communication, resource mobilization, and handwashing facilities provision to specific and innovative interventions such as the household monitoring in Mdjoiezi.

This Community engagement intervention was also a good opportunity for collaboration between the national Covid-19 RCCE response mechanism, the UN agencies and the local associations. The 5 associations which work in different areas (Youth participation, personal empowerment, community development) were key in coaching and helping the community health workers and in data collection.

To date, the number of Covid-19 cases has significantly decreased in Comoros thanks to the mobilization of the Government and partners for logistics, early alert system and diagnosis, health care, infection prevention and control, and community engagement such as this SALT initiative.