{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,17]],"date-time":"2026-07-17T23:27:25Z","timestamp":1784330845749,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":0,"publisher":"African Journals Online (AJOL)","issue":"3","content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Afr H. Sci."],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: We describe lessons learnt from community engagement activities for the successful implementation of a COVID-19 community surveillance study in Kalungu district, south-western Uganda.\r\nMethods: One rural and one urban site were selected for COVID-19\/SARS-CoV-2 community surveillance in selected households and three public health facilities. COVID-19 pandemic and national COVID-19 protection measures were described and explained in meetings with: district, sub-county\/town, village council officials, religious leaders, health workers and Community Advisory Board members. The community surveillance study was introduced to the meeting attendees and minutes captured in English\/Luganda (subsequently translated to English). All minutes were manually coded and analysed thematically.\r\nResults: The minutes revealed that community members were generally supportive of the COVID-19 surveillance study. Members requested wider communities\u2019 sensitisation about COVID-19 and the survey beyond the selected households. Misinformation and mistrust of Government statements were widespread. People in the community did not understand the `random sample\u2019 selection for the study. Providing appropriate medical care, face masks and honouring appointments for study participants and ensuring that COVID-19 prevention measures were followed during the study improved participation.\r\nConclusion: Successful COVID-19 community surveillance required continuous, active community engagement between the research team, and community stakeholders while maximising previous gains and exploiting existing resources.\r\nKeywords: SARS-COV-2; COVID-19; community engagement; surveillance; acceptability; East Africa.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.4314\/ahs.v24i3.3","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,10,15]],"date-time":"2024-10-15T12:54:09Z","timestamp":1728996849000},"page":"10-20","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Experiences of community engagement for SARS-COV-2 and COVID-19 community  surveillance in a rural and urban population in South Western Uganda"],"prefix":"10.4314","volume":"24","author":[{"given":"Dominic","family":"Bukenya","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Bernard","family":"Mpairwe","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Josephine","family":"Naluwugge Ssentongo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Gerald","family":"Ssenyomo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Julie","family":"Fox","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Robert","family":"Newton","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Janet","family":"Seeley","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Joseph","family":"Okello Mugisha","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"2895","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,10,6]]},"container-title":["African Health Sciences"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.ajol.info\/index.php\/ahs\/article\/download\/280379\/264441","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/www.ajol.info\/index.php\/ahs\/article\/download\/280379\/264441","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2024,10,15]],"date-time":"2024-10-15T12:54:11Z","timestamp":1728996851000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.ajol.info\/index.php\/ahs\/article\/view\/280379"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2024,10,6]]},"references-count":0,"journal-issue":{"issue":"3","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,10,6]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.4314\/ahs.v24i3.3","relation":{},"ISSN":["1729-0503","1680-6905"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1729-0503","type":"electronic"},{"value":"1680-6905","type":"print"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2024,10,6]]}}}