Community engagement for research in pandemic times: lessons for the future

Abstract

The ethical imperative of community engagement for health research is based on the principle that individuals are interrelated and that decisions are made within a social context. Collaboration between researchers and communities is not only an expression of respect, but also benefits research by building trust, which contributes to the acceptability of and support for the research by the community and can improve the quality of informed and voluntary decision-making. For engagement to be meaningful, it should be authentic, effective, and ethically sound. Meaningful engagement is, however, challenging during pandemics due to the restriction, or even prohibition, of in-person activities and the urgency of developing appropriate prevention and intervention modalities. Several community engagement models and practices exist, but none seem well suited for pandemic times. This raises concerns about the relevance and fairness of the processes, especially with regard to silent and vulnerable populations. It also raises questions about the communication and engagement strategies needed to deliver evidence-based messages, the media and messengers to be used. This chapter will explore the challenges involved in effective community engagement for research during a pandemic, discuss evidence-based strategies to reach all target populations, and recommend a best practice model based on lessons learned.