Verbal Autopsy with Participatory Action Research (VA-PAR): Developing a people-centred health systems research methodology
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Aberdeen
Department Name: Division of Applied Health Sciences
Abstract
Recent estimates suggest that two-thirds of the world's deaths pass unrecorded. This situation seriously limits the ability of health systems to respond to the needs of vulnerable and excluded populations. Developing methods to reliably understand why people die in populations with weak health systems is therefore an important strategy for saving lives.
Registering medical cause of death has long been considered essential for public health. Despite increasing globalisation, in many resource-poor countries, universal registration of vital events remains lacking and uncertain estimates provide an inadequate basis for policy and planning. In addition, the social inequalities and social contexts play an important role in shaping health for disadvantaged groups. Even with the data available, insufficient attention is paid to the root causes of mortality in resource poor settings.
Considering these factors, there is an urgent need to improve health information about and for marginalised populations to inform public health responses. The proposed research will develop an extension to an established method called Verbal Autopsy (VA). VA is used to measure the levels and causes of death in populations where large numbers die outside health facilities or without registration. The development will help local health systems to assess their own health situations, identify priorities and develop action plans for positive health change.
We will do this through three phases of work.
- Firstly, we will develop improved ways to classify causes of death by combing information on medical causes with data on the circumstances of deaths (seeking and using care at the time of death). In settings where health services are under-funded, weak and fragmented, these can often play a crucial role. The classifications will also be developed in consultation with local health planners to be of practical use.
- Secondly, we will develop an additional method to gain the views of local communities on long-standing health challenges. This will allow us to further understand how social, economic and health systems issues influence availability, accessibility, acceptability, and quality of care. The method may also help foster social inclusion in health.
- In the final phase, we will consult with higher levels of the health system about the method. This will help develop how we use the extended cause of death classifications combined with community knowledge. The aim here is to explore how the method could be used in an ongoing fashion to connect health surveillance to service organisation in an inclusive process. This approach encourages sustainable health gains.
Data, poverty and inequality exist in complex co-dependency: less data exist on the health of the poor than the rich, raising important questions about the relationship between material and data poverty. In settings where health systems are fragile and under-resourced, where new burdens of disease are rapidly emerging, and where large and diverse populations are excluded from access to health care, innovative approaches that connect the registration of vital events to health care systems in a people-centred approach are needed.
The approach employs a bottom up philosophy connecting with population data at source. In the longer term, it is envisaged that the method will contribute to more rigorous health data at population level in an inclusive process that can affect sustainable health gains through better data and improved capacity for evaluation.
The work will be conducted in an research centre in rural South Africa established for over 20 years. The extent of data available and the richness of experience in health research allows us to develop a method with partners who enact a broader commitment to registration of all individuals within a population.
Registering medical cause of death has long been considered essential for public health. Despite increasing globalisation, in many resource-poor countries, universal registration of vital events remains lacking and uncertain estimates provide an inadequate basis for policy and planning. In addition, the social inequalities and social contexts play an important role in shaping health for disadvantaged groups. Even with the data available, insufficient attention is paid to the root causes of mortality in resource poor settings.
Considering these factors, there is an urgent need to improve health information about and for marginalised populations to inform public health responses. The proposed research will develop an extension to an established method called Verbal Autopsy (VA). VA is used to measure the levels and causes of death in populations where large numbers die outside health facilities or without registration. The development will help local health systems to assess their own health situations, identify priorities and develop action plans for positive health change.
We will do this through three phases of work.
- Firstly, we will develop improved ways to classify causes of death by combing information on medical causes with data on the circumstances of deaths (seeking and using care at the time of death). In settings where health services are under-funded, weak and fragmented, these can often play a crucial role. The classifications will also be developed in consultation with local health planners to be of practical use.
- Secondly, we will develop an additional method to gain the views of local communities on long-standing health challenges. This will allow us to further understand how social, economic and health systems issues influence availability, accessibility, acceptability, and quality of care. The method may also help foster social inclusion in health.
- In the final phase, we will consult with higher levels of the health system about the method. This will help develop how we use the extended cause of death classifications combined with community knowledge. The aim here is to explore how the method could be used in an ongoing fashion to connect health surveillance to service organisation in an inclusive process. This approach encourages sustainable health gains.
Data, poverty and inequality exist in complex co-dependency: less data exist on the health of the poor than the rich, raising important questions about the relationship between material and data poverty. In settings where health systems are fragile and under-resourced, where new burdens of disease are rapidly emerging, and where large and diverse populations are excluded from access to health care, innovative approaches that connect the registration of vital events to health care systems in a people-centred approach are needed.
The approach employs a bottom up philosophy connecting with population data at source. In the longer term, it is envisaged that the method will contribute to more rigorous health data at population level in an inclusive process that can affect sustainable health gains through better data and improved capacity for evaluation.
The work will be conducted in an research centre in rural South Africa established for over 20 years. The extent of data available and the richness of experience in health research allows us to develop a method with partners who enact a broader commitment to registration of all individuals within a population.
Technical Summary
People-centred health systems (PCHS) is a recent progressive shift that has moved thinking beyond building-blocks models of health systems towards ones that centralise a human and relational nature. Despite the conceptual advance, empirical methods are lacking. The project seeks to develop methods for conducing and using Verbal Autopsy (VA) consistent with a PCHS approach by combining VA with Participatory Action Research (PAR) in a process connected to the health system at different levels. VA is a health surveillance technique that provides information on levels and causes of mortality in populations where deaths occur outside facilities and/or without registration. PAR is a process that aims to transform the roles of those participating from objects of research to active researchers and agents of change. It systematises local experience through collective analysis to generate valid forms of evidence on the relationships between health problems and their causes. Three phases of research are proposed. In Phase 1, we will conduct a secondary analysis of data gained through the application of the 2012 WHO VA standard in a Health and Demographic Surveillance Site (HDSS) in rural South Africa. Combing data on medical causes with new data on background characteristics of deaths, we will develop improved ways to classify causes in a method suitable for use at sub-district/district level. In Phase 2, local service users and providers will engage in a PAR process to review the results of Phase 1, set priorities for local services, and explore the potential for co-benefits related to empowerment and social inclusion. The final Phase 3 aims to consult at higher levels of the health system to consider how the method could be further applied and evaluated. The overall output is a practical and integrated methodology based on core standards that is contextually relevant and capable of affecting health gains by translating local priorities into actionable public health agendas.
Planned Impact
The ultimate beneficiaries of the proposed research are populations in which large numbers die outside health facilities and/or without proper registration. Estimates suggest that over two thirds of deaths worldwide pass without registration of cause, with over three quarters of these in Sub-Saharan Africa and South-East Asia. Fragilities in health systems are exacerbated by poor civil registration and vital statistics systems (CRVS): without an understanding of the situations of poor, marginalised and excluded groups, the problems they face can neither be identified nor addressed. In this context there is an urgent need to improve health information about marginalised populations.
The research is also intended to have a positive impact on local communities, policy-makers and health planners within national, provincial, district and sub-district health offices. Information on cause-specific disease profiles, their health systems and social determinants, and priorities for actionable public health agendas will have been rigorously verified at local community and systems levels. Co-constructed practical knowledge will be thoroughly embedded in, and thus relevant to, local health systems contexts. These outputs will be disseminated in local communities and to health authorities to investigate their validity and relevance, and to reflect on the method as a means of sustainable and self-administered evaluation and planning.
In addition, the research responds to the World Health Organization (WHO)'s current effort to develop CRVS systems in low and middle-income countries (LMICs). The proposed research will provide the piloted VA-PAR method promoting democratic knowledge production, capacity building and evidence-based advocacy. In this sense, the research is also intended to provide important information for WHO on the adaption of VA-based models as a medium term strategy towards universal vital registration. To enable these impacts, methodological and technical discussions on a) extended biosocial classifications for unregistered deaths and b) the explanatory potential of routine participatory adjuncts in health and demographic surveillance will be conducted with WHO. We will hold dissemination workshops with WHO in which the methods will be discussed in terms of the potential for sustainable and self-administered evaluation and planning.
The Development Grant work also aims to facilitate further application and evaluation of the method among wider audiences. We therefore propose to hold two further workshops in South Africa and the UK to engage with academic and non-academic audiences on further application and evaluation of the method. Firstly, with the International Network for the Demographic Evaluation of Populations and Their Health (INDEPTH), a southern-based, southern-led umbrella organisation of 50 independent health research centres that operate 48 HDSS sites in 20 LMICs (http://www.indepth-network.org). The meeting will consider how and for whose purposes health information is generated for sustainable action towards improved health outcomes. This workshop will also explore the potential to create further spaces for application and evaluation of the method. Secondly, in the UK through the Public Engagement in Research Unit (PERU) at the University of Aberdeen (http://www.abdn.ac.uk/engage/), we will conduct a national workshop on the relationships between material and data poverty, and on methods and opportunities for generating routine people-centred health information. Here we will also explore further application and evaluation of the method to enable the impacts envisaged.
The research is also intended to have a positive impact on local communities, policy-makers and health planners within national, provincial, district and sub-district health offices. Information on cause-specific disease profiles, their health systems and social determinants, and priorities for actionable public health agendas will have been rigorously verified at local community and systems levels. Co-constructed practical knowledge will be thoroughly embedded in, and thus relevant to, local health systems contexts. These outputs will be disseminated in local communities and to health authorities to investigate their validity and relevance, and to reflect on the method as a means of sustainable and self-administered evaluation and planning.
In addition, the research responds to the World Health Organization (WHO)'s current effort to develop CRVS systems in low and middle-income countries (LMICs). The proposed research will provide the piloted VA-PAR method promoting democratic knowledge production, capacity building and evidence-based advocacy. In this sense, the research is also intended to provide important information for WHO on the adaption of VA-based models as a medium term strategy towards universal vital registration. To enable these impacts, methodological and technical discussions on a) extended biosocial classifications for unregistered deaths and b) the explanatory potential of routine participatory adjuncts in health and demographic surveillance will be conducted with WHO. We will hold dissemination workshops with WHO in which the methods will be discussed in terms of the potential for sustainable and self-administered evaluation and planning.
The Development Grant work also aims to facilitate further application and evaluation of the method among wider audiences. We therefore propose to hold two further workshops in South Africa and the UK to engage with academic and non-academic audiences on further application and evaluation of the method. Firstly, with the International Network for the Demographic Evaluation of Populations and Their Health (INDEPTH), a southern-based, southern-led umbrella organisation of 50 independent health research centres that operate 48 HDSS sites in 20 LMICs (http://www.indepth-network.org). The meeting will consider how and for whose purposes health information is generated for sustainable action towards improved health outcomes. This workshop will also explore the potential to create further spaces for application and evaluation of the method. Secondly, in the UK through the Public Engagement in Research Unit (PERU) at the University of Aberdeen (http://www.abdn.ac.uk/engage/), we will conduct a national workshop on the relationships between material and data poverty, and on methods and opportunities for generating routine people-centred health information. Here we will also explore further application and evaluation of the method to enable the impacts envisaged.
Organisations
- University of Aberdeen (Lead Research Organisation)
- Statistics South Africa (Collaboration)
- Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh (Collaboration)
- International Network for the Demographic Evaluation of Populations and Their Health (INDEPTH) (Collaboration)
- NHS GRAMPIAN (Collaboration)
- Aberdeen City Council (Collaboration)
- Mpumalanga Department of Health (Collaboration)
- University of Amsterdam (Collaboration)
- Stellenbosch University (Collaboration)
- UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM (Collaboration)
- Electoral Reform Society (Collaboration)
- Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) (Collaboration)
- World Health Organization (WHO) (Collaboration)
- PhotoVoice (Collaboration)
- UNIVERSITY OF THE WESTERN CAPE (Collaboration)
- University of Stirling (Collaboration)
- Maternal Death Surveillance and Response Action Network (Collaboration)
- Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research (Collaboration)
- Malaria Consortium Africa, Kampala (Collaboration)
- UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD (Collaboration)
- Scottish Parliament (Collaboration)
- Code for South Africa (Collaboration)
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) (Collaboration)
- Training and Research Support Centre (Collaboration)
- University of Global Health Equity (Collaboration)
- Africa Health Research Institute (Collaboration)
Publications
D'Ambruoso L
(2016)
Moving from medical to health systems classifications of deaths: extending verbal autopsy to collect information on the circumstances of mortality
in Global Health Research and Policy
Hullur N
(2016)
Community perspectives on HIV, violence and health surveillance in rural South Africa: a participatory pilot study.
in Journal of global health
D'Ambruoso L
(2017)
The case for verbal autopsy in health systems strengthening.
in The Lancet. Global health
Wariri O
(2017)
Initiating a participatory action research process in the Agincourt health and socio-demographic surveillance site
in Journal of Global Health
Brooks C
(2017)
Introducing visual participatory methods to develop local knowledge on HIV in rural South Africa.
in BMJ global health
Thomas LM
(2018)
Use of verbal autopsy and social autopsy in humanitarian crises.
in BMJ global health
Thomas LM
(2018)
Verbal autopsy in health policy and systems: a literature review.
in BMJ global health
Byass P
(2019)
An integrated approach to processing WHO-2016 verbal autopsy data: the InterVA-5 model.
in BMC medicine
Hove J
(2019)
'Water is life': developing community participation for clean water in rural South Africa.
in BMJ global health
D'Ambruoso L
(2019)
Rethinking collaboration: developing a learning platform to address under-five mortality in Mpumalanga province, South Africa
in Health Policy and Planning
| Description | The VAPAR process 2017-22 as approximately at mid point in 2020. Our activities are currently underway connecting service users and providers to generate and act on research evidence of practical, local relevance. We have published several papers since March 2019 on our process. Full details can be found at www.vapar.org 2020 Witter S, Van der Merwe M, Twine R, Mabetha D, Hove J, Goosen G and D'Ambruoso L. Verbal autopsy with participatory action research (VAPAR) programme in Mpumalanga, South Africa: protocol for evaluation. BMJ Open, 2020;10:3036597. Oladeinde O, Mabetha D, Twine R, Hove J, Van der Merwe M, Byass P, Witter S, Kahn K and D'Ambruoso L. Progressing participatory action research to reduce alcohol and other drug abuse in rural South Africa: reflections on an action and learning process. Global Health Action (accepted for publication on 30 January 2020). DOI: 10.1080/16549716.2020.1726722. 2019 Hussain-Alkhateeb L, D'Ambruoso L, Tollman S, Kahn K, Van Der Merwe M, Twine R, Schiöler L & Petzold M (2019). Enhancing the value of mortality data for health systems: adding Circumstances Of Mortality CATegories (COMCATs) to deaths investigated by verbal autopsy. Global Health Action 12(1):1680068. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/16549716.2019.1680068 D'Ambruoso L, Van Der Merwe, M, Wariri O, Byass P, Goosen G, Kahn K, Masinga S, Mokoena V, Spies B, Tollman S, Witter S, Twine R (2019). Rethinking collaboration: developing a learning platform to address under-5 mortality in Mpumalanga province, South Africa. Health Policy and Planning 34(6):418-429. https://academic.oup.com/heapol/article/34/6/418/5523687 Hove J, D'Ambruoso L, Mabetha D, Van Der Merwe M, Byass P, Kahn K, Khosa S, Witter S, Twine R (2019). "Water is life": developing community participation for clean water in rural South Africa. BMJ Global Health 4(3): e001377. https://gh.bmj.com/content/4/3/e001377 Byass P, Hussain-Alkhateeb L, D'Ambruoso L, Clark S, Davies J, Fottrell E, Bird J, Kabudula C, Tollman S, Kahn K, Schiöler, Petzold M (2019). An integrated approach to processing WHO-2016 verbal autopsy data: the InterVA-5 model. BMC Medicine 17:102. https://bmcmedicine.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12916-019-1333-6 Edem I, Dare A, Byass P, D'Ambruoso L, Leather A, Kahn K, Tollman S, Whitaker J, Davies J (2019). External injuries and avoidable deaths in Agincourt, South Africa. BMJ Open 9(6): e027576. https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/9/6/e027576 |
| Exploitation Route | The main beneficiaries will be people systematically and unfairly excluded from access to health systems. The process will routinely produce information on their needs and priorities for equity-informed decision-making. Generating and embedding this information in an action-oriented process at different levels of the health system will achieve impact through inclusive knowledge production and exchange, fostering trust and cooperation towards common goals, and strengthening service organisation and delivery to improve health outcomes and health equity. The process will benefit health systems at different levels by fostering engagement and ownership in research. Beneficiaries will be health workers, facility managers and community workers at the 'coalface' of the system who make daily decisions about eligibility and access in resource-scarce, demand-intensive environments. Empowering practitioners to be involved in policy creation, implementation and evaluation with communities they serve and stakeholders at higher levels will acknowledge and employ these realities for positive change. At higher levels of the system, the process will build cultures of HPSR to provide clear information on what is to be done by whom, with which means and within what constraints, informing the prioritisation of interventions and policy directives enabling assessment of and advocacy for resources. A further major intended impact is the provision of a sustainable process. The research will generate and use co-constructed evidence of practical relevance for equity-informed systems strengthening on an ongoing basis. The methods and choices of topics will be led by participants and during the project, the process will shift from a research-based to a country-led endeavour. This will foster ownership for sustainability, address disconnects between policy and implementation, integrate research across sectors, and provide practical approaches to deal with the complexities of implementation that limit data and action. The process will be grounded in the needs of end users to illuminate and harness implementation in an integrated and sustainable system of change. The research will strengthen capacity for health policy and systems research (HPSR). HPSR is a relatively new field, viewing health systems as complex adaptive systems, using relativist enquiry paradigms, value-based approaches, and intersectoral collaborations with a commitment to action. Despite its relevance for resilient and equitable health systems, methods remain underdeveloped. Building and serving practitioner networks is a further intended impact in this context. Teaching and training resources for health systems practitioners and researchers will be developed and disseminated to build communities of practice and encourage collaboration between communities, service providers and researchers. Impact will be realised by developing methods and capacities for use within and beyond the study setting. A range of engagements with governments, health systems, research networks, HPSR practitioners, civil society and public engagement groups outside the study setting are planned to promote collaborative HPSR for equity in health systems. Interest in the research to date from research groups, the media, communities and health system stakeholders suggests demand for these. Multi-faceted engagement, fostering collaboration where actors are united by overall goals and values will accommodate different perspectives and extend impacts overall. The work will build on partnerships with targeted activities throughout. New forms of engagement will also be explored by reaching out to others without prior exposure to the work, including the public, politicians and the media. We will innovate with digital technologies, online and social media, social networks and face-to-face engagement. Targeting these groups with these activities will maximise collaborative opportunities and impacts. |
| Sectors | Communities and Social Services/Policy,Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software),Healthcare,Government, Democracy and Justice |
| URL | http://www.vapar.org |
| Description | Update 2022: Strategic health systems alliances We have established conducive working relationships with the Department of Health (DoH) at all levels, aligning to DoH priorities and providing detailed input on local health concerns. Following a collective evaluation in 2019, the DoH endorsed embedding the intervention into routine processes of primary health care (PHC) planning and review at district and sub-district levels. Adaptions supporting Community Health Workers (CHWs) in the context of COVID-19: In 2020, the intervention was adapted with local service users and providers to be of practical relevance in the pandemic. We integrated a community mobilisation training package to build CHW capacities in rapid evidence generation and local action: further supporting generation and use of evidence in service delivery. The adaption has been evaluated by district health system stakeholders to be positively impactful in empowering and enabling CHWs to mobilise communities and rapidly generate evidence on local situations, widening capabilities for local decision-making, and integration into routine processes of formal health systems governance was supported. Aligned to local priorities, the adaptations support contextual, collaborative problem-solving, taking data to those who organise and provide services, and working at different levels to understand and enable change. More generally, the intervention contributes to collective responses based in solidarity and shared rights and responsibilities for health centralising health equity enabling constructive dialogue to build relationships critical for enabling shared responsibilities. The adaptations have promoted embedded research as part of routine decision-making and implementation, centralising universal, community-based primary health care, and building the connections, relationships and trust. Sustainability and capability building: Based on the experience of the adaptations (outlined above) we have received a request from the MDoH for support to scale the intervention from the study population (population 114,000) to the district (population 1.7 million). This is a significant opportunity for demand-driven uptake and impact. We also support the provincial research committee in strategy development and training, and have given evidence to a Ministerial Committee for child wellbeing. Previous entry: Details of emerging economic and societal impact arising from the award that you are reporting on (including how it has evolved) In South Africa, we have evidenced that Department of Health stakeholders regard the VAPAR programme as appropriate and relevant to promoting community participation in the health system. Provincial and national stakeholders noted that the mandated structures and processes for community engagement in departmental and governmental prescripts (e.g. hospital boards and clinic committees) do not always function optimally. This was identified as an area where the VAPAR programme could contribute, as an alternative model for community participation in routine health system processes. It was noted that VAPAR could usefully focus on supporting engagement between communities and authorities for collective planning and implementation of primary health care services and be integrated into routine provincial health system processes to avoid creating a parallel process or adding burdens to the stressed system. In this regard, levels (e.g. provincial, district or sub-district structures) and programmes or sections within the health system with whom to engage were identified during the provincial workshop as a critical element in order to position VAPAR as a distinct approach to that of conventional development partners operating in parallel processes. This could be achieved through a two-way integration, with VAPAR stakeholders participating in routine planning and review activities in the DOH and officials from DOH, specifically frontline PHC officials, being involved in the VAPAR process. VAPAR could thereby contribute to community engagement activities mandated in initiatives such as Ideal Clinics. A summary of how the findings from your award are impacting the public, private or third/voluntary sectors, and elsewhere Overall, the learning platform embedded within the local health system and integrated with routine planning and review processes is regarded as a novel and relevant approach to facilitating collaborative learning and community participation in health systems. This learning platform has the potential to address exclusion from access to health systems by connecting service users and providers to generate and act on research evidence of practical, local relevance. Stakeholders were appreciative of the programme in terms of the data and process generated. The programme was regarded as unique in its design, through the participatory approach and extensive involvement of community representatives throughout the process, as well as the link to population data. Some impacts were noted with regards to engagement between health system stakeholders as well as further potential for impact on health system organisation, policy and planning and ultimately health outcomes through this collaborative learning platform. The programme has been adapted to respond by aligning the VAPAR programme to key strategic operational levels in the provincial health system, with skills exchange on community engagement processes and techniques, in response to the needs of stakeholders within the collaborative learning platform at community, sub-district, district and provincial level. Challenges overcome to achieve impact The VAPAR platform is built on trust and collaboration between stakeholders, often lacking between communities and health systems, which is increasingly important at a time of global pandemics and health emergencies. During lockdown in 2020, we reflected and consulted with community stakeholders, government officials and new multisectoral resilience fora on district health system priorities, and on adapting the existing process in the context of the pandemic. The exercise revealed that in communities, awareness of the virus is not accompanied by understandings of regulations and measures implemented by different actors and services to reduce transmission. The exercise also revealed that, while community health workers (CHWs) are seen as the first line response by service users, providers, planners and managers, this workforce requires considerable support to effectively engage with rural communities. On this basis, the process was adapted with three objectives to: (1) contribute to building CHW capacities in rapid evidence generation on local health issues in terms of burden and determinants of disease, the human experience of that burden, and on feasible local action; (2) support utilisation of this evidence in public sector planning and management processes in the district health system, specifically in routine primary health care (PHC) planning and review, exploring the potential to influence PHC planning and processes; and (3) further develop multisectoral engagement and collective action supporting community responses addressing social determinants. There was timely and decisive action to the first wave of the pandemic in South Africa. As the pandemic plays out, multiple, competing challenges related to issues including the lifting of restrictions, variants of the virus and vaccine preparedness necessitate new forms of cooperative, real-time health systems and policy learning. The VAPAR approach is focussed on supporting community engagement, generating and taking evidence to those who organise and provide health and other public services, and working at different levels to understand and enable change |
| First Year Of Impact | 2021 |
| Sector | Communities and Social Services/Policy,Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software),Healthcare |
| Impact Types | Societal,Policy & public services |
| Description | Associated Press Interview with L D'Ambruoso on Verbal Autopsy |
| Geographic Reach | Multiple continents/international |
| Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
| Impact | VAPAR PI interviewed for article entitled 'Verbal autopsies used in push to better track global deaths' wide international reach |
| URL | https://apnews.com/8368ad6b33604514918c4bdee12c6408 |
| Description | D'Ambruoso L, Fottrell E. Convening a Verbal Autopsy Working Group. University of Aberdeen, University College London 24th February 2021. |
| Geographic Reach | Multiple continents/international |
| Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
| Impact | D'Ambruoso L, Fottrell E. Convening a Verbal Autopsy Working Group. University of Aberdeen, University College London 24th February 2021. |
| Description | Disseration projects (n=2 2015/16) linking postgraduate students from the University of Aberdeen to MRC/Wits Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit (Agincourt), South Africa |
| Geographic Reach | Multiple continents/international |
| Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
| URL | https://youtu.be/9RRK10BDrXM |
| Description | Dissertation project (n=1 2016/17) linking University of Aberdeen postgraduate students to MRC/Wits Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit (Agincourt), South Africa |
| Geographic Reach | Multiple continents/international |
| Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
| Impact | Influenced training of practitioners/ researchers. After graduation, the postgraduate concerned went on to secure a research position at the University of Cambridge to continue working in the area of NCDs, the topic on which the placement project was focused. |
| URL | https://www.abdn.ac.uk/iahs/research/global-health/complex-system-thinking-and-noncommunicable-disea... |
| Description | How do we Gain Community and Patient Support? D'Ambruoso, L. (Speaker) Period17 Jan 2020 Event titleAfroSurg Conference: A Network Meeting to Improve Equitable Access to Safe and Timely Surgical Care in Southern Africa |
| Geographic Reach | Africa |
| Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
| Impact | How do we Gain Community and Patient Support? D'Ambruoso, L. (Speaker) Period17 Jan 2020 Event titleAfroSurg Conference: A Network Meeting to Improve Equitable Access to Safe and Timely Surgical Care in Southern Africa |
| URL | https://abdn.pure.elsevier.com/en/activities/how-do-we-gain-community-and-patient-support |
| Description | Launch of postgraduate taught course on Health Policy and Systems Research |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
| Impact | In academic year 2015/16 the postgraduate taught course BU5568: Health Systems and Policy Research was launched at the University of Aberdeen. The course is led by labour economist Professor Ioannis Theodossiou and social scientist Dr Lucia D'Ambruoso as a cross-college collaboration. The course aims to take a global perspective on health policy and systems research (HPSR), providing students with knowledge and understanding of the key characteristics of health policy, health systems, and the contribution of research in this field. The course covers a wide variety of topics including health systems around the world, the effects of social inequalities on health inequalities and their repercussions for social policy, issues of public health policy, and how research can make credible contributions in this context. The principal aims are: • To introduce different health systems: what they are, how they are defined and financed and to encourage a critical and comparative perspective; • To explore health inequalities and health and social policy issues; • To provide an overview of HPSR. The course has also been registered with the Health Systems Global Training database. The course has been developed in response to work in the field of Health Policy and Systems Research, which has been through the Verbal Autopsy with Participatory Action Research (VAPAR) methodological development work (DFID/MRC/Wellcome Trust/ESRC Health Systems Research Initiative (MR/N005597/1). |
| URL | http://courses.healthsystemsglobal.org/courses/363 |
| Description | Mapping barriers to surgical care: workshop with providers, patients and community advocates D'Ambruoso, L. (Speaker) 15 Jan 2020 Dept of Global Health, Stellenbosch University, South Africa |
| Geographic Reach | Africa |
| Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
| Impact | Mapping barriers to surgical care: workshop with providers, patients and community advocates D'Ambruoso, L. (Speaker) 15 Jan 2020 Dept of Global Health, Stellenbosch University, South Africa |
| URL | https://abdn.pure.elsevier.com/en/activities/mapping-barriers-to-surgical-care-workshop-with-provide... |
| Description | PhD (2017/18 entry) nested in VAPAR Programme, entitled: The role of community participation in Health System Strengthening in South Africa |
| Geographic Reach | Multiple continents/international |
| Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
| Impact | Student nested in VAPAR for her PhD fieldwork Jennifer Ngwarai is nested in the VAPAR project for the duration of her PhD at the School of Public Health, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. The title of her PhD is "The role of community participation in Health System Strengthening in South Africa". |
| Description | Placement project (n=1 2015/16) linking University of Aberdeen postgraduate students to MRC/Wits Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit (Agincourt), South Africa |
| Geographic Reach | Multiple continents/international |
| Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
| URL | https://youtu.be/9RRK10BDrXM |
| Description | Placement project (n=1 2016/17) linking University of Aberdeen postgraduate students to MRC/Wits Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit (Agincourt), South Africa |
| Geographic Reach | Multiple continents/international |
| Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
| Impact | Influenced training of practitioners/ researchers. After graduation, the postgraduate concerned went on to secure a research position at the University of Cambridge to continue working in the area of NCDs, the topic on which the placement project was focused. |
| URL | https://www.abdn.ac.uk/iahs/research/global-health/complex-system-thinking-and-noncommunicable-disea... |
| Description | Placement projects (n=2 2017/18) linking University of Aberdeen postgraduate students to MRC/Wits Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit (Agincourt), South Africa |
| Geographic Reach | Multiple continents/international |
| Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
| Impact | No impacts as yet |
| Description | VA methods uptake in national cause of death study |
| Geographic Reach | Africa |
| Policy Influence Type | Citation in other policy documents |
| Impact | methodology developed in VAPAR (COMCAT) taken up in national South African cause of death validation study Bradshaw D, Joubert JD, Maqungo M, Nannan N, Funani N, Laubscher R, Cheyip M, Zinyakatira N, Awotiwon O, Nojilana B, Bezuidenhout F, Martin L, Dempers J, Kahn K, Price J, Lombard C, Morof D, Nichols E, Rao C, Groenewald P. South African National Cause-of-Death Validation Project: Methodology and Description of a National Sample of Verbal Autopsies. Cape Town: South African Medical Research Council, 2020 https://www.samrc.ac.za/reports/south-african-national-cause-death-validation Hussain-Alkhateeb L, D'Ambruoso L, Tollman S, Kahn K, Van Der Merwe M, Twine R, Schiöler L & Petzold M (2019). Enhancing the value of mortality data for health systems: adding Circumstances Of Mortality CATegories (COMCATs) to deaths investigated by verbal autopsy. Global Health Action 12(1):1680068. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/16549716.2019.1680068 |
| URL | https://www.samrc.ac.za/reports/south-african-national-cause-death-validation |
| Description | AFZ Giles Scholarship 2015-16 |
| Amount | £500 (GBP) |
| Organisation | University of Aberdeen |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 05/2016 |
| End | 05/2016 |
| Description | Abbott P (PI), D'Ambruoso L (Co-I). Strengthening health care systems in Rwanda and Ethiopia to provide care in the community. GCRF Internal Pump Priming Fund (IPPF) 2020 | GBP 7,010 |
| Amount | £7,010 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | Abbott P (PI), D'Ambruoso L (Co-I). Strengthening health care systems in Rwanda and Ethiopia to provide care in the community. GCRF Internal Pump Priming Fund (IPPF) 2020 | GBP 7,010 |
| Organisation | United Kingdom Research and Innovation |
| Department | Global Challenges Research Fund |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 01/2020 |
| End | 12/2020 |
| Description | D'Ambruoso L (PI), Black C (Co-I); Van Der Merwe M (Co-I); Mdluli D (Co-I) Schneider H (Co-I); Witter S (Co-I). Developing learning health systems in South Africa: building interdisciplinary capacity for evidence- based decision-making and health systems |
| Amount | £9,990 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | GCRF Internal Pump Priming Fund (IPPF) |
| Organisation | United Kingdom Research and Innovation |
| Department | Global Challenges Research Fund |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 01/2019 |
| End | 12/2020 |
| Description | Fostering policy support for child and family wellbeing - Learning from international experience, 2017-20 |
| Amount | £65,600 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Robert Wood Johnson Foundation |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| Country | United States |
| Start | 04/2017 |
| End | 06/2020 |
| Description | GCRF Covid-19 Response Application Form |
| Amount | £42,048 (GBP) |
| Organisation | United Kingdom Research and Innovation |
| Department | Global Challenges Research Fund |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 12/2020 |
| End | 07/2021 |
| Description | Joint Health Systems Research Initiative, 2017-22 |
| Amount | £689,219 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Joint Health Systems Research Initiative MRC/ESRC |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 04/2017 |
| End | 05/2022 |
| Description | Making the Most of the Masters/Careers Service University of Aberdeen 2015 |
| Amount | £500 (GBP) |
| Organisation | University of Aberdeen |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 06/2016 |
| End | 08/2016 |
| Description | REF2021 Impact Support Award (RISA) University of Aberdeen |
| Amount | £9,944 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | Extending verbal autopsy: developing routine field surveillance methods to measure and understand burden of disease in low and middle income countries |
| Organisation | University of Aberdeen |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 11/2018 |
| End | 10/2019 |
| Description | Shaping Health: Exchanging on social power in health, 2016-18 |
| Amount | £16,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Training and Research Support Centre |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 11/2016 |
| End | 02/2018 |
| Description | UKRI COVID-19 Grant Extension Allocation (CoA) |
| Amount | £22,954 (GBP) |
| Organisation | United Kingdom Research and Innovation |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 12/2020 |
| End | 09/2021 |
| Description | Wellcome Trust Institutional Strategic Support Fund (University of Aberdeen) |
| Amount | £9,996 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | Developing an international collaborative network to extend the sustainability and transferability of health systems research methods in Africa |
| Organisation | University of Aberdeen |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 01/2019 |
| End | 12/2020 |
| Description | Women's Health Outcomes Improvement for West Africa Initiative Global Challenge Research Fund (GCRF) Scottish Funding Council, 2018 |
| Amount | £9,940 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Government of Scotland |
| Department | Scottish Funding Council |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 01/2018 |
| End | 07/2018 |
| Title | Extending Verbal Autopsy (VA) to Collect Information on Circumstances of Mortality |
| Description | Verbal autopsy (VA) is a health surveillance technique used in low and middle-income countries to determine medical causes of death (CODs) for people who die outside hospitals and/or without registration. By virtue of the deaths it investigates, VA is also an opportunity to examine social exclusion from access to health systems. The aims were to develop a classification system for deaths investigated in VA cognisant of broader social and health systems determinants. A short set of questions on social and health systems circumstances at and around the time of death were developed and integrated into the WHO 2012 short form VA (SF-VA). Data was analysed from two census rounds 2012-13 in the Agincourt HDSS in rural South Africa where the SF-VA had been applied. InterVA-4 was used to develop cause-specific mortality fractions (CSMFs). Descriptive analyses were performed examining whether and how the new indicators varied by medical conditions and age/sex sub-groups. This work was conducted as part of the Verbal Autopsy with Participatory Action Research (VAPAR) methodological development work (DFID/MRC/Wellcome Trust/ESRC Health Systems Research Initiative (MR/N005597/1) ), Phase 1 |
| Type Of Material | Model of mechanisms or symptoms - human |
| Year Produced | 2016 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | New ways to understand deaths investigated in VA: An analysis of 1,200 deaths investigated in Agincourt with VA containing new WHO indicators on social and health systems factors has been used to develop a novel classification system. The system complements data on medical causes and has identified multiple, reinforcing barriers to access including unaffordable costs, unavailable transport and under-utilisation of facility-based care. Supplementing VA with questions on background circumstances provides complementary information to CSMFs relevant for health planning. |
| Title | Health Policy and Systems Research (HPSR) in Mpumalanga |
| Description | Through the VAPAR programme it has been possible to develop a postgraduate taught course on Health Policy and Systems Research (HPSR) which is currently delivered at the University of Aberdeen, and regularly provides content to the international membership body Health Systems Global where the University of Aberdeen is a featured providers of PG training in this area |
| Type Of Material | Improvements to research infrastructure |
| Year Produced | 2017 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | The intention is for more locally relevant research and research capacity |
| URL | http://courses.healthsystemsglobal.org/courses/363 |
| Title | Hussain-Alkhateeb L, D'Ambruoso L, Tollman S, Kahn K, Van Der Merwe M, Twine R, Schiöler L & Petzold M (2019). Enhancing the value of mortality data for health systems: adding Circumstances Of Mortality CATegories (COMCATs) to deaths investigated by verbal autopsy. Global Health Action 12(1):1680068. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/16549716.2019.1680068 |
| Description | Extension of VA to account for social and health systems circumstances of deaths. We have integrated the system into standard interpretation and mortality classification systems. We developed Circumstances Of Mortality CATegories (COMCAT) as a pragmatic and scalable approach within VA tools |
| Type Of Material | Improvements to research infrastructure |
| Year Produced | 2019 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | Method appraised in national South African cause of death validation study https://www.samrc.ac.za/reports/south-african-national-cause-death-validation |
| URL | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/16549716.2019.1680068 |
| Title | Participatory Action Research (PAR) to gain local knowledge on health and illness, including Photovoice |
| Description | The method aims to develop community partnerships to co-construct and act on new knowledge on health in rural settings. The method provides a means to engage with communities in a participatory process to review mortality data and extended COD classifications from Agincourt HDSS, to further amplify these data with local knowledge, to set priorities for local services, and explore the potential for benefits related to empowerment and social inclusion. The method has been developed as part of the Verbal Autopsy with Participatory Action Research (VAPAR) methodological development work (DFID/MRC/Wellcome Trust/ESRC Health Systems Research Initiative (MR/N005597/1) ), Phase 2. |
| Type Of Material | Model of mechanisms or symptoms - human |
| Year Produced | 2016 |
| Provided To Others? | No |
| Impact | - PAR process with local communities: Using the new VA outputs in a deliberative process with village-based groups, new insights have been gained on specific mechanisms through which health risks are accumulated and access to services is limited. Issues identified include transactional sex, harmful traditional practices, alcohol/substance abuse and debt, compounded by denial of treatment, insensitive staff and poor confidentiality in clinics. Photovoice was also used to explore participatory photography - Partnerships: the process has been developed with Mpumalanga provincial health authority and local communities in Agincourt. The partnerships are evidenced in a paper, conference abstract and the current application co-authored by health authority representatives and researchers. The health authority also plans to initiate a community health forum responding to needs expressed in the PAR element. |
| Description | 'Voice needs teeth to have bite'! Strengthening social accountability in health systems through participatory learning and action Learning Session 11-13GMT| 13-15CAT | 13-15CEST 25th November 2020 SPOT-IMPACT, Department of Anthropology, University of Amsterdam |
| Organisation | University of Amsterdam |
| Country | Netherlands |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | 'Voice needs teeth to have bite'! Strengthening social accountability in health systems through participatory learning and action Learning Session 11-13GMT| 13-15CAT | 13-15CEST 25th November 2020 SPOT-IMPACT, Department of Anthropology, University of Amsterdam : Drawing on political scientist Johnathan Fox's work on citizen voice, this learning session seeks to build understanding of and skills in approaches to strategically advance social accountability in health systems. We explore embedding participatory and cooperative learning and action in health systems to improve care and outcomes, and progress broader shifts towards 'state-society synergies'. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Hosted learning session |
| Impact | https://www.vapar.org/nov-2020-learning-session |
| Start Year | 2020 |
| Description | AfroSurg networking conference for surgical care stakeholders |
| Organisation | University of Stellenbosch |
| Country | South Africa |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | VAPAR PI gave a talk entitled 'How do we Gain Community and Patient Support?' at AfroSurg: A network to improve equitable access to safe and timely surgical care in Southern Africa 16th-17th January 2020 |
| Collaborator Contribution | VAPAR PI gave a talk entitled 'How do we Gain Community and Patient Support?' at AfroSurg: A network to improve equitable access to safe and timely surgical care in Southern Africa 16th-17th January 2020. The network is interested in community engagement, health systems and policy aspects of Global Surgery. VAPAR has developed significant learning in these areas since 2015 |
| Impact | VAPAR PI gave a talk entitled 'How do we Gain Community and Patient Support?' at AfroSurg: A network to improve equitable access to safe and timely surgical care in Southern Africa 16th-17th January 2020 |
| Start Year | 2020 |
| Description | Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research, World Health Organization |
| Organisation | Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research |
| Country | Switzerland |
| Sector | Hospitals |
| PI Contribution | VAPAR investigators interviewed in October 2019 for AHPSR publication on learning health systems |
| Collaborator Contribution | VAPAR investigators interviewed in October 2019 for AHPSR publication on learning health systems |
| Impact | Internal document - How do low- and middle- income country health systems learn? Experiences and enablers Sophie Witter & Charity Jensen August 2019 Internal document - How do low- and middle- income country health systems learn? Concepts and frameworks Sophie Witter & Charity Jensen August 2019 |
| Start Year | 2019 |
| Description | Collaboration with ASH Scotland (Taking Action on Smoking and Health) |
| Organisation | Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) |
| Department | Action on Smoking and Health (ASH Scotland) |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | The Verbal Autopsy with Participatory Action Research (VAPAR) methodological development work (DFID/MRC/Wellcome Trust/ESRC Health Systems Research Initiative (MR/N005597/1) ) has underscored the need to do research that generates information that is relevant to policy/practitioners. An ongoing collaboration with ASH Scotland has been further fostered by this awareness. ASH Scotland do important work nationally and internationally to reduce harm caused by tobacco. Working with the Chief Executive ASH Scotland through an annual seminar generously provided to the University of Aberdeen has provided important insights on how to conduct research for policy and practice, and engage more broadly to maximise impacts. The collaboration with ASH Scotland has been prioritised this year to extend insights from the group to the VAPAR work. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Annual seminar |
| Impact | Annual seminar at the University of Aberdeen: Creating a tobacco free generation: how far have we come from and where to next? 16 February 2016 Sheila Duffy, CEO, ASH Scotland |
| Start Year | 2014 |
| Description | Collaboration with Aberdeen City Council |
| Organisation | Aberdeen City Council |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | Methods developed in the Verbal Autopsy with Participatory Action research (VAPAR) Development Award DFID/MRC/Wellcome Trust/ESRC Health Systems Research Initiative (MR/N005597/1), have been applied locally in a dissertation (Masters) project. Conducted in the Summer of 2015, this project engaged with community members in a deprived area of Aberdeen City to examine food poverty and insecurity in the context of the use of food banks using participatory methodologies developed in the VAPAR work. More broadly, the work reflects an awareness of the importance to link research projects with health and other authorities to ensure from the outset that research is designed to provide information that is of practical relevance, as part of a health systems and policy research approach. Thereafter, with colleagues from ACC, the PI developed and executed the following research study, exploring issues of community participation in health: D'Ambruoso L (PI University of Aberdeen), Abbott P (Deputy-PI University of Aberdeen), Douglas F (Co-I University of Aberdeen), Okpo E (Co-I NHS Grampian), McPherson E (Co-I Aberdeen City Council). Learning from international experience on approaches to community power, participation and decision-making in health. Training and Research Support Centre, Shaping Health: Exchanging on social power in health 2016 - 2018 | GBP 16,000 |
| Collaborator Contribution | The Community Learning and Development Officer, Ms Emma McPherson helped gain access to the local community, which whom a series of facilitated discussions were held on the nature and extent of food insecurity. Thereafter, input on specific initiatives, programmes and approaches to community power, participation and decision-making in health in ACC with a participatory focus on the introduction of Participatory Budgeting. |
| Impact | Student dissertation: Household food insecurity and food poverty in North East Scotland: a community-based participatory research study. A thesis presented for the degree of Master of Science (MSc) Global Health and Management, University of Aberdeen. July 2015. Student: Khyati Thaker, Bachelor of Physiotherapy, Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences, India. Thereafter, 2 reports: Loewenson R, Coelho VS, Calandrini A, Waisbich LT, Frenz P, Alfaro T, Mazzei M, Sgombich X, Ndetei DM, Musyimi CW, Musau AM, Matoke LK, Mutiso VN, Matheson D, Matheson K, D'Ambruoso L, Abbott P, Douglas F, McPherson E, Okpo E, Beznec P, Maucec G, Nemeš S, Nemeš D (2017). Experiences of social power and participation in local health systems-Volume 2: Key features of the deep scan case studies, Training and Research Support Centre: Harare. D'Ambruoso L, Abbott P, Douglas F, McPherson E, Okpo E (2017). Case Study: Empowerment approaches to food poverty in NE Scotland in the Shaping Health programme on Learning from international experience on approaches to community power, participation and decision-making in health. Training and Research Support Centre: Harare. Available at: http://ssrn.com/abstract=3027083 |
| Start Year | 2015 |
| Description | Collaboration with Africa Health Research Institute |
| Organisation | Africa Health Research Institute |
| Country | South Africa |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | Conference organisation; co-authorship of commentary to Lancet Global Health |
| Collaborator Contribution | Conference presentation; co-authorship of commentary to Lancet Global Health |
| Impact | Conference presentation; commentary in Lancet Global Health |
| Start Year | 2016 |
| Description | Collaboration with Code4SA |
| Organisation | Code for South Africa |
| Country | South Africa |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | Code4SA have agreed to join the VAPAR Project as Project Partners providing technical advice on public engagement in South Africa and SOuther Africa |
| Collaborator Contribution | Professional and technical advice |
| Impact | Technical input |
| Start Year | 2016 |
| Description | Collaboration with Malaria Consortium |
| Organisation | Malaria Consortium Africa, Kampala |
| Country | Uganda |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | Conference organisation, co-authoring Lancet Global Health commentary on VA in health systems |
| Collaborator Contribution | Conference presentation, co-authoring Lancet Global Health commentary on VA in health systems |
| Impact | Conference proceedings, commentary in Lancet Global Health |
| Start Year | 2016 |
| Description | Collaboration with Mpumalanga Department of Health Maternal Child Women and Youth Health (MCWYH) Directorate (Province) |
| Organisation | Mpumalanga Department of Health |
| Country | South Africa |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | The Verbal Autopsy with Participatory Action Research (VAPAR) methodological development work (DFID/MRC/Wellcome Trust/ESRC Health Systems Research Initiative (MR/N005597/1) ) has been developed with Mpumalanga provincial health authority and local communities in Agincourt. The partnerships are evidenced in a paper, conference abstract and the new application to Call 3 of the Health Systems Research Initiative co-authored by health authority representatives and researchers (D'Ambruoso et al, 2015; 2016a; 2016b). The health authority also plans to initiate a community health forum responding to needs expressed in the PAR element (Personal communication, 2015). D'Ambruoso L, Kahn K, Wagner R, Twine R, van der Merwe M. Moving from medical to health systems classifications of deaths. Manuscript submitted to BMC Glob Health Res Pol, 2015. D'Ambruoso L et al. Capturing community priorities. Fourth Glob Symp Health Sys Res; 2016a. D'Ambruoso L et al. Verbal Autopsy with Participatory Action Research (VAPAR): expanding the knowledge base through partnerships for action on health equity. Outline Application to DFID/ESRC/MRC/Wellcome Health Systems Research Initiative; 2016b. Personal Communication. S Masinga Mpumalanga Department of Health, 2015. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Partners at the Department of Health have contributed through facilitated discussions, through co-authoured manuscripts for publication in international journals and through development of a funding proposal. |
| Impact | PAPERS D'Ambruoso L, Kahn K, Wagner R, Twine R, van der Merwe M. Moving from medical to health systems classifications of deaths. Manuscript submitted to BMC Glob Health Res Pol, 2015. CONFERENCE ABSTRACTS D'Ambruoso L et al. Capturing community priorities. Fourth Glob Symp Health Sys Res; 2016a. FUNDING APPLICATIONS D'Ambruoso L et al. Verbal Autopsy with Participatory Action Research (VAPAR): expanding the knowledge base through partnerships for action on health equity. Outline Application to DFID/ESRC/MRC/Wellcome Health Systems Research Initiative; 2016b. EXPRESSED INTENTION BY PROVINCIAL DEPT. OF HEALTH TO INITIATE A COMMUNITY-EDUCATION FORUM AS A RESULT OF THE VAPAR DEVELOPMENT WORK Personal Communication. S Masinga Mpumalanga Department of Health, 2015. |
| Start Year | 2015 |
| Description | Collaboration with Statistics South Africa |
| Organisation | Statistics South Africa |
| Country | South Africa |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | Through dialogue with co-principal investigators, Statistics South Africa agreed to join the proposal for the scale up of the VAPAR method as Project Partners |
| Collaborator Contribution | Technical support |
| Impact | Technical input |
| Start Year | 2016 |
| Description | Collaboration with World Health Organization, Information, Evidence and Research |
| Organisation | World Health Organization (WHO) |
| Country | Global |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | Development Grant PI made connections with Dr Ties Boerma of the Information, Evidence and Research Unit of WHO as part of the VAPAR Dissemination in October 2016. Dr Boerma attended one of the dissemination events organised through the Development Grant at the Institute of Global Health at University College London. This event involved an open meeting and closed roundtable with the speakers. An output of the roundtable discussion was a Lancet Commentary piece on the use of VA in health systems strengthening. Dr Boerma also formally connected as a Project Partner to the 5 year funding application to scale up the VAPAR method in South Africa |
| Collaborator Contribution | Technical input, conference presentation and co-authorship of a Commentary piece |
| Impact | Conference proceedings; Comment in Lancet Global Health; Project Partner on VAPAR Scale up project |
| Start Year | 2016 |
| Description | Collaboration with the INDEPTH Network |
| Organisation | International Network for the Demographic Evaluation of Populations and Their Health (INDEPTH) |
| Country | Ghana |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | Organised a grant writing workshop on health systems research with the INDEPTH Secretariat and 5 INDEPTH HDSS Site Leaders/Representatives Saturday 19th November 2016 - following the INDEPTH AGM in Kampala Uganda |
| Collaborator Contribution | INDEPTH Secretariat and 5 INDEPTH HDSS Site Leaders/Representatives joined to discuss the potential for developing health systems research proposals |
| Impact | The main output is an introduction to the INDEPTH Network and the initiating of links to develop health systems research activities |
| Start Year | 2016 |
| Description | Consultations with PhotoVoice |
| Organisation | Photovoice |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | Several exchanges have been held with PhotoVoice, a charity group based in London who provide technical advice and support to groups working with participatory photography methodologies. The process and outputs of Phase 2 of the Verbal Autopsy with Participatory Action Research (VAPAR) methodological development work (DFID/MRC/Wellcome Trust/ESRC Health Systems Research Initiative (MR/N005597/1) ) have been discussed with PhotoVoice before and during the data collection. The intention is to continue to engage with this group as the results are prepared and to explore areas for further collaborative work. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Reporting and discussing the Phase 2 community based study in the VAPAR project before and during the data collection. |
| Impact | Informed the development of study protocols. Informed the conduct of the data collection. The intention is that the methods are fully captured in the write up of this Phase of the VAPAR work. |
| Start Year | 2015 |
| Description | Department of Global Health and Development, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine |
| Organisation | London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Project supervision |
| Collaborator Contribution | Project supervision |
| Impact | Thomas LM, D'Ambruoso L, Balabanova D (2018). Verbal autopsy in health policy and systems: a literature review. BMJ Global Health;3:e000639. Thomas LM, D'Ambruoso L, Balabanova D (2018). The use of verbal autopsy and social autopsy in humanitarian crises. BMJ Global Health;3:e000639. |
| Start Year | 2017 |
| Description | Electoral Reform Society |
| Organisation | Electoral Reform Society |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Learned Society |
| PI Contribution | VAPAR PI approached by ERS to organise an event on participatory innovation in Scotland, the Scottish Citizen's Assembly |
| Collaborator Contribution | In Dec 2019, we hosted the event 'What is Scotland's Citizens' Assembly' organised by The Electoral Reform Society with help from University staff and students Lucia D'Ambruoso and Deena Tissera (Medicine) and Malcolm Harvey (Politics). Thursday, 18:00 - 20:00?, in the Kings Auditorium, KCCC. The event supported public understanding of and engagement with Scotland's Citizens' Assembly and democratic participative and deliberative methods in politics. We are delighted to have Esther Roberton chair the discussion, and be joined by Dr Clodagh Harris Head of the Department of Government & Politics, University College Cork, Ian Davidson, Secretary to the Citizens' Assembly of Scotland and Michela Palese researcher at ERS. |
| Impact | In Dec 2019, we hosted the event 'What is Scotland's Citizens' Assembly' organised by The Electoral Reform Society with help from University staff and students Lucia D'Ambruoso and Deena Tissera (Medicine) and Malcolm Harvey (Politics). Thursday, 18:00 - 20:00?, in the Kings Auditorium, KCCC. The event supported public understanding of and engagement with Scotland's Citizens' Assembly and democratic participative and deliberative methods in politics. We are delighted to have Esther Roberton chair the discussion, and be joined by Dr Clodagh Harris Head of the Department of Government & Politics, University College Cork, Ian Davidson, Secretary to the Citizens' Assembly of Scotland and Michela Palese researcher at ERS. |
| Start Year | 2019 |
| Description | Embedding into district health planning and review in Mpumalanga, South Africa |
| Organisation | Mpumalanga Department of Health |
| Country | South Africa |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | In May 2019, we held a mid-term review of the VAPAR process with VAPAR participants, and provincial and national Department of Health stakeholders. The outcome of the review has been the prospective embedding into district health planning and review in Mpumalanga, South Africa |
| Collaborator Contribution | In May 2019, we held a mid-term review of the VAPAR process with VAPAR participants, and provincial and national Department of Health stakeholders. The outcome of the review has been the prospective embedding into district health planning and review in Mpumalanga, South Africa |
| Impact | In May 2019, we held a mid-term review of the VAPAR process with VAPAR participants, and provincial and national Department of Health stakeholders. The outcome of the review has been the prospective embedding into district health planning and review in Mpumalanga, South Africa |
| Start Year | 2019 |
| Description | Institute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham |
| Organisation | University of Birmingham |
| Department | Institute of Applied Health Research |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | VAPAR PI gave an invited talk at UoB 24 Jan 2019 entitled: Whose reality counts? Participation and coproduction in global health research |
| Collaborator Contribution | VAPAR PI gave an invited talk at UoB 24 Jan 2019 entitled: Whose reality counts? Participation and coproduction in global health research |
| Impact | VAPAR PI gave an invited talk at UoB 24 Jan 2019 entitled: Whose reality counts? Participation and coproduction in global health research |
| Start Year | 2019 |
| Description | Isa Uny - University of Stirling |
| Organisation | University of Stirling |
| Department | School of Health Sciences |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Collaborated on the funding proposal entitled: ' From Fuel to Pot: an interdisciplinary partnership to address the role of solid fuel use in food preparation in the household in Kenya and Malawi' |
| Collaborator Contribution | Collaborated on the funding proposal entitled: ' From Fuel to Pot: an interdisciplinary partnership to address the role of solid fuel use in food preparation in the household in Kenya and Malawi' |
| Impact | Funding proposal UKRI GCRF Collective Prog - Cultures and Histories of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition - Jan 2020 |
| Start Year | 2019 |
| Description | Jessica Price - Nuffield Department of Primary Care University of Oxford |
| Organisation | University of Oxford |
| Department | Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Collaboration in shared interests around social autopsy and under-5 mortality. Collaboration to set up WHO Collaborating Centre for Verbal Autopsy at University of the Witwatersrand |
| Collaborator Contribution | Collaboration in shared interests around social autopsy and under-5 mortality. Collaboration to set up WHO Collaborating Centre for Verbal Autopsy at University of the Witwatersrand |
| Impact | Collaboration ongoing |
| Start Year | 2019 |
| Description | Maternal Death Surveillance and Response Action Network |
| Organisation | Maternal Death Surveillance and Response Action Network |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | Dissemination materials |
| Collaborator Contribution | Dissemination materials |
| Impact | Web content at: http://mdsr-action.net/publications/improving-data-improving-health-verbal-autopsy-for-health-systems-strengthening/ |
| Start Year | 2016 |
| Description | NHS Grampian |
| Organisation | NHS Grampian |
| Department | Public Health |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | VAPAR PI L D'Ambruoso was seconded into NHS Grampian in 2020 to support the Learning for Recovery and Renewal initiative for the Director of Public Health for whole systems learning, drawn from different sources of evidence and experience to resolve uncertainty through real-time evaluation to solve dynamic problems. Transferrable learning from the VAPAR process supports the Scottish strategy by building new collaborative links and collecting pilot data on adaptive learning |
| Collaborator Contribution | In May 2020, a Learning Health Systems (LHS) process was codesigned by senior public health leaders in NHS Grampian together with global public health academics from VAPAR and Training and Research Support Centre (TARSC), UK. Informed by the international development community and WHO, LHS are pragmatic, action-oriented approaches that embed evidence into everyday practice to improve care, outcomes and the functioning of systems that support care. There is an emerging consensus around the need for LHS as a core process in every health system, how to continually produce and exchange evidence is less well understood. The work responds to the lack of frameworks supporting real-time evidence-based decision making and whole systems learning. The work will develop whole systems learning to understand and inform public health responses to Covid-19, with a focus on health protection and the next phase of the response around test and protect, contact tracing and enhanced surveillance, and drawing on and exchanging evidence within the UK and internationally. |
| Impact | 1 process report R Loewenson, J Bell, C Black, L D'Ambruoso, S Paranjothy, A Gilmartin in the LRRG Operating Group, October 2020 NHSG Whole Systems Adaptive Learning for Recovery and Renewal: REPORT OF THE WORK ON CROSS CUTTING AND WHOLE SYSTEM LEARNING 2 funding applications L D'Ambruoso, C Littlejohn, Okpo E, Hoggan F, Craig D, Barnes C, Robertson G, Johnston M, Community engagement with at-risk groups to support preventative measures for Covid-19. NHS Endowment November 2020 L D'Ambruoso L, Meher T, Murray A. Supporting preventative measures for Covid-19: advancing peer research to strengthen community engagement with among people who use drugs experiencing intersectional hardship. Alcohol and Drugs Partnership, Aberdeenshire Health and Social Care Partnership |
| Start Year | 2020 |
| Description | NHS Grampian Public Health |
| Organisation | NHS Grampian |
| Department | Public Health |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | With colleagues from NHS Grampian, the PI developed and executed the following research study, exploring issues of community participation in health: D'Ambruoso L (PI University of Aberdeen), Abbott P (Deputy-PI University of Aberdeen), Douglas F (Co-I University of Aberdeen), Okpo E (Co-I NHS Grampian), McPherson E (Co-I Aberdeen City Council). Learning from international experience on approaches to community power, participation and decision-making in health. Training and Research Support Centre, Shaping Health: Exchanging on social power in health 2016 - 2018 | GBP 16,000 |
| Collaborator Contribution | Input on specific initiatives, programmes and approaches to community power, participation and decision-making in health in NHS Grampian |
| Impact | Loewenson R, Coelho VS, Calandrini A, Waisbich LT, Frenz P, Alfaro T, Mazzei M, Sgombich X, Ndetei DM, Musyimi CW, Musau AM, Matoke LK, Mutiso VN, Matheson D, Matheson K, D'Ambruoso L, Abbott P, Douglas F, McPherson E, Okpo E, Beznec P, Maucec G, Nemeš S, Nemeš D (2017). Experiences of social power and participation in local health systems-Volume 2: Key features of the deep scan case studies, Training and Research Support Centre: Harare. D'Ambruoso L, Abbott P, Douglas F, McPherson E, Okpo E (2017). Case Study: Empowerment approaches to food poverty in NE Scotland in the Shaping Health programme on Learning from international experience on approaches to community power, participation and decision-making in health. Training and Research Support Centre: Harare. Available at: http://ssrn.com/abstract=3027083 |
| Start Year | 2017 |
| Description | Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh (RCPE) |
| Organisation | Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Organising Committee Member Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh (RCPE), University of Edinburgh Global Health Symposium in February 2018 |
| Collaborator Contribution | Organising Committee Member Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh (RCPE), University of Edinburgh Global Health Symposium in February 2018 |
| Impact | VAPAR PI Dr Lucia D'Ambruoso participated on the organising committee and VAPAR Co-I Professor Stephen Tollman gave the keynote address "Syndemics and chronic disease in South and sub-Saharan Africa" at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh (RCPE) Global Health Symposium held on Wednesday 21 February 2018. |
| Start Year | 2017 |
| Description | Scottish Parliament Cross Party Group on Improving Scotland's Health: 2021 and Beyond |
| Organisation | Scottish Parliament |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | VAPAR PI Dr Lucia D'Ambruoso joined the Cross Party Group in 2017 to provide inputs from international and local research. The purpose of the group is: (1) To take a solutions-oriented focus on how to improve the health of the people of Scotland by reducing the health harms caused by alcohol, tobacco, poor diet and obesity and (2) To join up knowledge and learning, and to identify positive ways forward, with a range of stakeholders committed to improving public health and to preventing and reducing non-communicable diseases for the next generation. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Participation in meetings |
| Impact | Participation in meetings |
| Start Year | 2017 |
| Description | Scottish Parliament Cross Party Group on International Development |
| Organisation | Scottish Parliament |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | VAPAR PI Dr Lucia D'Ambruoso joined the Cross Party Group in 2017, bringing inputs from international research. The purpose of the group is to ensure liaison between MSPs and organisations working in Scotland on international aid and development issues. To further raise awareness in Scotland of these issues and to provide a Scottish forum for discussion, while also promoting stronger links between Scotland and international aid and development agencies. The group will also seek to promote development education in Scotland, to support Scottish organisations working in international aid and development programmes and where appropriate facilitate regular visits to Scotland by representatives of the international humanitarian agencies while engaging with minority residents in Scotland to encourage their involvement in the work of the group. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Participation in meetings |
| Impact | Participation in meetings |
| Start Year | 2017 |
| Description | Training and Research Support Centre (TARSC) |
| Organisation | Training and Research Support Centre |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | Insights around social participation in health, and health policy and systems research, have informed productive discussions and collaborative activities with the Training and Research Support Centre (TARSC). The collaboration has been advanced considerably and is evidenced in two research awards from TARSC in November 2017, and in 2018 with the VAPAR PI and TARSC from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. |
| Collaborator Contribution | As above |
| Impact | Two grant awards as follows: 1. D'Ambruoso L (PI), Abbott P (Deputy-PI), Douglas F (Co-I), Okpo E (Co-I), McPherson E (Co-I). Learning from international experience on approaches to community power, participation and decision-making in health. Training and Research Support Centre, Shaping Health: Exchanging on social power in health 2016 - 2018 GBP 16,000; 2. Loewenson R (PI), D'Ambruoso L (Co-I). Fostering policy support for child and family wellbeing - Learning from international experience. Robert Wood Johnson Foundation 2018 - 2020 GBP 65,600 |
| Start Year | 2017 |
| Description | University of Global Health Equity |
| Organisation | University of Global Health Equity |
| Country | Rwanda |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Hosted joint online seminar May 2020 What does 'follow the science' really mean? Exploring the relationships between evidence and policy in the context of COVID-19 Professor Agnes Binagwaho, University of Global Health Equity, Rwanda (discussant) Professor Paul Cairney, University of Stirling, Scotland (discussant) Dr Lucia D'Ambruoso, University of Aberdeen, Scotland and University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa (discussant) Professor George Boyne, University of Aberdeen, Scotland (chair) This discussion explored the meaning of the mantra 'follow the science' in public policy responding to COVID-19. Professor George Boyne, Principal and Vice Chancellor of the University of Aberdeen moderated a discussion between Professor Agnes Binagwaho globally recognised for work in HIV/AIDS and child health, Vice Chancellor the University of Global Health Equity and former Minister of Health in Rwanda (2011-2016), together with internationally renowned political scientist Professor Paul Cairney from Stirling University and Dr Lucia D'Ambruoso, Senior Lecturer in Global Health at the University of Aberdeen and Honorary Researcher at the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa. https://www.vapar.org/may-2020-what-does-follow-the-scien |
| Collaborator Contribution | Jointly organised and publicised seminar |
| Impact | Online seminar https://www.vapar.org/may-2020-what-does-follow-the-scien |
| Start Year | 2020 |
| Description | University of the Western Cape |
| Organisation | University of the Western Cape |
| Department | School of Public Health |
| Country | South Africa |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Co-developed funding application |
| Collaborator Contribution | Co-developed funding application |
| Impact | Wellcome Trust PhD Scholarship funding application M van der Merwe, collaboration between University of Aberdeen, University of the Witwatersrand, and University of the Western Cape. Title: Reframing non-communicable diseases in relation to structural determinants: how do communities navigate diet and chronic illness in rural South Africa? |
| Start Year | 2019 |
| Description | Complex Systems Thinking and NCD Prevention Symposium London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine Thursday, 14 September 2017 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | VAPAR PI, Dr Lucia D'Ambruoso participated in the above mentioned event organised by LSHTM (https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/complex-systems-thinking-and-ncd-prevention-registration-33988673036) with two postgraduate students from the University of Aberdeen. The meeting was an excellent networking opportunity at which links with LSHTM academics working in health policy and systems research were developed. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| URL | https://www.abdn.ac.uk/iahs/research/global-health/complex-system-thinking-and-noncommunicable-disea... |
| Description | D'Ambruoso L (2019). Verbal Autopsy with Participatory Action Research (VAPAR): expanding the evidence base through partnerships for action on health equity. Ministerial Committee on Mortality and Morbidity in Children Under-5, Department of Health, Republic of South Africa 14 February 2019. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | D'Ambruoso L (2019). Verbal Autopsy with Participatory Action Research (VAPAR): expanding the evidence base through partnerships for action on health equity. Ministerial Committee on Mortality and Morbidity in Children Under-5, Department of Health, Republic of South Africa 14 February 2019. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | D'Ambruoso L, Cairney P, Binagwaho A (2020). What does follow the science really mean? Exploring the relationships between evidence and policy in the context of Covid-19. Aberdeen Centre for Health Data Science International Seminar Series. Organised session https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4oqa1bqJBOY&t=25s |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | D'Ambruoso L, Cairney P, Binagwaho A (2020). What does follow the science really mean? Exploring the relationships between evidence and policy in the context of Covid-19. Aberdeen Centre for Health Data Science International Seminar Series. Organised session |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4oqa1bqJBOY&t=25s |
| Description | D'Ambruoso L, Fottrell E. Convening a Verbal Autopsy Working Group. University of Aberdeen, University College London 24th February 2021. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | D'Ambruoso L, Fottrell E. Convening a Verbal Autopsy Working Group. University of Aberdeen, University College London 24th February 2021. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | D'Ambruoso L, Twine R, Mabetha D, Hove J, van der Merwe M, Kahn K, Tollman S, Witter S. Supporting CHWs to connect with communities in rural South Africa during COVID-19. CHW Central https://chwcentral.org/twg_article/supporting-chws-to-connect-with-communities-in-rural-south-africa-during-covid-19/ |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | D'Ambruoso L, Twine R, Mabetha D, Hove J, van der Merwe M, Kahn K, Tollman S, Witter S. Supporting CHWs to connect with communities in rural South Africa during COVID-19. CHW Central https://chwcentral.org/twg_article/supporting-chws-to-connect-with-communities-in-rural-south-africa-during-covid-19/ |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | https://chwcentral.org/twg_article/supporting-chws-to-connect-with-communities-in-rural-south-africa... |
| Description | D'Ambruoso et al (2020). Building Cooperative Learning to Address Alcohol and Drug Abuse. Participedia. Available at: https://participedia.net/case/6574 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | D'Ambruoso et al (2020). Building Cooperative Learning to Address Alcohol and Drug Abuse. Participedia. Available at: https://participedia.net/case/6574 |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| URL | https://participedia.net/case/6574 |
| Description | D'Ambruoso et al (2020). Community perspectives on HIV, violence and health surveillance in rural South Africa. Participedia. Available at: https://participedia.net/case/6570 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | D'Ambruoso et al (2020). Community perspectives on HIV, violence and health surveillance in rural South Africa. Participedia. Available at: https://participedia.net/case/6570 |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| URL | https://participedia.net/case/6570 |
| Description | D'Ambruoso et al (2020). Developing a learning platform to address under-five mortality in rural South Africa. Participedia. Available at: https://participedia.net/case/6575 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | D'Ambruoso et al (2020). Developing a learning platform to address under-five mortality in rural South Africa. Participedia. Available at: https://participedia.net/case/6575 |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| URL | https://participedia.net/case/6575 |
| Description | D'Ambruoso et al (2020). Introducing visual participatory methods to develop local knowledge on HIV in rural South Africa. Participedia. Available at: https://participedia.net/case/6577 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | D'Ambruoso et al (2020). Introducing visual participatory methods to develop local knowledge on HIV in rural South Africa. Participedia. Available at: https://participedia.net/case/6577 |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| URL | https://participedia.net/case/6577 |
| Description | D'Ambruoso et al (2020). MRC/Wits Agincourt Health and Socio Demographic Surveillance System. Participedia. Available at: https://participedia.net/organization/6592 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | D'Ambruoso et al (2020). MRC/Wits Agincourt Health and Socio Demographic Surveillance System. Participedia. Available at: https://participedia.net/organization/6592 |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| URL | https://participedia.net/organization/6592 |
| Description | D'Ambruoso et al (2020). Participatory Action Research in Agincourt Socio-demographic Surveillance Site. Participedia. Available at: https://participedia.net/case/6576 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | D'Ambruoso et al (2020). Participatory Action Research in Agincourt Socio-demographic Surveillance Site. Participedia. Available at: https://participedia.net/case/6576 |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| URL | https://participedia.net/case/6576 |
| Description | D'Ambruoso, L (2020). How do we gain community and patient support? AfroSug: A network to improve equitable access to safe and timely surgical care in Southern Africa Stellenbosch University 16th-17th January 2020 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | VAPAR PI gave the invited talk: How do we Gain Community and Patient Support? Period17 Jan 2020 Event titleAfroSurg Conference: A Network Meeting to Improve Equitable Access to Safe and Timely Surgical Care in Southern Africa Event typeTalk/Presentation LocationCape Town, South Africa https://abdn.pure.elsevier.com/en/activities/how-do-we-gain-community-and-patient-support |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| URL | https://abdn.pure.elsevier.com/en/activities/how-do-we-gain-community-and-patient-support |
| Description | D'Ambruoso, L, Mabetha D (2020). 'Voice needs teeth to have bite'! Strengthening social accountability in health systems through participatory learning and action Learning Session 25th November 2020 SPOT-IMPACT, Department of Anthropology, University of Amsterdam |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | D'Ambruoso, L, Mabetha D (2020). 'Voice needs teeth to have bite'! Strengthening social accountability in health systems through participatory learning and action Learning Session 25th November 2020 SPOT-IMPACT, Department of Anthropology, University of Amsterdam |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| URL | https://www.vapar.org/nov-2020-learning-session |
| Description | Giving evidence to Ministerial Committee: Verbal Autopsy with Participatory Action Research (VAPAR): expanding the evidence base through partnerships for action on health equity. Ministerial Committee on Mortality and Morbidity in Children Under-5, Department of Health, Republic of South Africa 14 February 2019. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | D'Ambruoso L (2019). Verbal Autopsy with Participatory Action Research (VAPAR): expanding the evidence base through partnerships for action on health equity. Ministerial Committee on Mortality and Morbidity in Children Under-5, Department of Health, Republic of South Africa 14 February 2019. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Government Consultation - Scottish Government International Development Discussion Event, University of Glasgow, 9 March 2016 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Scottish Government International Development discussion event - Glasgow University's Randolph Hall - Wednesday 9 March 9.00am - 11.00am The Minister for Europe and International Development, Humza Yousaf MSP, and officials from the Scottish Government's International Development Team held an event for members of academic institutions with an interest in international development, in order to have a focussed discussion on international development policy. The group that I participated in had a rich discussion about approaches to create spaces for more collaborative research and public engagement within and between Scottish Universities working in global health and development. The recommendations and suggestions were for the creation of a regular forum for HE in global health and development, to prioritise South-South exchanges with research evidence and outputs, consideration of alternative forms of evidence from local knowledge and generated using participatory methodologies, and to prioritise capacity strengthening through technology and social media. Several of these views have developed as a result of the Verbal Autopsy with Participatory Action research (VAPAR) Development Grant work (DFID/MRC/Wellcome Trust/ESRC Health Systems Research Initiative (MR/N005597/1)). And some of the points (on creation of a Scottish HE/GHD forum, on the use of technology and social media and on South-South exchange) were reiterated by the Minister in the closing remarks. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| URL | https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/scottish-government-international-development-consultation-academia-e... |
| Description | Invited talk and panel discussion Whose reality counts? Participation and coproduction in global health research. Institute of Applied Health Research Seminar Series, University of Birmingham, 24th January 2019. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | D'Ambruoso L (2019). Whose reality counts? Participation and coproduction in global health research. Institute of Applied Health Research Seminar Series, University of Birmingham, 24th January 2019. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Invited talk and panel discussion Whose voice counts? Science communication in multi-level, intersectoral collaborations, National Research Foundation/Department of Science and Technology Graduate Student Network: Selling Your Science Selling Yourself 16th-20th September 2018 Limpopo, South Africa. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | D'Ambruoso L (2018). Whose voice counts? Science communication in multi-level, intersectoral collaborations, National Research Foundation/Department of Science and Technology Graduate Student Network: Selling Your Science Selling Yourself 16th-20th September 2018 Limpopo, South Africa. http://gsn.dirisa.org/indibano/2018 |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| URL | http://gsn.dirisa.org/indibano/2018 |
| Description | Keynote address Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh (RCPE) Global Health Symposium 21 February 2018 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | The keynote address "Syndemics and chronic disease in South and sub-Saharan Africa" at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh (RCPE) Global Health Symposium held on Wednesday 21 February 2018 was given by VAPAR co-investigator Professor Steve Tollman of Wits University and MRC, South Africa, and INDEPTH Network, Accra, Ghana |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| URL | https://www.rcpe.ac.uk/college/symposium-global-health |
| Description | Lecture as part of Queen Margaret University Grand Challenge Lecture Series at the Institute of Global Health and Development 25th February 2016 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | 25 February 2016 IGHD Grand Challenges Seminar "WHAT YOU COUNT IS WHAT YOU DO": COUNTING AND ACCOUNTABILITY IN RESEARCH ON MATERNAL DEATH AND DISABILITY IN LOW AND MIDDLE-INCOME COUNTRIES This talk examines methods to investigate maternal mortality and severe morbidity in resource poor settings. Three applied examples - a practitioner-based confidential enquiry, a verbal autopsy survey, and a community-based review drawn from work in Indonesia, Burkina Faso and South Africa - are presented to illustrate the implications of methodological choices for the evidence base about women, families and communities, and for policy, practice and services. The session was broadcast online, conducted in the format of a webinar. http://www.qmu.ac.uk/iihd/whats%20on/whats_on_2016.htm?platform=hootsuite#DAmbruoso Preliminary results from the Verbal Autopsy with Participatory Action Research (VAPAR) methodological development work (DFID/MRC/Wellcome Trust/ESRC Health Systems Research Initiative (MR/N005597/1) ) were presented at this seminar. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| URL | http://www.qmu.ac.uk/iihd/whats%20on/whats_on.htm#DAmbruoso |
| Description | Mabetha D, D'Ambruoso L, Goosen G, Hove J, KahnK, Mdluli D, Mdluli D, Mtungwa3 I, Sigudla J, Spies B, Tollman S, Twine R, van der Merwe M, Witter S.Developing a collaborative learning platform to strengthen community voices in response to addressing social issues: Progressing a learning health system process in Mpumalanga, South Africa. Sixth Global Symposium on Health Systems Research, November 2020. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Mabetha D, D'Ambruoso L, Goosen G, Hove J, KahnK, Mdluli D, Mdluli D, Mtungwa3 I, Sigudla J, Spies B, Tollman S, Twine R, van der Merwe M, Witter S.Developing a collaborative learning platform to strengthen community voices in response to addressing social issues: Progressing a learning health system process in Mpumalanga, South Africa. Sixth Global Symposium on Health Systems Research, November 2020. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| Description | Mabetha D, Oladeinde O, Hove J, Tollman S, Twine R, van der Merwe, M and D'Ambruoso L. Building a collaborative action/learning process to address alcohol and other drug abuse in Mpumalanga, South Africa: a participatory action research process. South African Community Epidemiology Network on Drug Use 27th February 2020 | Protea Hotel, Nelspruit |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Mabetha D, Oladeinde O, Hove J, Tollman S, Twine R, van der Merwe, M and D'Ambruoso L. Building a collaborative action/learning process to address alcohol and other drug abuse in Mpumalanga, South Africa: a participatory action research process. South African Community Epidemiology Network on Drug Use 27th February 2020 | Protea Hotel, Nelspruit |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| Description | Mapping barriers to surgical care: workshop with providers, patients and community advocates |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Mapping barriers to surgical care: workshop with providers, patients and community advocates D'Ambruoso, L. (Speaker) Other Applied Health SciencesInstitute of Applied Health Sciences Activity: Talk, presentation, public lecture, public engagement, outreach and knowledge exchange > Workshop, Seminar or Course |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| URL | https://abdn.pure.elsevier.com/en/activities/mapping-barriers-to-surgical-care-workshop-with-provide... |
| Description | Maternal Death Surveillance and Response Action Network (MDSR) Publication, published 6 March 2017 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | VAPAR PI Dr Lucia D'Ambruoso wrote the piece: "Local knowledge to reduce under-five mortality: Initiating participatory action research in rural South Africa" to describe using participatory approaches to strengthen mortality surveillance and reporting systems. The process addresses deaths of children under five years of age, which includes newborn deaths. The approaches can be applied to surveillance of perinatal mortality. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| URL | http://mdsr-action.net/publications/local-knowledge-to-reduce-under-five-mortality/ |
| Description | Maternal Death Surveillance and Response Action Network (MDSR) Publication, published 7 September 2017 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | VAPAR PI Dr Lucia D'Ambruoso wrote the piece: "Improving data improving health: Verbal autopsy for health systems strengthening" for the Maternal Death Surveillance and Response Action Network following the VAPAR dissemination event at University College London (UCL) 'Improving Data, Improving Health: Verbal Autopsy for Health Systems Strengthening'. The event was organised by the University of Aberdeen's Centre for Global Development and UCL's Institute for Global Health. The half-day event in October 2016 featured six speakers from the World Health Organization, Umeå University, UCL, Malaria Consortium, University of Aberdeen and the Africa Health Research Institute. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| URL | http://mdsr-action.net/publications/improving-data-improving-health-verbal-autopsy-for-health-system... |
| Description | Measuring progress: what is a fact? University of Aberdeen International Development Week 23 February 2017 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Undergraduate students |
| Results and Impact | VAPAR Pi Dr Lucia D'Ambruoso gave the talk: 'Measuring progress: what is a fact?' As part of the University of Aberdeen International Development Week 23 February 2017. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| URL | https://www.abdn.ac.uk/cgd/news/10428/ |
| Description | Oral presentation and panel discussion - Wariri O, D'Ambruoso L, Byass P, Kahn K, Spies B, Tollman S, Twine R, Van Der Merwe M, Witter S Rethinking collaboration: developing knowledge partnerships to address under-5 mortality in Mpumalanga province, South Africa. Fourth Global Symposium on Health Systems Research, Liverpool 8-12 October 2018. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Wariri O, D'Ambruoso L, Byass P, Kahn K, Spies B, Tollman S, Twine R, Van Der Merwe M, Witter S Rethinking collaboration: developing knowledge partnerships to address under-5 mortality in Mpumalanga province, South Africa. Fourth Global Symposium on Health Systems Research, Liverpool 8-12 October 2018. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| URL | http://healthsystemsresearch.org/hsr2018/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/OralAbstractBook-Final.pdf |
| Description | Organising Committee Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh (RCPE), University of Edinburgh Global Health Symposium in February 2018 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | This symposium examined some of the issues related to the introduction of vaccines into national programmes and discussed key progress in malaria control. In the context of the increasing recognition of the importance of considering multiple disease burdens in developing countries, the symposium will feature talks on syndemics (particularly in relation to non-communicable diseases and mental health), planetary health and the key challenges in global health over the next decade. This symposium was developed to have a broad appeal to those with an interest in global health - medical students, general practitioners, general physicians of all grades and stages of training, and public health professionals. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| URL | https://www.rcpe.ac.uk/college/symposium-global-health |
| Description | Photovoice Exhibition - Mabetha D on behalf of the VAPAR Programme. 'It destroys families and communities: alcohol and drug abuse in rural South Africa. Photovoice Exhibition Fifth Global Symposium on Health Systems Research, Liverpool 8-12 October 2018. http://healthsystemsresearch.org/hsr2018/photovoice/it-destroys-families-and-communities-alcohol-and-drug-abuse-in-rural-south-africa/ |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Mabetha D on behalf of the VAPAR Programme. 'It destroys families and communities: alcohol and drug abuse in rural South Africa. Photovoice Exhibition Fifth Global Symposium on Health Systems Research, Liverpool 8-12 October 2018. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| URL | http://healthsystemsresearch.org/hsr2018/photovoice/it-destroys-families-and-communities-alcohol-and... |
| Description | Poster presentation - Cowan E, D'Ambruoso L, Ameh S, Byass P, Twine R, Wagner RG, Witter S. Understanding non-communicable diseases: combining routine surveillance data with local knowledge in rural South Africa. Fourth Global Symposium on Health Systems Research, Liverpool 8-12 October 2018. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Cowan E, D'Ambruoso L, Ameh S, Byass P, Twine R, Wagner RG, Witter S. Understanding non-communicable diseases: combining routine surveillance data with local knowledge in rural South Africa. Fourth Global Symposium on Health Systems Research, Liverpool 8-12 October 2018. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| URL | http://healthsystemsresearch.org/hsr2018/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Poster-Abstract-book-v2.pdf |
| Description | Poster presentation - Thomas LM, D'Ambruoso L, Balabanova D (GHM 16/17 Centre for Global Development, University of Aberdeen): Verbal Autopsy in Health Policy and Systems: A LITerature Review. Fourth Global Symposium on Health Systems Research, Liverpool 8-12 October 2018. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Thomas LM, D'Ambruoso L, Balabanova D (GHM 16/17 Centre for Global Development, University of Aberdeen): Verbal Autopsy in Health Policy and Systems: A LITerature Review. Fourth Global Symposium on Health Systems Research, Liverpool 8-12 October 2018. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| URL | http://healthsystemsresearch.org/hsr2018/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Poster-Abstract-book-v2.pdf |
| Description | Poster presentation: Understanding non-communicable diseases: combining health surveillance with community based research in rural South Africa at Wits School of Public Health Research Day Public Health for Sustainable Development in Africa 27 November 2017 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Poster at the University of the Witwatersrand's School of Public Health Research Day A Masters graduate from the Univesrity of Aberdeen, Eilidh Cowan had a poster displayed at the School of Public Health Research Day on the 27th November 2017. The title of the poster was "Understanding non-communicable diseases: combining health surveillance with community based research in rural South Africa". |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | Poverty as a human rights issue: Rights, social participation and ways of increasing children's voice in the debate Scottish Universities Insight Institute Aberdeen, United Kingdom, 26 June 2015 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | 50-100 academics, local authority professionals and representatives of civil society groups attended this event to examine poverty as a human rights issue. The theme of the workshop, on rights, social participation and ways of increasing children's voice in the debate was of direct relevance to the Verbal Autopsy with Participatory Action Research (VAPAR) study (DFID/MRC/Wellcome Trust/ESRC Health Systems Research Initiative (MR/N005597/1)). A range of new contacts was made with with local groups who expressed interests to use the methods being developed. This subsequently led to a postgraduate (Masters) dissertation project using participatory methodologies to examine food poverty and insecurity in deprived areas in Aberdeen City in the Summer of 2015. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| Description | RCUK GCRF regional engagement event, University of St Andrews, 26 September 2017 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Approximately 50-100 delegates attended a RCUK GCRF regional engagement event on the 26 September 2017 at St Andrews University on GCRF strategy, current and upcoming opportunities and to share best practice and lessons learned from other ODA-related activities, including the Collective Fund Growing Research Capacity and Capability call. VAPAR PI gave the following oral invited presentation: D'Ambruoso L (2017). Verbal Autopsy with Participatory Action Research (VAPAR): expanding the evidence base through partnerships for action on health equity. RCUK GCRF Interdisciplinary Research Hubs Event. University of St Andrews 26th September 2017. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | Trends and transitions: Mortality findings and their applications. SA-Medical Research Council On-site Review with Wits University, 14-16 November 2017 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | The presentation was given as part of an institutional review of the MRC/Wits Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit (Agincourt). The MRC reviews are done every 5 years to improve health of people through quality research and offering support to the accredited MRC sites. During the review, project managers and coordinators presented about the work they do on various studies emphasising the relevance, success and outcomes of the studies. The event was attended by the South African Medical Research Council (MRC) Review panel consisting of 7 MRC committee members and 3 members from two universities in South Africa. VAPAR was presented highlighting the aims, objectives and significance of the study linking to mortality and verbal autopsy data. The panel was updated on data collection methods used, outcomes and on partners, funders and participants of the study. After the presentation, the panel showed interest on the topics that the villages found to be of importance (lack of water and alcohol and drug abuse). One of the panel members further highlighted the importance of involving and building partnership with health economists in health policy and systems research. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | Twine R, Khoza S, Ngobeni K, D'Ambruoso L, Kahn K, Hundt GL. Strong or weak publics? Opportunities for widening participation of publics in a health and demographic surveillance study area. Sixth Global Symposium on Health Systems Research, November 2020. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Twine R, Khoza S, Ngobeni K, D'Ambruoso L, Kahn K, Hundt GL. Strong or weak publics? Opportunities for widening participation of publics in a health and demographic surveillance study area. Sixth Global Symposium on Health Systems Research, November 2020. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| Description | VAPAR Dissemination Event 1 - Improving data improving health: Verbal Autopsy for health systems strengthening, University College London, 17 October 2016 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | The VAPAR Development Grant has generated a piloted methodology that promotes democratic knowledge production, capacity building and evidence-based advocacy. It has also explored innovations in mobile and digital technologies for scalable and efficient data collection and interpretation (Mobile Verbal Autopsy, MIVA and PhotoVoice). In this sense, the research provides important information for WHO in terms of the adaption of VA-based models for CVRS as a medium term strategy towards universal vital registration. This is a dissemination workshop with WHO with a focus on the methodological results in terms of a) biosocial classification systems for unregistered deaths and b) routine participatory adjuncts for health and demographic surveillance that are considered in the context of this broader methodological transition. EventBrite Information: Improving data improving health: Verbal Autopsy for health systems strengthening The majority of deaths in Africa and Asia are never recorded. Verbal autopsy (VA) is a method to determine causes of death using an interview with witnesses of the death, data from which are interpreted to conclude medical causes. In this seminar, we will reflect on innovations in VA including automated and mobile VA, and examine contextualised approaches to understanding why people die outside facilities or without registration. We will also explore how information from VA can be made available as part of a health systems approach. The aim of the event is to consolidate methods that have the potential to bring together communities and policy makers with better data and improved capacity for evaluation. Join participants from the Information, Evidence and Research Unit at WHO, the Umeå WHO Collaborating Centre for VA, the Malaria Consortium, the Africa Centre, University College London Institute for Global Health and Lancet Global Health. 0900 Coffee and Registration PART 1 OPEN MEETING HALDANE ROOM 0930 Welcome, introduction and opening remarks I Abubakar UCL Z Mullan, LGH (Chair) 0945 Keynote 1: Beyond research: VA in Civil Registration T Boerma, WHO 1000 Keynote 2: Making people count: advancing pragmatic approaches P Byass, UCGHR 1020 Presentation 1: Mobile VA, technological advances and ethical priorities E Fottrell, UCL 1040 Coffee 1100 Keynote 3: Social Autopsy, a method to examine barriers to health care, risky behaviours and missed opportunities for health intervention K Källander, Malaria Consortium 1120 Presentation 2: Verbal Autopsy and Participatory Action research (VAPAR): People-centred and action-oriented methods in South Africa L D'Ambruoso, UOA 1140 Presentation 3: Interfacing: making connections within and between states, through data dynamics, and with the international community K Herbst, Africa Centre 1200 Panel discussion Closing remarks Panel discussant to give closing remarks + Chair's closing remarks 1230 Lunch PART 2 INVITED ROUNDTABLE SOUTH WING COUNCIL ROOM 1330 Roundtable discussion: Priorities for VA methods in health systems - InterVA and mobile applications: opportunities to scale, ethical priorities and implementation opportunities - VA/SA and VAPAR: embedding research in health systems / communicating evidence and the power and potential of local knowledge - OUTPUT: Priorities for VA suite of approaches for health systems strengthening, developing a commentary 'We have the methods, how do we now use them in health systems?' 1630 Closing remarks and next steps Z Mullan, Chair 1700 Meeting close LGH Lancet Global Health; UCGHR: Umea Centre for Global Health research; UCL University College London; UOA: University of Aberdeen |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| URL | https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/improving-data-improving-health-verbal-autopsy-for-health-systems-str... |
| Description | VAPAR Dissemination Event 2 - Whose voices count? Doing research on the health of the poor, Festival of Social Science, University of Aberdeen, 7 November 2016 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | To facilitate application and evaluation of the method to wider audiences, we will hold a final dissemination workshop in the UK to engage with academic and non-academic audiences. Through the Public Engagement in Research Unit (PERU) at the University of Aberdeen (http://www.abdn.ac.uk/engage), we will conduct a workshop on the links between material and data poverty and methods and opportunities for people-centred health information. This meeting will consider the issues in the global knowledge economy, with reference to emerging mHealth innovations applying mobile and digital technologies for knowledge production on issues of health equity and social justice. At this meeting, we will discuss how and for whose purposes health information can be generated and shared for sustainable action towards improved health outcomes. EventBrite information: Part of the ESRC Festival of Social Science 2016 How should we be doing research with people living in poverty, who are hard to reach, vulnerable, disadvantaged and social excluded? People living in deprived conditions have crucial perspectives on health and social inequalities, and through authentic engagement can provide important evidence for public policy. This seminar brings together researchers working in different world regions to explore how we can do 'people-centred' and 'action-oriented' research on social and health inequalities. By people-centred research, we mean working with and for people who are directly affected by the issues being investigated. By action-oriented, we mean research that is embedded in contexts where knowledge outputs can be acted on for positive change. At the seminar, we will also launch the Centre for Global Development at the University of Aberdeen, a centre of excellence committed to equity, social justice and sustainable futures. PROGRAMME 1130 Registration 1200 Centre for Global Development: Welcome and opening remarks | Professor P Abbott, Director Centre for Global Development (CGD) 1220 Making people count: the unequal world of global health data | Prof P Byass, Director Umea Centre for Global Health Research, Umea University, Sweden 1300 Lunch 1400 Working with people: a people-centred, action-oriented research project in South Africa | Dr L D'Ambruoso, Lecturer CGD 1440 Coffee 1500 What do 'the people' want? Arab voices in a troubled world, the Arab TRANS project | Dr A Teti, Director, Centre for Global Security & Governance 1540 Closing remarks and next steps: implications in the context of global development | Prof P Abbott, CGD, Dr L D'Ambruoso, CGD, Dr N Dower, CGD, Dr P Mtika, CGD 1600 Close |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| URL | https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/whose-voices-count-doing-research-on-the-health-of-the-poor-tickets-2... |
| Description | VAPAR Dissemination Event 3 - Health systems research: a partnerships approach to health in Mpumalanga, The Winkler, Nelspruit Mpumalanga, South Africa, 14 November 2016 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | The research has generated information relevant to the study settings on cause-specific disease profiles, their health systems and social determinants, and priorities for actionable public health agendas that have been rigorously verified at community and health systems levels. Co-constructed practical knowledge built from multiple perspectives is thoroughly embedded in, and thus relevant to, the local health systems context. With a focus on non-academic beneficiaries, these outputs will be disseminated in local communities and to health authorities to investigate their validity and relevance, and to reflect on the method as a means of sustainable and self-administered evaluation and planning. EventBrite information (for dissemination to health authorities) The Verbal Autopsy and Participatory Action Research (VAPAR) project has developed a method to connect health authorities, communities and researchers to do partnerships research of mutual benefit. This work has been progressed with the DFID/MRC/ESRC/Wellcome Health Systems Research Initiative and the Agincourt Health and Socio-Demographic Surveillance Site of Wits University, Mpumalanga Provincial Department of Health, and the Universities of Aberdeen in Scotland and Umea in Sweden. In VAPAR, researchers, communities and health systems stakeholders worked together to generate evidence on disease profiles levels and causes, their health systems and social determinants, and priorities for action. With a focus on non-academic beneficiaries, these outputs are being disseminated to investigate their relevance, and to reflect on the method as a means of sustainable and self-administered evaluation and planning. The workshop will present three elements of the method for discussion with health systems colleagues. (1) New ways to routinely record and understand deaths investigated in Verbal Autopsy (VA) in related to the circumstances of mortality; (2) Participatory action research (PAR) as a method to generate evidence with communities on social and health systems avoidable mortality (3) Working with health systems practitioners to interpret e VA and PAR data, producing actionable public health agendas. The process provided more real data, rigorously validated at community and health systems levels addressing previously unknown issues and developing actionable plans. The method has been appraised as a robust and innovative partnerships approach to collaborative research, and viewed as acceptable and relevant for health systems use. The workshop will disseminate the methods and findings. The workshop will strengthen partnerships for practical and problem oriented research, provide feedback on policy initiatives at different levels, extend contextually relevant approaches to VA, and continue to engage with communities through PAR. This workshop brings together individuals from academic and non-academic backgrounds to explore methods and opportunities to generate 'people-centred', 'action-oriented' information on health inequalities. By people-centred information, we mean information developed by and for people who are directly affected by the issues being investigated. By action-oriented information, we mean information that is developed for and with, and embedded in, forms of acting upon the information provided. The main aim is to extend the method into a process to act on the evidence generated. This adds a crucial link that goes beyond the identification of problems and solutions towards action and implementing change. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| URL | https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/health-systems-research-a-partnerships-approach-to-health-in-mpumalan... |
| Description | VAPAR Dissemination Event 4 - Creating new multi-site, multi-sectoral research collaborations in HDSS, INDEPTH Network AGM Kampala Uganda, 18-19 November 2016 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | The piloted methodology is intended for further application and evaluation in other settings to further evaluate issues related to costs, scalability and sustainability. To this end, the final phase of the proposed research involves a workshop with representatives of INDEPTH (the International Network for the Demographic Evaluation of Populations and Their Health). This workshop will explore the potential to create further spaces to apply and evaluate the method, and document the knowledge and action gained. INDEPTH is a southern-based and southern-led umbrella organisation of 50 independent health research centres that operate 48 HDSS sites in 20 LMICs (http://www.indepth-network.org). "Recognising that there are no quick fixes in terms of achieving universal individual registration of populations in LMICs, the Network represents a medium-term attempt to break the link between material and data poverty" (Sankoh & Byass, 2012:579). The long-standing links between the research project team and INDEPTH are highly relevant to realising the pathways to impact. Link to INDEPTH AGM Kapamla Uganda http://www.indepth-network.org/news-events/events/newsindepth-agm-2016-kampala-uganda EventBrite Information The Verbal Autopsy and Participatory Action Research (VAPAR) project has developed a method to connect health authorities, communities and researchers to do partnerships research. This work has been progressed with the DFID/MRC/ESRC/Wellcome Health Systems Research Initiative and the Agincourt Health and Socio-Demographic Surveillance Site of Wits University, Mpumalanga Provincial Department of Health, and the Universities of Aberdeen in Scotland and Umea in Sweden. In VAPAR, researchers, communities and health systems stakeholders worked together to generate evidence on disease profiles levels and causes, their health systems and social determinants, and priorities for action. These outputs are being disseminated to reflect on the method as a means of sustainable and self-administered evaluation and planning. The workshop will present the method and explore the potential for uptake through new multi-site partnerships. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| URL | https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/creating-new-multi-site-multi-sectoral-research-collaborations-in-hds... |
| Description | Who counts? The value of empowerment approaches in research on maternal and child health in resource poor settings. Grand Challenges Lecture, Institute of Global Health and Development, Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh, UK 7 March 2017 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | VAPAR PI, Lucia D'Ambruoso, gave the final seminar of the Institute of Global Health and Development (IGHD), Queen Margaret University, Grand Challenges Seminar Series of the 2016-2017 session. The session was given to a group of academics and postgraduate students at QMU and also delivered as a web-cast whereby people could watch and ask questions online. The discussions afterwards reflected interest and engagement in the topics covered |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| URL | https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/who-counts-the-value-of-empowerment-approaches-in-research-on-materna... |