{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,1]],"date-time":"2026-05-01T23:27:35Z","timestamp":1777678055476,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":9,"publisher":"SAGE Publications","issue":"6","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,24]],"date-time":"2025-06-24T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1750723200000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/page\/policies\/text-and-data-mining-license"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["journals.sagepub.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Health Promotion Practice"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2025,11]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>This case study describes the country-level experience and response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Gabon between December 2020 and December 2022. We structured the presentation of COVID-19 response as an action cycle with five elements: (1) engagement, (2) assessment and surveillance measures used to track new cases, (3) planning, (4) action\/implementation, and (5) evaluation. We describe the participatory monitoring and evaluation (M&amp;E) process implemented in collaboration with the WHO Regional Office for Africa M&amp;E team. The M&amp;E system was used to organize and make sense of emerging data regarding the evolution of new cases of COVID-19 and related response activities. We share the results of this participatory evaluation, including systematic reflection by stakeholders (\u201csensemaking\u201d) to identify factors associated with lowering the number of new cases and with enabling and impeding Gabon\u2019s pandemic response. We conclude with lessons learned and practice implications from Gabon\u2019s experience to guide future country-level responses to rapidly evolving public health crises. This analysis seeks to guide decision-makers and practitioners in their efforts to respond to such situations.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1177\/15248399251337648","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,24]],"date-time":"2025-06-24T06:11:09Z","timestamp":1750745469000},"page":"1174-1182","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/sage-journals-update-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Gabon\u2019s Experience: Factors Enabling and Impeding the COVID-19 Response"],"prefix":"10.1177","volume":"26","author":[{"given":"Armel Brice","family":"Amalet","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"World Health Organization, Gabon Country Office, Libreville, Gabon"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Franck","family":"Ndzondo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Gabon Ministry of Health, Libreville, Gabon"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Gislene","family":"Moussoumy","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"World Health Organization, Gabon Country Office, Libreville, Gabon"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Magaran Monzon","family":"Bagayoko","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"World Health Organization, Libreville, Gabon"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Peter","family":"Phori","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa, Brazzaville, Congo"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Lurole","family":"Mpeke-Ntollo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa, Brazzaville, Congo"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Noemie","family":"Nikiema Nidjergou","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa, Brazzaville, Congo"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4572-4208","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Stephen","family":"Fawcett","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"The University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"179","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,24]]},"reference":[{"key":"e_1_3_2_2_1","unstructured":"African Health Action Toolkit. 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B.","year":"2008","unstructured":"Fawcett S. B., Schultz J. (2008). Supporting participatory evaluation using the community tool box online documentation system. In Minkler M., Wallerstein N. (Eds.), Community-based participatory research for health (pp. 419\u2013423). Jossey-Bass."},{"key":"e_1_3_2_6_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Holt C. M. Fawcett S. B. Hassaballa-Muhammed R. Partridge D. Jordan S. & in collaboration with the local COVID-19 Unified Command. (2021). Participatory monitoring and evaluation of the COVID-19 response in a local public health system. Health Promotion Practice 22(6) 750\u2013757. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/152483992110410","DOI":"10.1177\/15248399211041085"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_7_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Mwakisha J. Adika B. Nyawade S. Phori P. M. Nidjergou N. N. Silouakadila C. Fawcett S. (2023). Kenya\u2019s experience: Factors enabling and impeding the COVID-19 response. 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