Please join Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA) for the following webinar:

RECOVR Webinar Series | Informing Health, Social, and Economic Policy on COVID-19 in Sierra Leone, Côte d’Ivoire, and Burkina Faso 

Thursday, April 29, 2021
11:30AM-1PM EDT / 3:30-5PM GMT

As COVID-19 continues its march, how have families in West Africa weathered income shocks, disruptions to education, and strains on public health systems? What trends have emerged in households’ coping mechanisms when facing food insecurity and employment losses? What portion of respondents is committed to getting vaccinated? How is each government responding to these challenges, how have messaging strategies persisted or changed over time, and what can decision-makers learn from each other?

These and other questions have been at the forefront of decision-makers’ minds while forming policy responses to the COVID-19 pandemic in Sierra Leone, Côte d’Ivoire, and Burkina Faso. Tracking how people’s lives are affected by the COVID-19 pandemic can enable policymakers to better understand the situation in their countries and make evidence-based policy decisions.

This webinar will share findings from both rounds of IPA’s RECOVR survey in Sierra Leone, Côte d’Ivoire, and Burkina Faso—a panel survey designed to inform decision-makers about the communities that are hardest hit by the economic toll of the pandemic. The session will also cover how policymakers are using survey findings to continually adapt their responses to changing demands and chart an economic recovery.

Andreas Holzinger (IPA) will discuss findings from Sierra Leone and Shana Warren (IPA) will discuss findings from Côte d’Ivoire and Burkina Faso. Sunday Sinnah and Abbie Clare will provide commentary and policy perspectives from government and civil society partners in each country. Fatu Conteh (IPA) will moderate the discussion and Q&A following the presentations.

This webinar is part of IPA's RECOVR Webinar Series: Bringing Evidence to COVID-19 Policy Responses in the Global South. Together with our partners, we are using this series to rapidly share what we are learning with the policy and research community to support evidence-informed response efforts. More information about other events in the series is available here.

Panelists

• Fatu Conteh (Moderator), Policy and Research Associate, Sierra Leone, IPA
• Andreas Holzinger, Outgoing Country Director Sierra Leone and Liberia; incoming Country Director for Francophone West Africa IPA
• Dr. Shana Warren, Research Scientist, Path-to-Scale, IPA
• Sunday Sinnah, Professional Head, Ministry of Gender and Children's Affairs, Sierra Leone
• Dr. Abbie Clare, Senior Research Manager, Development Media International