Expectations and disappointments relative to COVID-19 passes: results from a voluntary mixed-methods study in French-speaking Belgium.

Objectives: Belgium enacted a coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pass - the 'COVID Safe Ticket' (CST) - in October 2021. This study aimed to understand the expectations and reasons given by those supporting this policy measure. Methods: This mixed methods study was based on a voluntary online survey among 9444 French-speaking residents in Belgium. Results: Most respondents were not very supportive of the CST, with only 617 respondents (7%) being pro-CST. Compared with other respondents, the pro-CST sample comprised more males, older people, people scared of COVID-19, people who had confidence in the COVID-19 vaccines, and highly educated people. A qualitative analysis was undertaken to identify the reasons why respondents supported the CST. Two lines of argument were related to personal comfort (individual protection and means of 'recovering freedom'), and two other lines were related to collective protection (controlling the pandemic and incentivizing vaccination). Pro-CST respondents also indicated some limitations of the CST. Conclusions: The expectations regarding the CST were high, diverse and not entirely rational. Some contradictions and frustration emerged from the respondents' comments. The CST may have exacerbated the social divide in society. The high expectations risk leading to comparably high levels of disappointment, resulting in potential distrust towards future public health interventions.

Formal and informal medicine retailers in Sub-Saharan Africa: a scoping review of research trends.

OBJECTIVES: In Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), private medicine retailers have become the first entry point to health systems, irrespective of their level of accreditation. This review aims to map the main trends in research about formal and informal medicine retailers in SSA over the past 20 years. Such an overview offers a valuable resource to understand their role and develop inclusive interventions to improve accessibility to health care in line with people's health-seeking behaviours. This review followed the steps recommended by the Joanna Briggs Institute. Four electronic databases were searched and complemented by manual web researches. KEY FINDINGS: A total of 293 publications from 23 countries met our inclusion criteria, 79% of which relate to six countries. The number of publications has been growing since 2010. Medicine retailers are distributed among three professional groups based on their accreditation level. Most studies used quantitative methods. Three topics - service provision; knowledge, attitudes and practices; and the expanding role of medicine retailers in the health system - accounted for 67% of included studies. Most studies focus on a specific health condition, of which malaria (26%) and sexual/reproductive health (13%) are the most common. SUMMARY: This review reveals increasing interest in medicine retailers in SSA and increasing expectations as stakeholders within health systems. This review suggests that new research and interventions should focus on: moving beyond a disease-based approach; using qualitative methods; and understudied countries, rural areas and informal medicine retailers. A more dynamic, relational and interactive approach could help better understand the sector.

Factors Associated With COVID-19 Vaccination Among Individuals With Vaccine Hesitancy in French-Speaking Belgium.

This cross-sectional study examines why people in French-speaking regions of Belgium who initially resisted getting the COVID-19 vaccine eventually chose to get vaccinated.