SHS (Humanities and Social Sciences) - CORAFMOB : Mobilisations communautaires et enjeux socio-sanitaires face au COVID-19 (Sénégal, Burkina Faso) CORAFMOB : Community mobilizations and socio-sanitary challenges facing COVID-19 (Senegal, Burkina Faso)

BACKGROUND During previous epidemics (HIV, Ebola), the community sector has played a very important role, in particular through Community Based Organizations (CBOs), in various fields: care, investigation and follow-up of suspected cases, management of patients, advocacy, fight against stigma and for human rights, support for marginalized and vulnerable populations, etc. Community actors, CBO members or health workers (volunteers, mediators or contract workers) have been on the front line with AIDS and Ebola patients. However, their place in response mechanisms to the COVID-19 pandemic at global (WHO), regional (Africa CDC) or national level seems more limited. Since the first cases, different community mobilizations have appeared in Senegal (where the initiative generally comes from the State) and in Burkina Faso (where the CBOs have carried out numerous health initiatives), these countries also differentiating themselves by their experience of the Ebola epidemic. Community mobilizations against COVID-19 must be documented and analyzed to understand their potential contribution (and their limits) to all the pillars of COVID19 response. OBJECTIVES The main objective of this operational research project is to strengthen the response against COVID-19 by documenting and analyzing community mobilizations and their socio-health challenges in Senegal and Burkina Faso. The secondary objectives are to describe and compare:  Individual and collective community reconfigurations linked to COVID-19  The impact of COVID-19 and response measures on community actors (agents and organizations) and their adaptation  The models of mobilization and areas of involvement of CBOs, their achievements and limits  The interventions of community actors in / with the healthcare system METHOD After a situational analysis, the qualitative approach will combine interviews, observations and document analyzes with community actors, CBOs, health actors and people affected by COVID-19. The analysis will compare the role given to CBOs in the COVID response and in the HIV or Ebola responses and the various experiences, professional and associative cultures and memories engaged in the COVID response. RESULTS Expected analytic results include an evidence-based description of achievements and limits of community organizations and health workers' contribution in COVID-19 response and of their background. Applied results include indications and recommendations for better community engagement and democracy in managing community health issues involved in the COVID-19 pandemic.