Moving a compendium of socio-behavioural research on COVID-19 in South Africa towards broader public dissemination and effective science communication

In April 2020, the HSRC launched a series of studies under the title: "Street talk/Asikhulume" with the aim of engaging with the public regarding their knowledge, perceptions, practices and attitudes in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. We will use this opportunity to make the voices of those who participated in the study (50 000 (lockdown 1) and 19 000 (lockdown 2) + 7000 (healthcare workers) and 61 key informant interviews heard by sharing their experiences, fears, thoughts and challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. The series of studies sought to provide updated information on the social aspects of the pandemic at individual, health worker, health systems, group and institutional level. This was premised on the recognition that social science has a potential to help save lives, humanize epidemic responses, and mitigate the disruptive socio-economic and psychosocial burdens associated with outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics. Hence, social science research aims to gain an in-depth understanding of the culture, practices and social experience of communities in disease outbreak. Therefore, considering community dynamics, is key to any health emergency response. In this way, the series of studies also sought to find ways of mitigating the concurrent epidemic of fear, panic and denial, blaming and possible stigma and prejudice. It also explored the effects of a pandemic in terms of job loss, exacerbation of poverty and inequality and created a platform to understand the context of increased vulnerability for the already marginalized, including increasing food and income insecurity under lockdown. The aim of the proposed project will therefore be to consider strategies for translating this compendium of socio-behavioural research on COVID-19 in South Africa towards broader public dissemination. Broader public dissemination of the compendium of socio-behavioural research on COVID-19 will be conducted through the development of culturally and linguistically tailored communication materials for a range of audiences that will incorporate the story of the HSRC's response to the social-behavioural issues at the heart of COVID-19 in South Africa. Expected Outputs  Develop the key messages to be communicated to various audiences on different platforms by appropriately identified messengers. These key messages will also shape all the activities outlined h Development content for the HSRC website (www.hsrc.ac.za) and HSRC Review as necessary ereunder including the development of products.  Develop policy briefs for dissemination to identified stakeholders and for use on various HSRC owned platforms.  Public engagement through webinars on the findings of the research undertaken by the HSRC