The COVID-19 pandemic has increased public debate on what it means to be an effective leader.
Are female leaders better at managing the crisis? Do authoritarian leadership styles fare better than more democratic approaches during a public health crisis? Should leaders exhibit flexible, situational styles or rely on their trait leadership tropes?
As this unprecedented crisis forces leaders at all levels to navigate a new normal, it has become clear that there is no shared rulebook for the COVID-19 response; but there are play-books being filled by regional and national leaders worldwide which are coming under scrutiny as the pandemic continues.
Pepal was founded on the belief that effective leaders are critical to sustained social change. What is clear now, more than ever, is that effective, agile, purpose driven leadership is needed to ensure that health and livelihoods are protected above all else.
The challenges we see today are unparalleled. Lockdowns, travel restrictions, business closures and curfews are some of the measures being used in East Africa and India to curb the spread of the virus. These measures have implications beyond the limitation of person-to-person contact: they are affecting the provision of day-to-day healthcare services, the ability of patients to receive routine care and the ability of the average person to make a basic living to cover essential costs such as food and housing. The actual and potential health and economic impact of Covid-19 and the social distancing measures being prescribed across these three countries, while necessary, will likely be devastating for their populations.
Our partners in the NGO, pharmaceutical, health care and government sectors are on the front lines of the response to the COVID-19 crisis. Pepal’s corporate partners are leading the way in the fields of vaccine development and antibody testing; our NGO partners like Baylor-Uganda, ICAP and JHPIEGO are supporting some of the world’s most vulnerable populations through continued health care services and basic livelihood provisions; and the thousands of health care professionals we have worked with over the last 10 years in India, Uganda, Tanzania and Myanmar are continuing to care for patients despite risks to their own health and safety.
Pepal has had to adapt quickly to the challenges that the pandemic has presented. Face-to-face leadership immersion, co-creation and innovation programmes are the heart of what we do - how do we continue to bring this offering to our partners and the communities that we jointly serve when social distancing is of paramount importance? Flattening the curve is on the top of the healthcare agendas of governments, but existing health priorities like cervical cancer prevention and treatment, and adolescent sexual reproductive health still exist. How do we work alongside partners and support them to address the myriad of pressing concerns?
Cervical cancer sensitisation in Uttar Pradesh as part of the NJIA programme, 2019.
Our partners agree that effective leadership is critical during these times of uncertainty. “With the need to ensure ongoing health programmes continue and healthcare systems are strengthened faster than ever, JHPIEGO and other partners working in India are exploring ways we can build the capacity of our leaders to response despite the barriers faced by the lockdown” - Dr. Nadeem Akhtar, State Programme Officer, Jhpiego, India. With a continued focus on developing leaders who can drive social change we believe we can support our partners in their efforts to effectively navigate the challenges that they are facing, and support them to be crisis-resilient.
We are now working closely with our partners to rapidly develop new, contextualised ideas to directly support the leadership response in the countries where we work: Uganda, Tanzania and India. With our partners JHPIEGO in India, we are already piloting online immersive leadership and problem-solving sessions with frontline nurses in Uttar Pradesh who are overwhelmed by the new health burden of COVID-19. We are also talking with other partners about how leadership offerings could support them.
For insights into the human stories behind the COVID-19 pandemic in East Africa and India, we recommend:
An important opinion piece by Ugandan journalist Patience Amuku on what life and poverty is like under lockdown in Uganda: click here.
Al Jazeera describe the impact that the closure of public transport has had on maternal and child health in rural Uganda: click here.
The World Economic Forum has published a short video outlining the impact of the world’s biggest lockdown on India’s poorest populations: click here.
This analysis of health data in India shows that routine health services such as child immunisation have dropped dramatically since the beginning of lockdown: click here.
Covid-19 and its associated burden on global health systems will be one of the greatest challenges our leaders and health work forces face, it is also an opportunity for leaders to step up and navigate our new global reality with courage, vision and inspiration. We are dedicated to supporting our global partners remotely to do this not just over the coming months but also as we start to navigate a ‘new normal’.