Purpose: Our overarching aim was to document the process of developing a regionally-contextualised, evidence-based policy brief providing guidance on PA in Africa, during COVID-19 and beyond. 

Development: An invitation to contribute to the policy brief was extended to the African PA Network (AFPAN),the Global Diet and Activity Research (GDAR) Network and other experts on PA in the region(N>70).Between April-May 2020, a core writing group was established, the first virtual meeting was held and content was outlined. The structure of the brief was based the IDRC (https://www.idrc.ca/en/how-write-policy-brief) policy brief toolkit. 
The literature search comprised published and pre-print evidence previously presented to the South African government, an evolving global database on PA lockdown policies (http://isca-web.org/english/) and hand-searching by the writing group(N=18).The document underwent extensive editing, was approved by the wider advisory group(N=43),visually tailored and copy-edited for readability and contextual-relevance for Africa. Dissemination and evaluation was agreed upon, to ensure a cohesive message when engaging governments and other stakeholders. Members were asked to register dissemination plans and responses via an online database.

Results: The brief comprised an executive summary, background on existing evidence for PA and risk mitigation, emphasizing equity, and incorporated the M.O.V.I.N.G. policy framework (https://www.wcrf.org/int/policy/policy-databases/moving-framework) for actions within three domains: Active Societies, Environments and People. Successful scaled-up examples from LMICs were provided for each.

Final recommendations included: i)develop a national plan for PA for health and development, ii)train a cadre of health professionals, educators, coaches & community members to promote PA for health, iii)ensure safe & enjoyable opportunities for PA, through urban planning, provision of parks (public spaces) and low-cost programmes close to where people live; iv)adopt a “whole of government” approach, embedding PA in multiple sectors, devising agile and cost-effective solutions. Dissemination and evaluation are ongoing, following an initial webinar  launch in Sept 2020 (#PhysicalActivity4Africa received 49 retweets,78 likes).The web documents have been disseminated to the WHO, various professional societies, provincial and national government ministries and non-government partners, university and other media outlets and evaluation is ongoing.

Conclusion: We collaborated across the African region,  developing a contextually-relevant policy brief to guide the promotion of PA during COVID-19 and beyond. Reach and impact evaluation will determine the success of this initiative.

Introduction: COVID-19 has resulted measures restricting active social interactions such as closure of gyms, parks, open leisure spaces, and schools, resulting in increased sedentary behavior among children and adolescents in some countries. The WHO, along with international PA experts, has emphasized the need for children to remain physically active during this pandemic, for physical and mental well-being. While there is a rapidly evolving evidence-base and guidance documents as to how to promote physical activity (PA), at home and school, they are not contextualized for LMIC settings, with informal and often overcrowded urban spaces, and under-resourced schools.

Purpose: We will describe the development of two policy briefs, specifically for PA and health in Africa; the first targeting children and adolescents; the  second, for children and adolescents with disabilities. These policy briefs will serve as tools to guide regional and local decision-makers on implementation of policies and practices that promote PA, while creating healthy, safe and accessible environments in schools for children and educators, and within communities for children and caregivers.

Development and dissemination: The development of these policy briefs occurred in parallel with the development of the first policy brief for PA and health in Africa during COVID-19 and beyond. However, this process was initiated in response to a specific request from a provincial government for guidance on PA for children during COVID-19,as schools were considering re-opening in South Africa. An invitation was extended to the original advisory group of PA experts and implementation partners in the region, as well as persons with expertise outside of this initial cohort. A core writing group (N=10)subsequently drafted the policy brief, using an evidence-based approach, incorporating the most recent literature pertaining to COVID-19 and children, community transmission and risk mitigation. The format was based on a template provided by the IDRC. Thereafter, the document was extensively edited and reviewed, reaching consensus with the larger advisory group. The second policy brief followed a similar process, with the primary  difference being its co-creation with disability groups from non-government and government sectors. Both policy briefs were visually tailored and copy-edited to be contextually relevant to Africa. Infographics were developed with key messages suitable for the intended audience and environment. Dissemination and evaluation are ongoing. 

Background: With COVID-19 lockdown restrictions there were limited opportunities to be physically active. As lockdown restrictions eased, participation in physical activity was easier. However, while there was some guidance on elite sport, there were no guidelines for return to sport for school going children. There was a push from many stakeholders to come up with appropriate guidelines to guide return to sport within a school setting.

Purpose: Therefore, the purpose of this policy brief was to provide guidance on return to organized school sport during COVID-19 and beyond. 

Assimilation, development of the brief and dissemination: Over 40 experts, mostly academics, were included. A core writing group comprising 10 individuals from 6 different institutions and departments from South Africa and Kenya drafted the policy taking an evidence-based approach from scientific literature. Literature pertaining to COVID-19 and participation in sport were sought and the document was compiled with consideration given to the preceding two policy briefs. It needed to be written with scientific evidence but in a style that would be accessible to many different stakeholders including government, schools, pupils and parents. It took into consideration the benefits of sport as a driver of physical activity and identified how to mitigate the risks of spreading the virus taking into consideration different phases of the pandemic, age of the scholars and the type of sport. Working with a production team, the readability and aesthetics of the brief were considered considering our target audience. Images of pupils playing sport in different contexts were included as well as infographics to ensure that those reading the brief could clearly extrapolate the appropriate information needed to proceed with a safe return to sport programme. Dissemination was done using the larger consortium and their networks and social media. This presentation will focus on this process, the outcome as well as lessons learned in all phases of the development of this brief.