Tafadzwa Dzinamarira
1,2* 
, Brian Nachipo
3, Albert Nyathi
4, Roda Madziva
5, Helena Herrera
6, Hugh Siegel
7, Godfrey Musuka
21 School of Health Systems & Public Health, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, 0002, South Africa
2 ICAP at Columbia University, Harare, Zimbabwe
3 Ministry of Health and Child Care, AIDS and TB Control Programme, Harare, Zimbabwe
4 Independent Consultant, Harare, Zimbabwe
5 School of Sociology and Social Policy, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
6 School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, UK
7 ICAP at Columbia University, New York, USA
Abstract
Efforts to control the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic have been negatively affected by myths, misconceptions and misinformation, fuelled by an “infodemic” spread via social media platforms. In response, The Zimbabwean COVID-19 response built on its experience with past public health communication strategies to employ edutainment strategies for COVID-19 awareness campaigns. This article discusses the different strategies and how they were employed. In this perspective piece, the authors discuss edutainment as an effective vehicle for reaching wider sectors of society. In tackling complex social issues with simple language, integrated into various entertainment formats, edutainment can bring about change in contexts where traditional strategies and actions may prove unsuccessful.