Riegel L, Di Ciaccio M, Ben Moussa A, Velter A, Acosta ME, Villes V, Castro Avila J, Lorente N, Cerveau T, Sikitu I, Yattassaye A, Khodabocus N, Michels D, Veras MA, Delpech V, Spire B, Delabre RM, Le Groupe de Travail Epic, and Rojas Castro D
In 2020, the COVID-19 health crisis affected all regions of the world, not sparing people already vulnerable to other viral epidemics such as HIV or HCV and/or those in precarious or socially marginalized situations. This is particularly the case for drug users or sex workers.Coalition PLUS, a network of associations fighting against HIV and viral hepatitis which defends and promotes the community-based approach, and its partners, have set up a multi-country community-based research project aimed at documenting the impact of the health crisis on the fight against HIV and viral hepatitis (key populations and community workers/activists), as well as the community responses put in place (EPIC survey).The objective of this paper is to reflect on the implementation of this community-based research study during the COVID-19 health crisis, and in particular the unforeseen difficulties to which the community-based research process had to confront and adapt. The goal is to draw lessons on what worked (and what did not work) in order to capitalize on community-based research practices during this pandemic and subsequently, facilitate the implementation of new research projects in similar contexts.