Engaging communities is a key factor in efficient response to public health emergencies (PHE). Previous and recent outbreaks have shown that civil society organizations (CSOs) can mobilize the communities to better prepare and respond to a PHE. Consequently, the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Africa (AFRO) implemented an initiative to partner with community leaders by engaging CSOs. The Civil Society Organization Initiative (CSO Initiative) aims to work directly with well-established community-based organizations to accelerate whole-of-society preparation and response. Twenty-three CSOs from 12 WHO African Region Member States have been supported financially and technically to implement effective community-based interventions to respond to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. After 1 year of implementation (2021), the successes, challenges, and recommendations for maximizing future engagements with CSOs are outlined. As the COVID-19 outbreak is again underlining, partnering with established CSOs to engage diverse social groups from various communities can help provide a timely and efficient response to a PHE.

On Tuesday, March 17, 2020, at noon, France became the third European country to impose a nationwide containment policy in the fight against epidemic coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) viral infection. Announcing that the country was at “war,” President Macron called upon all to play a role in mitigating against further development of contagion. This extreme measure never seen before during peace time was the result of adapting not only the French Pandemic Influenza Plan (PIP) being applied to the national context but also real-time clinical, epidemiological, and scientific information about the evolution of COVID-19 infection in the country. The situation was further complicated by local municipal elections and political agendas by populist opinions. Despite mass communication about the importance of individual behavioral attitudes to counter disease propagation, few heeded government advice. Consequently, the situation rapidly deteriorated with increasing number of cases that started to overwhelm health services. As a result, decisive and immediate action was taken by the State for the national public health interest. This report from the field details the timely events that contributed to this extreme policy decision taken by France. A policy decision that other Western democracies have since applied as the pandemic disseminated across the globe.