Developing a Locally Rooted Approach to Covid-19 Response

About the Project

In March 2020, Zambia and Malawi reported their first cases of Covid-19, with both governments restricting non-essential travel, banning large public gatherings, and establishing emergency committees to spearhead efforts to contain the pandemic at a national level. The GLD project, “Developing a Locally Rooted Approach to Covid-19 Response,” sought to explore citizens’ responses at a local level.

Initiated in March 2020, it aimed to explore how issues such as fear of infection, income loss, social stigma, trust in authorities, and access to information affect individuals’ daily lives during the pandemic. To do so, GLD drew on contact information from respondents gathered in earlier surveys to conduct telephone interviews. These were implemented In collaboration with the Institute for Public Opinion and Research (IPOR) in Malawi and the Ubuntu Research and Rural Development Company in Zambia. 

These interviews allowed GLD to map needs, resources, and governance practices at the individual, household, and community levels, providing timely information to government officials, development specialists, scholars, and the general public.

The study had two primary objectives:

1. To generate information and actionable insights for government officials, CSOs, donors, other stakeholders and the public.
2. To provide insights for academics and practitioners concerned with understanding the relationships between individual, household, and community vulnerabilities and resilience in the face of crises.

The project received attention in both international and national media outlets.

Project Report

In November 2021, we released a cumulative report summarizing the key findings, entitled “Fears, Vulnerabilities, and Precautions over Covid-19: A Report on Citizen’s Experiences in Malawi and Zambia.”

You can access the full report here.

Webinars

Ellen Lust, Boniface Dulani, Wezi Msisha and Henry Chingaipe. "Insights for Malawi's New Government from the First GLD-IPOR Covid-19 Survey." GLD-IPOR Webinar, July 8 2020. Watch the full webinar.

Ellen Lust, Marja Hinfelaar, and Caesar Cheelo. "From Research to Action in Zambia: Insights on Vulnerabilities and Economic Impact from the GLD-SAIPAR Covid-19 Survey." GLD-SAIPAR-ZIPAR Webinar, October 7 2020. Watch the full webinar.

Ellen Lust, Marja Hinfelaar, Virginia (Ginny) Bond, and Musonda Simwinga. "From Research to Action in Zambia: Insights on Health and Stigma from the GLD-SAIPAR Covid-19 Survey." GLD-SAIPAR-Zambart Webinar, November 4 2020. Watch the full webinar. 

Data

Lust, Ellen (PI); Dulani, Boniface; Harris, Adam; Ferree, Karen; Kao, Kristen; Metheney, Erica. 2020. The First GLD-IPOR Covid-19 Survey in Malawi. Sampling Details. 

Our materials are also available in the Societal Experts Action Network (SEAN) COVID-19 Survey Archive, COVID-19 Survey Summary: June 12, 2020.

Publications 

Dulani, Boniface; Harris, Adam; Lust, Ellen; Ferree, Karen E.; Kao, Kristen; Jansson, Cecilia Ahsan; and Metheney, Erica Ann. "Elections in the Time of Covid-19: The Triple Crises Around Malawi’s 2020 Presidential Elections," Journal of Elections, Public Opinion, and Parties. Read it here.

Ferree, Karen E.; Harris, Adam; Dulani, Boniface; Lust, Ellen; Kao, Kristen; and Metheney, Erica. (2021). “Stigma, Trust, and Procedural Integrity: Covid-19 Testing in Malawi,” World Development. Read it here.

Kao, Kristen; Lust, Ellen; Dulani, Boniface; Ferree, Karen E.; Harris, Adam; and Metheney, Erica. (2020). “The ABCs of Covid-19 Prevention in Malawi: Authority, Benefits, and Costs of Compliance,” World Development. Read it here.

Metheney, E. & Lust, E. (2023). "GLD-SAIPAR Covid-19 Survey in Zambia Dataset." Data in Brief. Read it here.

Related Publications

Chirwa, Gowokani Chijere, Boniface Dulani, Lonjezo Sithole, Joseph Chunga, Witness Alfonso, and John Tengatenga. (2021). "Malawi at the Crossroads: Does the Fear of Contracting COVID-19 Affect the Propensity to Vote?" European Journal of Development Research. Read it here.

Dionne, Kim Yi, Boniface Dulani, and Sarah Fischer. (2021). “Pandemic Amidst Political Crisis: Malawi's Experience with and Response to COVID-19." in Coronavirus Politics: The Comparative Politics and Policy of COVID-19, Greer, S.L., King, E.J., Peralta-Santos, A., and da Fonseca, E.M. (eds.). Michigan/USA: University of Michigan Press. Read it here.