IMPLICATIONS OF COVID-19 ON NCDA MEMBERS & NCD ALLIANCES

As the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) continues to spread across the world, multilateral agencies and governments are implementing measures to contain the spread and protect the public, health systems and economies. Measures include “lockdowns,” which restrict the movement of individuals and fundamentally change how cities, organisations and businesses are operating. Furthermore, emerging evidence shows many intersections between COVID-19 and NCDs, with people living with NCDs and other chronic conditions being more vulnerable to the virus. In addition, people living with NCDs (PLWNCDs) are likely to experience obstacles and additional strains in managing their conditions daily, due to health systems buckling under the pressure of COVID-19 and the physical distancing and stay-at-home measures.

As a global organisation, the NCD Alliance’s response to COVID-19 has included efforts to collate information, guidance and expertise across our network, including national and regional NCD alliances and other NCDA members (find more here). In order to enhance our offering of resources and support to our network, we are conducting this short survey to better understand how COVID-19 is impacting civil society organisations, their work, and to understand current needs, challenges and opportunities to more effectively navigate these complex times.

Please make sure that only one person from your organisation or NCD alliance responds to this survey. All information collected will be kept confidential and anonymised once aggregated. The survey will close on Monday 04 May 2020 at 5pm UK.

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* 1. Organisation/NCD alliance name

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* 2. Contact person name and email

Name

Email Address

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* 3. Geographic area of work (based on WHO regions) (select only one)

Africa (AFR)

Americas (AMR/PAHO)

Eastern Mediterranean (EMR)

Europe (EUR)

South East Asia (SEAR)

Western Pacific (WPR)

International/global (several regions)

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* 4. If you work with and or collaborate with people living with NCDs, how has your work with PLWNCDs been impacted by COVID-19?

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* 5. What are some of the immediate challenges your organisation or NCD alliance is facing due to COVID-19? (Select all that apply)

Delaying operations (e.g. adapting work plan, activities, events, etc)

Cancelling activities because no longer possible to carry out under current circumstances

Office closure and needing to setup remote working

Alliance members/organisation staff do not have continuous access to Internet connection to conduct operations online

Difficulty in establishing contact with members, key stakeholders, etc

Impossibility of reaching out to beneficiaries in rural,far-away or hard-to-reach communities (e.g. people living with NCDs, community healthcare workers, etc)

Impossibility of positioning our advocacy priorities/activities in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic

Decreased funding to conduct activities

None

Other (please explain)

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* 6. What are some of the ways in which your organisation or NCD alliance has addressed COVID-19 impact and restrictions so far?

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* 7. What level of disruption do you expect COVID-19 will have on your work as an organisation or NCD alliance in the following 1-3 months? (Select only one)

No disruption

Minor disruption (we can work around the issues we are facing)

Moderate disruption (some operations might be affected, but we’ll still able to work)

Severe disruption (a significant portion of our organisation/NCD alliance will not be functioning)

We will have to cease all operations (or will do so imminently)

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* 8. What are some of the challenges your organisation or NCD alliance is likely to face in the next 6 months due to COVID-19? (Select all that apply)

Delaying operations and services (e.g. adapting work plan, activities, etc)

Canceling operations and services

Office closure

Staffing issues

Insufficient tools and resources (e.g. computers, Internet connection, etc) to sustain operations online

Difficulty retaining funding

Difficulty securing future funding

None

Other (please specify)

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* 9. (Respond if you are a national or regional NCD alliance) Has your NCD alliance been able to advance on its coalition building efforts in light of COVID-19 (e.g. through increased coordination between members, connecting with other external stakeholders)?

Yes

Please explain.

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* 10. How has your organisation or NCD alliance adapted its advocacy activities in light of COVID-19? (Select all that apply)

Sharing information and expertise on NCDs

Highlighting the needs of people living with NCDs

Adapting advocacy strategies and efforts to the COVID-19 context

Launching a social media/communications campaign on NCDs and COVID-19

Monitoring government response to NCDs in the COVID-19 context

Developing research on NCDs and COVID-19

Calling on multilateral agencies or governments to include NCDs in their COVID-19 response, etc)

Other (please specify)

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* 11. What are the top challenges for NCDs your country or region is expected to face in the coming months due to COVID-19? (Select all that apply)

Increased vulnerability of people living with NCDs

Disruption of treatment and care for people living with NCDs

Travel restrictions and social distancing measures challenging people living healthy lives (e.g. lack of access to healthy food, lack of physical activity, increased alcohol and tobacco use)

Impact on population’s mental health and wellbeing

Unhealthy commodities increased activity/positioning during COVID-19

Reduced budgetary allocations to NCDs programmes, services and policies

Other (please specify)

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* 12. Do you agree or disagree with the following statements on the response to COVID-19?

	Strongly agree	Agree	Neutral	Disagree	Strongly disagree	N/A
Governments have given NCD civil society the opportunity to provide input into the COVID-19 response.	Governments have given NCD civil society the opportunity to provide input into the COVID-19 response. Strongly agree	Governments have given NCD civil society the opportunity to provide input into the COVID-19 response. Agree	Governments have given NCD civil society the opportunity to provide input into the COVID-19 response. Neutral	Governments have given NCD civil society the opportunity to provide input into the COVID-19 response. Disagree	Governments have given NCD civil society the opportunity to provide input into the COVID-19 response. Strongly disagree	Governments have given NCD civil society the opportunity to provide input into the COVID-19 response. N/A
Media outlets have sufficiently featured NCDs and the specific needs of people living with NCDs in their coverage of COVID-19.	Media outlets have sufficiently featured NCDs and the specific needs of people living with NCDs in their coverage of COVID-19. Strongly agree	Media outlets have sufficiently featured NCDs and the specific needs of people living with NCDs in their coverage of COVID-19. Agree	Media outlets have sufficiently featured NCDs and the specific needs of people living with NCDs in their coverage of COVID-19. Neutral	Media outlets have sufficiently featured NCDs and the specific needs of people living with NCDs in their coverage of COVID-19. Disagree	Media outlets have sufficiently featured NCDs and the specific needs of people living with NCDs in their coverage of COVID-19. Strongly disagree	Media outlets have sufficiently featured NCDs and the specific needs of people living with NCDs in their coverage of COVID-19. N/A
Multilateral agencies (e.g United Nations, World Health Organization, etc) have sufficiently included NCDs and the specific needs of people living with NCDs in the COVID-19 response.	Multilateral agencies (e.g United Nations, World Health Organization, etc) have sufficiently included NCDs and the specific needs of people living with NCDs in the COVID-19 response. Strongly agree	Multilateral agencies (e.g United Nations, World Health Organization, etc) have sufficiently included NCDs and the specific needs of people living with NCDs in the COVID-19 response. Agree	Multilateral agencies (e.g United Nations, World Health Organization, etc) have sufficiently included NCDs and the specific needs of people living with NCDs in the COVID-19 response. Neutral	Multilateral agencies (e.g United Nations, World Health Organization, etc) have sufficiently included NCDs and the specific needs of people living with NCDs in the COVID-19 response. Disagree	Multilateral agencies (e.g United Nations, World Health Organization, etc) have sufficiently included NCDs and the specific needs of people living with NCDs in the COVID-19 response. Strongly disagree	Multilateral agencies (e.g United Nations, World Health Organization, etc) have sufficiently included NCDs and the specific needs of people living with NCDs in the COVID-19 response. N/A
(Respond if you are a national organisation or national NCD alliance) My government has sufficiently included NCDs and the specific needs of people living with NCDs in the COVID-19 response.	(Respond if you are a national organisation or national NCD alliance) My government has sufficiently included NCDs and the specific needs of people living with NCDs in the COVID-19 response. Strongly agree	(Respond if you are a national organisation or national NCD alliance) My government has sufficiently included NCDs and the specific needs of people living with NCDs in the COVID-19 response. Agree	(Respond if you are a national organisation or national NCD alliance) My government has sufficiently included NCDs and the specific needs of people living with NCDs in the COVID-19 response. Neutral	(Respond if you are a national organisation or national NCD alliance) My government has sufficiently included NCDs and the specific needs of people living with NCDs in the COVID-19 response. Disagree	(Respond if you are a national organisation or national NCD alliance) My government has sufficiently included NCDs and the specific needs of people living with NCDs in the COVID-19 response. Strongly disagree	(Respond if you are a national organisation or national NCD alliance) My government has sufficiently included NCDs and the specific needs of people living with NCDs in the COVID-19 response. N/A

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* 13. Is your organisation or NCD alliance aware of any disruption of treatment and/or care for people living with NCDs, blockage in access to NCD medicines and other supplies, or other constraints in your health systems due to the COVID-19 pandemic?

Yes

If yes, please provide specific information where available on how care and treatment is being impacted. If you would like to share with the NCD Alliance any evidence and/or data on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in NCD care, including access issues and supply chain disruptions, please email Nina Renshaw at nrenshaw@ncdalliance.org

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* 14. Do you have any examples of how governments are supporting or undermining NCD prevention efforts in the context of COVID-19 and their response to the epidemic (e.g. facilitating the purchase of fresh food, involving unhealthy commodity industries to support government efforts against COVID-19, etc.)?

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* 15. Are there any specific needs that your organisation or NCD alliance has in responding to the implications and restrictions due to COVID-19?

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* 16. Which of the following resources provided by NCDA to its members do you think can support your response to the current situation the most? Please select up to three.

Regular written updates via email, newsletter, etc.

Webinars to exchange response examples and good practices from different organisations and NCD alliances.

Compilation of relevant evidence-based resources regarding COVID-19 and its effects on the NCD community.

Practical guidance on how to build a strong narrative on NCDs within current context.

Updates and practical guidance on how to advocate for NCDs in the context of COVID-19 at all levels.

Practical guidance on meaningfully engaging people living with NCDs, and protecting their rights in the COVID-19 response.

Webinars and practical guidance on advocacy and communication tactics and ensuring organisational sustainability

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* 17. How else do you think the NCDA can support its members to face the challenges posed by COVID-19?

Many thanks for completing the survey!