Research Snapshot: Exploring refugee compliance to COVID-19 guidelines in Uganda

The Refugee Lived Experiences, Compliance and Thinking (REFLECT) study found that refugee communities in Uganda are knowledgeable about COVID-19 and preventive guidelines. However, they do not comply with most guidelines because of conceptual, socioeconomic, cultural and structural barriers, increasing their risk of infection and poor health outcomes.

The study generated recommendations for national policymakers and practitioners to enable more appropriate messaging and outcomes for COVID-19 responses in Uganda. Findings are relevant for humanitarian actors in similar contexts or with refugee communities, particularly in lower and middle income countries in Africa.

This snapshot contains key messages, findings, implications for humanitarian policymakers and practitioners and recommendations for further research.