By September 30, 2020, Senegal had confirmed 14 982 cases of COVID-19 and there had been 310 deaths attributed to the disease. It was during this global health emergency that the pilgrimage to the Grand Magal de Touba was set to take place. This religious gathering of more than 3 million people in the city of Touba had the potential to cause a new wave of COVID-19 infections and fatalities. The World Health Organization committed itself to helping the Region of Diourbel, where Touba is located, adopt good practices to prevent the pilgrimage from becoming a Super Spreader event.

In order to promote social distancing and other safe practices, the WHO trained 80 religious leaders on the means of transmission for COVID-19. They also learned how to communicate its risk and to influence peoples’ behavior in ways that was sensitive to the religious spirit of the gathering. Posters explaining good hand hygiene in Arabic and Wolof were distributed at the end of the training for them to use during the pilgrimage. Joint visits by infectious disease control and prevention teams were conducted in places of worship. In crowded places where social distancing was not possible, such as cemeteries, the homes of marabouts, and community kitchens, added measures were taken to ensure people understood that their behavior can be their best defense against contracting COVID-19.

The WHO’s technical assistance helped this annual event, that is so important to the community, take place without endangering the health of the pilgrims or local population. Thanks to the training and the availability of communication materials developed in local languages, awareness-raising activities were carried out during caravans, in mosques, in homes, and at entry points to the city of Touba. This support also made it possible to document what went well and what needed improvement to help create future best practices in risk communication and community engagement.

Despite the risks that the pilgrimage represented, there was no noticeable rise of COVID-19 cases two weeks after the end of the festival. This goes to reinforce that preventive measures are effective and should be promoted, especially given that mass vaccination is not yet feasible in Senegal.

This initiative experienced many challenges. These included financial constraints; rumors and false information, social stigma and even denial that the disease existed among some segments of the population. All these created problems convincing worshipers to fully embrace social distancing and other protective measure. There were efforts to mitigate this through additional messaging and community awareness.

The lessons learned from this initiative will be used to prepare for future cultural and religious mass gatherings. Given the risk these large functions pose to public health, thoughtful preparation that still recognizes how important these events are to communities will continue to be a pressing need. As such, the WHO will continue to engage with community and religious leaders to reach the general public.

The WHO's support in Senegal during the COVID-19 pandemic has been cross cutting, but the emphasis on risk communication and community engagement has been essential in enabling communities to adopt preventive measures and, so far, avoid the worst outcomes experienced in other parts of the globe.

Photo caption: Training religious leaders from Touba to promote social distancing and other safe practices, October 2020.

Photo credit: WHO