SSHAP convened and hosted a virtual roundtable discussion with partners engaged at the regional l... more SSHAP convened and hosted a virtual roundtable discussion with partners engaged at the regional level response of the health and food insecurity crisis in the Greater Horn of Africa region. The objective was to discuss the critical needs for the response to the Horn of Africa crisis. The priorities under consideration were organised under the themes of health, community engagement and data management. Broader matters of strengthening coordination of the response were also discussed. This report offers a summary of the main discussion points and a list of resources shared during the discussion, it was compiled by Tabitha Hrynick (IDS) and Olivia Tulloch (Anthrologica). The views expressed here are a summary of those presented and do not necessarily represent a consensus of the individual participant agencies. This brief is the responsibility of SSHAP. There will be future roundtables focused either at the national level for affected countries or thematically focused.
Os surtos de cólera têm vindo a aumentar na Região da África Oriental e Austral (AOA) desde Janei... more Os surtos de cólera têm vindo a aumentar na Região da África Oriental e Austral (AOA) desde Janeiro de 2023, com uma transmissão generalizada e alargada no Malawi e em Moçambique e surtos registados na Tanzânia, na África do Sul, no Zimbabué, no Burundi e na Zâmbia.1 Existe o risco de uma maior propagação causada pelos efeitos do ciclone Freddy, que atingiu Madagáscar, o Malawi e Moçambique em Março de 2023. Continuam a registar-se surtos na Somália, na Etiópia, no Quénia e no Sudão do Sul, onde os países estão a atravessar uma situação de seca após sucessivas estações chuvosas deficitárias.1 O contexto de resposta na AOA é complexo. Isto deve-se à escassez de recursos de saúde pública, incluindo a insuficiência de vacinas orais contra a cólera, e às múltiplas emergências de saúde pública e humanitárias simultâneas, incluindo a reemergência do poliovírus selvagem. O envolvimento da comunidade nas respostas ao surto de cólera é essencial, especialmente enquanto o impacto da COVID-19 ainda se faz presente na região, sobretudo no que tange à confiança na saúde pública e nos esforços de vacinação.2,3 O objectivo do presente guia de orientação é apoiar os Ministérios da Saúde, a UNICEF e outros parceiros de resposta na concepção e implementação de um envolvimento comunitário eficaz, centrado na comunidade e baseado em dados, para a resposta ao surto de cólera. Este guia de orientação foi redigido em abril de 2023 por Megan Schmidt-Sane e Tabitha Hrynick (IDS), com a colaboração de Stellar Murumba (Internews), Ngonidzashe Macdonald Nyambawaro (FICV), Eva Niederberger (Anthrologica), Santiago Ripoll (IDS), Nadine Beckmann (LSHTM), Mariana Palavra (UNICEF) e Rachel James (UNICEF). Este guia de orientação tem por base o trabalho anterior sobre a cólera da Social Science in Humanitarian Action Platform (SSHAP).
Les flambées épidémiques de choléra s’intensifient dans la région Afrique de l’Est et australe (E... more Les flambées épidémiques de choléra s’intensifient dans la région Afrique de l’Est et australe (ESAR) depuis janvier 2023, avec une transmission généralisée et étendue au Malawi et au Mozambique, ainsi que des flambées épidémiques signalées en Tanzanie, en Afrique du Sud, au Zimbabwe, au Burundi et en Zambie.1 Il existe un risque de propagation accrue causée par les effets du cyclone Freddy, qui a frappé Madagascar, le Malawi et le Mozambique en mars 2023. Les flambées épidémiques se poursuivent en Somalie, en Éthiopie, au Kenya et au Soudan du Sud, où les pays sont confrontés à la sécheresse suite à plusieurs saisons des pluies consécutives lors desquelles les précipitations n’ont pas été assez abondantes.1 Le contexte de riposte dans la région ESAR est complexe. Cela est dû aux ressources limitées en santé publique, y compris les pénuries de vaccins par voie orale contre le choléra, et aux nombreuses urgences sanitaires et humanitaires simultanées, y compris la réapparition du poliovirus sauvage. L’engagement communautaire dans les ripostes contre les flambées épidémiques de choléra est essentiel, en particulier lorsque l’impact de la COVID-19 continuent de se faire sentir dans la région, notamment en ce qui concerne la confiance dans la santé publique et les mesures liées à la vaccination.2,3 La présente note d’orientation a pour objectif d’aider les ministères de la Santé, l’UNICEF et d’autres partenaires de la riposte à concevoir et à mettre en œuvre un engagement communautaire efficace, axé sur la communauté et basé sur des données afin de répondre à la flambée épidémique de choléra. Cette note d’orientation a été rédigée en avril 2023 par Megan Schmidt-Sane et Tabitha Hrynick (IDS), avec la contribution de Stellar Murumba (Internews), Ngonidzashe Macdonald Nyambawaro (IFRC), Eva Niederberger (Anthrologica), Santiago Ripoll (IDS), Nadine Beckmann (LSHTM), Mariana Palavra (UNICEF), et Rachel James (UNICEF). Cette note d’orientation s’inspire de travaux antérieurs sur le choléra réalisés par la Plateforme Social Science in Humanitarian Action (SSHAP).
The cost of the Covid-19 pandemic remains unknown. Lives directly lost to the disease continue to... more The cost of the Covid-19 pandemic remains unknown. Lives directly lost to the disease continue to mount, while related health, livelihood and wellbeing impacts are still being felt, and the wider ramifications across society, politics and the economy are yet to fully materialise. What is known about these costs though, is that they have been unequally distributed both within and between countries. Preparedness plans proved inadequate in many settings – especially when it came to protecting those most vulnerable, including those marginalised by geography, poverty, or exclusion along the lines of religion, ethnicity or gender. The top-down, surge-style, biomedically dominated and technologically driven preparedness approach that has dominated global health thinking and which was propelled into action with Covid-19 was found wanting not only on the grounds of effectiveness, but also of social justice. This presents both a challenge and an opportunity for a convergence of the preparedness and development agendas. Drawing on a growing body of social science evidence, this report contends that securing health in the face of today’s uncertain disease threats in often unpredictable settings means making social, economic and political priorities as core to the preparedness agenda as biological and technological ones. We present here a framework for a vision of pandemic preparedness for the real world – one that accepts that context is paramount, embraces inclusivity and justice, shifts power centres and rejects simplistic, one-size-fits-all solutions.
On 20 September 2022, an outbreak of the Sudan strain of Ebola Virus Disease – SVD – was announce... more On 20 September 2022, an outbreak of the Sudan strain of Ebola Virus Disease – SVD – was announced as the first laboratory-confirmed patient was identified in a village in Mubende District in central Uganda. Uganda’s Ministry of Health (MoH) activated the National Task Force and developed and deployed a National Response Plan, which includes the activation of District Task Forces. The target areas include the epicentre (Mubende and Kassanda districts) and surrounding areas, as well as Masaka, Jinja and Kampala cities. This is of great concern, as Kampala is the capital city with a high population and linkages to neighbouring districts and international locations (via Entebbe Airport). It is also a serious matter given that there has been no outbreak of Ebola before in the city. This brief details how Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) activities and approaches can be adapted to reach people living in Greater Kampala to increase adoption of preventive behaviours and practices, early recognition of symptoms, care seeking and case reporting. The intended audiences include the National Task Force and District Task Forces in Kampala, Mukono, and Wakiso Districts, and other city-level RCCE practitioners and responders. The insights in this brief were collected from emergent on-the-ground observations from the current outbreak by embedded researchers, consultations with stakeholders, and a rapid review of relevant published and grey literature. This brief, requested by UNICEF Uganda, draws from the authors’ experience conducting social science research on Ebola preparedness and response in Uganda. It was written by David Kaawa-Mafigiri (Makerere University), Megan Schmidt-Sane (Institute of Development Studies (IDS)), and Tabitha Hrynick (IDS), with contributions from the MoH, UNICEF, the Center for Health, Human Rights and Development (CEHURD), the Uganda Harm Reduction Network (UHRN), Population Council and CLEAR Global/Translators without Borders. It includes some material from a SSHAP brief developed by Anthrologica and the London School of Economics. It was reviewed by the Uganda MoH, University of Waterloo, Anthrologica, IDS and the RCCE Collective Service. This brief is the responsibility of SSHAP.
Childhood obesity is a growing global challenge, and no country has yet reversed the upward trend... more Childhood obesity is a growing global challenge, and no country has yet reversed the upward trend in prevalence. The causes are multifaceted, spanning individual, societal, environmental, and political spheres. This makes finding solutions complex as traditional linear models of treatment and effect have proven only minimally successful or unfeasible at the population level. There is also a paucity of evidence of what works, and few examples of intervention that operate on a ‘whole systems’ level. The city of Brighton in the United Kingdom has experienced a downward trend in child obesity rates compared to national figures. The aim of this study was to explore what has led to successful change in the city. This was done through a review of local data, policy and programs, and thirteen key informant interviews with key stakeholders involved in the local food and healthy weight agenda. Our findings highlight key mechanisms that have plausibly contributed to a supportive environment fo...
The COVID-19 pandemic has undermined capacity and efforts to address other health needs that are ... more The COVID-19 pandemic has undermined capacity and efforts to address other health needs that are just as pressing as the virus itself, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Pressure on governments to act on COVID-19 now to save “immediately identifiable lives” rather than “statistical lives at risk”1 has had and will continue to have harmful short- and long-term consequences for other areas of health. This paper reviews the effects of vertical responses to COVID-19 on health systems, services, and people’s access to and use of them in LMICs, where historic and ongoing under-investments heighten vulnerability to a multiplicity of health threats. We use the term ‘vertical response’ to describe decisions, measures and actions taken solely with the purpose of preventing and containing COVID-19, often without adequate consideration of how this affects the wider health system and pre-existing resource constraints. Through four main sections focused on 1) characterising...
COVID-19 vaccine has been framed as the ultimate solution needed to end the pandemic. A substanti... more COVID-19 vaccine has been framed as the ultimate solution needed to end the pandemic. A substantial number of vaccine candidates are in development, and several are undergoing clinical trials, with the first promising results recently published. While this provides hope as part of a solution to the pandemic it also raises concerns over how vaccines will be deployed and accepted. One challenge is ‘vaccine hesitancy.’ Evidence suggests that the public health benefits of approved COVID-19 vaccines will be undermined by hesitancy from populations to be vaccinated. Evident in the emergence of the new discipline of ‘infodemiology’ and ‘misinfodemic debates’, there is an assumption that this reticence is primarily driven by people’s exposure to misinformation and that this can be countered by ‘inoculating’ publics with facts. This brief draws on social science literature and informal interviews with experts to illustrate that vaccine hesitancy is more complex and context-specific, and ofte...
This rapid literature review aims to provide initial insights into emerging lessons on pandemic p... more This rapid literature review aims to provide initial insights into emerging lessons on pandemic preparedness in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. It pays special attention to research generated by the Covid Collective research partners, contextualising it within the perspectives and lessons from the broader literature and debates on preparedness. The report especially considers evidence which indicates how future approaches to pandemic preparedness (based on what we have learned from our research) can really serve the interests of those in different societies who experience the greatest levels of vulnerability, exclusion, and marginalisation.
Every country has populations that are affected by malnutrition, and one third of all people in t... more Every country has populations that are affected by malnutrition, and one third of all people in the world are malnourished. Among approaches to addressing malnutrition, the language of human rights is notably present in international nutrition discourse and national policy and covenants, but the conceptualization, implications and utility of human rights for nutrition practice are contested. This empirical research explores how the utility of a ‘right to nutrition’ is perceived by different actors, and how differences in interpretation affect its potential for reducing malnutrition. In undertaking this qualitative case-study, we apply socio-legal, critical development studies, and political science approaches to compare and contrast written documents and stated viewpoints, across actors in different sectors and levels from global to local, with a focus on Zambia. Human rights are clearly integrated with ideas of nutrition in written documents across levels, but these are largely rhe...
This brief explains youth perceptions of COVID-19 vaccination and outlines key considerations for... more This brief explains youth perceptions of COVID-19 vaccination and outlines key considerations for engaging with and building trust among young people living in Ealing, London. Within the category of ‘young people,’ there are differences in vaccination based on age and ethnicity. This brief is based on research, including a review of the literature and in-depth interviews and focus groups with 62 youth across Ealing to contextualise youth perspectives of COVID-19 vaccination and highlight themes of trust/distrust. We contribute ethnographic and participatory evidence to quantitative evaluations of vaccine roll-out. Key considerations for addressing youth distrust regarding the COVID-19 vaccine are presented, followed by additional regional context. This work builds on a previous SSHAP brief on vaccine equity in Ealing. This brief was produced by SSHAP in collaboration with partners in Ealing. It was authored by Megan Schmidt-Sane (IDS), Tabitha Hrynick (IDS), Jillian Schulte (Case We...
في ضوء استمرار استشراء جائحة فيروس كورونا المستجد، ثمة حاجة إلى تقديم الدعم القوي للمجتمعات الأكث... more في ضوء استمرار استشراء جائحة فيروس كورونا المستجد، ثمة حاجة إلى تقديم الدعم القوي للمجتمعات الأكثر تأثرا بالأزمات وتعزيز المرونة المجتمعية. نهج "المرونة المجتمعية" يعني الشراكة مع المجتمعات المحلية وتعزيز قدراتها بهدف التخفيف من تداعيات الجائحة، ومن ضمنها التداعيات الاجتماعية والاقتصادية. 1–3 لذا لا مجال للعودة إلى الوضع الذي كان سائداً قبل الجائحة، بل لا بد من إحداث تغيير جذري يتطرق لأوجه عدم المساواة ويعمل على تحسين الظروف الاجتماعية والاقتصادية. وفي حين أن النهج القائم على تعزيز قدرة المجتمع على الصمود لا يزال جديد نسبيًا فيما يتعلق بالتأهب لمواجهة الأوبئة والتصدي لها، فإنه يضع إطاراً للتعامل مع الصدمات الوبائية بطريقة شاملة ومن خلال إتباع نهج يشمل نظاما كاملا. 4–6 وبينما تركز الاستجابة للوباء والتصدي له على التخفيف من أوجه الضّعف، يمكن اللجوء إلى النهج القائم على تعزيز الصمود لبناء القدرات الحالية بهدف إدارة الآثار الصحية والاجتماعية والنفسية والاقتصادية الناتجة عن الوباء. وهذا يعزز من إضفاء الطابع المحلي على هذا النهج ومن قدرته على التكيف والاستدامة على المدى الطويل، ...
SSHAP convened and hosted a virtual roundtable discussion with partners engaged at the regional l... more SSHAP convened and hosted a virtual roundtable discussion with partners engaged at the regional level response of the health and food insecurity crisis in the Greater Horn of Africa region. The objective was to discuss the critical needs for the response to the Horn of Africa crisis. The priorities under consideration were organised under the themes of health, community engagement and data management. Broader matters of strengthening coordination of the response were also discussed. This report offers a summary of the main discussion points and a list of resources shared during the discussion, it was compiled by Tabitha Hrynick (IDS) and Olivia Tulloch (Anthrologica). The views expressed here are a summary of those presented and do not necessarily represent a consensus of the individual participant agencies. This brief is the responsibility of SSHAP. There will be future roundtables focused either at the national level for affected countries or thematically focused.
Os surtos de cólera têm vindo a aumentar na Região da África Oriental e Austral (AOA) desde Janei... more Os surtos de cólera têm vindo a aumentar na Região da África Oriental e Austral (AOA) desde Janeiro de 2023, com uma transmissão generalizada e alargada no Malawi e em Moçambique e surtos registados na Tanzânia, na África do Sul, no Zimbabué, no Burundi e na Zâmbia.1 Existe o risco de uma maior propagação causada pelos efeitos do ciclone Freddy, que atingiu Madagáscar, o Malawi e Moçambique em Março de 2023. Continuam a registar-se surtos na Somália, na Etiópia, no Quénia e no Sudão do Sul, onde os países estão a atravessar uma situação de seca após sucessivas estações chuvosas deficitárias.1 O contexto de resposta na AOA é complexo. Isto deve-se à escassez de recursos de saúde pública, incluindo a insuficiência de vacinas orais contra a cólera, e às múltiplas emergências de saúde pública e humanitárias simultâneas, incluindo a reemergência do poliovírus selvagem. O envolvimento da comunidade nas respostas ao surto de cólera é essencial, especialmente enquanto o impacto da COVID-19 ainda se faz presente na região, sobretudo no que tange à confiança na saúde pública e nos esforços de vacinação.2,3 O objectivo do presente guia de orientação é apoiar os Ministérios da Saúde, a UNICEF e outros parceiros de resposta na concepção e implementação de um envolvimento comunitário eficaz, centrado na comunidade e baseado em dados, para a resposta ao surto de cólera. Este guia de orientação foi redigido em abril de 2023 por Megan Schmidt-Sane e Tabitha Hrynick (IDS), com a colaboração de Stellar Murumba (Internews), Ngonidzashe Macdonald Nyambawaro (FICV), Eva Niederberger (Anthrologica), Santiago Ripoll (IDS), Nadine Beckmann (LSHTM), Mariana Palavra (UNICEF) e Rachel James (UNICEF). Este guia de orientação tem por base o trabalho anterior sobre a cólera da Social Science in Humanitarian Action Platform (SSHAP).
Les flambées épidémiques de choléra s’intensifient dans la région Afrique de l’Est et australe (E... more Les flambées épidémiques de choléra s’intensifient dans la région Afrique de l’Est et australe (ESAR) depuis janvier 2023, avec une transmission généralisée et étendue au Malawi et au Mozambique, ainsi que des flambées épidémiques signalées en Tanzanie, en Afrique du Sud, au Zimbabwe, au Burundi et en Zambie.1 Il existe un risque de propagation accrue causée par les effets du cyclone Freddy, qui a frappé Madagascar, le Malawi et le Mozambique en mars 2023. Les flambées épidémiques se poursuivent en Somalie, en Éthiopie, au Kenya et au Soudan du Sud, où les pays sont confrontés à la sécheresse suite à plusieurs saisons des pluies consécutives lors desquelles les précipitations n’ont pas été assez abondantes.1 Le contexte de riposte dans la région ESAR est complexe. Cela est dû aux ressources limitées en santé publique, y compris les pénuries de vaccins par voie orale contre le choléra, et aux nombreuses urgences sanitaires et humanitaires simultanées, y compris la réapparition du poliovirus sauvage. L’engagement communautaire dans les ripostes contre les flambées épidémiques de choléra est essentiel, en particulier lorsque l’impact de la COVID-19 continuent de se faire sentir dans la région, notamment en ce qui concerne la confiance dans la santé publique et les mesures liées à la vaccination.2,3 La présente note d’orientation a pour objectif d’aider les ministères de la Santé, l’UNICEF et d’autres partenaires de la riposte à concevoir et à mettre en œuvre un engagement communautaire efficace, axé sur la communauté et basé sur des données afin de répondre à la flambée épidémique de choléra. Cette note d’orientation a été rédigée en avril 2023 par Megan Schmidt-Sane et Tabitha Hrynick (IDS), avec la contribution de Stellar Murumba (Internews), Ngonidzashe Macdonald Nyambawaro (IFRC), Eva Niederberger (Anthrologica), Santiago Ripoll (IDS), Nadine Beckmann (LSHTM), Mariana Palavra (UNICEF), et Rachel James (UNICEF). Cette note d’orientation s’inspire de travaux antérieurs sur le choléra réalisés par la Plateforme Social Science in Humanitarian Action (SSHAP).
The cost of the Covid-19 pandemic remains unknown. Lives directly lost to the disease continue to... more The cost of the Covid-19 pandemic remains unknown. Lives directly lost to the disease continue to mount, while related health, livelihood and wellbeing impacts are still being felt, and the wider ramifications across society, politics and the economy are yet to fully materialise. What is known about these costs though, is that they have been unequally distributed both within and between countries. Preparedness plans proved inadequate in many settings – especially when it came to protecting those most vulnerable, including those marginalised by geography, poverty, or exclusion along the lines of religion, ethnicity or gender. The top-down, surge-style, biomedically dominated and technologically driven preparedness approach that has dominated global health thinking and which was propelled into action with Covid-19 was found wanting not only on the grounds of effectiveness, but also of social justice. This presents both a challenge and an opportunity for a convergence of the preparedness and development agendas. Drawing on a growing body of social science evidence, this report contends that securing health in the face of today’s uncertain disease threats in often unpredictable settings means making social, economic and political priorities as core to the preparedness agenda as biological and technological ones. We present here a framework for a vision of pandemic preparedness for the real world – one that accepts that context is paramount, embraces inclusivity and justice, shifts power centres and rejects simplistic, one-size-fits-all solutions.
On 20 September 2022, an outbreak of the Sudan strain of Ebola Virus Disease – SVD – was announce... more On 20 September 2022, an outbreak of the Sudan strain of Ebola Virus Disease – SVD – was announced as the first laboratory-confirmed patient was identified in a village in Mubende District in central Uganda. Uganda’s Ministry of Health (MoH) activated the National Task Force and developed and deployed a National Response Plan, which includes the activation of District Task Forces. The target areas include the epicentre (Mubende and Kassanda districts) and surrounding areas, as well as Masaka, Jinja and Kampala cities. This is of great concern, as Kampala is the capital city with a high population and linkages to neighbouring districts and international locations (via Entebbe Airport). It is also a serious matter given that there has been no outbreak of Ebola before in the city. This brief details how Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) activities and approaches can be adapted to reach people living in Greater Kampala to increase adoption of preventive behaviours and practices, early recognition of symptoms, care seeking and case reporting. The intended audiences include the National Task Force and District Task Forces in Kampala, Mukono, and Wakiso Districts, and other city-level RCCE practitioners and responders. The insights in this brief were collected from emergent on-the-ground observations from the current outbreak by embedded researchers, consultations with stakeholders, and a rapid review of relevant published and grey literature. This brief, requested by UNICEF Uganda, draws from the authors’ experience conducting social science research on Ebola preparedness and response in Uganda. It was written by David Kaawa-Mafigiri (Makerere University), Megan Schmidt-Sane (Institute of Development Studies (IDS)), and Tabitha Hrynick (IDS), with contributions from the MoH, UNICEF, the Center for Health, Human Rights and Development (CEHURD), the Uganda Harm Reduction Network (UHRN), Population Council and CLEAR Global/Translators without Borders. It includes some material from a SSHAP brief developed by Anthrologica and the London School of Economics. It was reviewed by the Uganda MoH, University of Waterloo, Anthrologica, IDS and the RCCE Collective Service. This brief is the responsibility of SSHAP.
Childhood obesity is a growing global challenge, and no country has yet reversed the upward trend... more Childhood obesity is a growing global challenge, and no country has yet reversed the upward trend in prevalence. The causes are multifaceted, spanning individual, societal, environmental, and political spheres. This makes finding solutions complex as traditional linear models of treatment and effect have proven only minimally successful or unfeasible at the population level. There is also a paucity of evidence of what works, and few examples of intervention that operate on a ‘whole systems’ level. The city of Brighton in the United Kingdom has experienced a downward trend in child obesity rates compared to national figures. The aim of this study was to explore what has led to successful change in the city. This was done through a review of local data, policy and programs, and thirteen key informant interviews with key stakeholders involved in the local food and healthy weight agenda. Our findings highlight key mechanisms that have plausibly contributed to a supportive environment fo...
The COVID-19 pandemic has undermined capacity and efforts to address other health needs that are ... more The COVID-19 pandemic has undermined capacity and efforts to address other health needs that are just as pressing as the virus itself, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Pressure on governments to act on COVID-19 now to save “immediately identifiable lives” rather than “statistical lives at risk”1 has had and will continue to have harmful short- and long-term consequences for other areas of health. This paper reviews the effects of vertical responses to COVID-19 on health systems, services, and people’s access to and use of them in LMICs, where historic and ongoing under-investments heighten vulnerability to a multiplicity of health threats. We use the term ‘vertical response’ to describe decisions, measures and actions taken solely with the purpose of preventing and containing COVID-19, often without adequate consideration of how this affects the wider health system and pre-existing resource constraints. Through four main sections focused on 1) characterising...
COVID-19 vaccine has been framed as the ultimate solution needed to end the pandemic. A substanti... more COVID-19 vaccine has been framed as the ultimate solution needed to end the pandemic. A substantial number of vaccine candidates are in development, and several are undergoing clinical trials, with the first promising results recently published. While this provides hope as part of a solution to the pandemic it also raises concerns over how vaccines will be deployed and accepted. One challenge is ‘vaccine hesitancy.’ Evidence suggests that the public health benefits of approved COVID-19 vaccines will be undermined by hesitancy from populations to be vaccinated. Evident in the emergence of the new discipline of ‘infodemiology’ and ‘misinfodemic debates’, there is an assumption that this reticence is primarily driven by people’s exposure to misinformation and that this can be countered by ‘inoculating’ publics with facts. This brief draws on social science literature and informal interviews with experts to illustrate that vaccine hesitancy is more complex and context-specific, and ofte...
This rapid literature review aims to provide initial insights into emerging lessons on pandemic p... more This rapid literature review aims to provide initial insights into emerging lessons on pandemic preparedness in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. It pays special attention to research generated by the Covid Collective research partners, contextualising it within the perspectives and lessons from the broader literature and debates on preparedness. The report especially considers evidence which indicates how future approaches to pandemic preparedness (based on what we have learned from our research) can really serve the interests of those in different societies who experience the greatest levels of vulnerability, exclusion, and marginalisation.
Every country has populations that are affected by malnutrition, and one third of all people in t... more Every country has populations that are affected by malnutrition, and one third of all people in the world are malnourished. Among approaches to addressing malnutrition, the language of human rights is notably present in international nutrition discourse and national policy and covenants, but the conceptualization, implications and utility of human rights for nutrition practice are contested. This empirical research explores how the utility of a ‘right to nutrition’ is perceived by different actors, and how differences in interpretation affect its potential for reducing malnutrition. In undertaking this qualitative case-study, we apply socio-legal, critical development studies, and political science approaches to compare and contrast written documents and stated viewpoints, across actors in different sectors and levels from global to local, with a focus on Zambia. Human rights are clearly integrated with ideas of nutrition in written documents across levels, but these are largely rhe...
This brief explains youth perceptions of COVID-19 vaccination and outlines key considerations for... more This brief explains youth perceptions of COVID-19 vaccination and outlines key considerations for engaging with and building trust among young people living in Ealing, London. Within the category of ‘young people,’ there are differences in vaccination based on age and ethnicity. This brief is based on research, including a review of the literature and in-depth interviews and focus groups with 62 youth across Ealing to contextualise youth perspectives of COVID-19 vaccination and highlight themes of trust/distrust. We contribute ethnographic and participatory evidence to quantitative evaluations of vaccine roll-out. Key considerations for addressing youth distrust regarding the COVID-19 vaccine are presented, followed by additional regional context. This work builds on a previous SSHAP brief on vaccine equity in Ealing. This brief was produced by SSHAP in collaboration with partners in Ealing. It was authored by Megan Schmidt-Sane (IDS), Tabitha Hrynick (IDS), Jillian Schulte (Case We...
في ضوء استمرار استشراء جائحة فيروس كورونا المستجد، ثمة حاجة إلى تقديم الدعم القوي للمجتمعات الأكث... more في ضوء استمرار استشراء جائحة فيروس كورونا المستجد، ثمة حاجة إلى تقديم الدعم القوي للمجتمعات الأكثر تأثرا بالأزمات وتعزيز المرونة المجتمعية. نهج "المرونة المجتمعية" يعني الشراكة مع المجتمعات المحلية وتعزيز قدراتها بهدف التخفيف من تداعيات الجائحة، ومن ضمنها التداعيات الاجتماعية والاقتصادية. 1–3 لذا لا مجال للعودة إلى الوضع الذي كان سائداً قبل الجائحة، بل لا بد من إحداث تغيير جذري يتطرق لأوجه عدم المساواة ويعمل على تحسين الظروف الاجتماعية والاقتصادية. وفي حين أن النهج القائم على تعزيز قدرة المجتمع على الصمود لا يزال جديد نسبيًا فيما يتعلق بالتأهب لمواجهة الأوبئة والتصدي لها، فإنه يضع إطاراً للتعامل مع الصدمات الوبائية بطريقة شاملة ومن خلال إتباع نهج يشمل نظاما كاملا. 4–6 وبينما تركز الاستجابة للوباء والتصدي له على التخفيف من أوجه الضّعف، يمكن اللجوء إلى النهج القائم على تعزيز الصمود لبناء القدرات الحالية بهدف إدارة الآثار الصحية والاجتماعية والنفسية والاقتصادية الناتجة عن الوباء. وهذا يعزز من إضفاء الطابع المحلي على هذا النهج ومن قدرته على التكيف والاستدامة على المدى الطويل، ...
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