The politics of knowledge and information sharing across borders: Infectious Disease Surveillance in the Mekong region

There is growing awareness that transnational expert networks can contribute to improved health and human development, with the potential to address many challenges that increasingly transcend national boundaries, such as infectious disease control and environmental issues. In recent years, particular emphasis has been placed on networks for South-South cooperation, understood as a process whereby two or more developing countries pursue their individual or collective development through cooperative exchange of knowledge, skills, resources and technical expertise. Indeed, it is recognised that this approach can contribute not only to more sustainable pathways to development, but can also produce knowledge that is better suited to local contexts, as well as positive externalities such as political stability, enhanced sense of ownership, self-reliance and independence.

Yet, researchers who have begun to examine the actual working of such networks have identified problems that may hinder effective and meaningful cooperation, including issues of influence, trust, power, cross-cultural communication, and differential access to resources.

This project aims to gain a better understanding of these issues and the ways in which they may affect knowledge exchange and network dynamics. As a case study, the project will examine disease surveillance networks in the Mekong basin of Southeast Asia - a region that has been the target of innovative experiments in international health and development, in a context of rapid economic changes.

This project also aims to have a tangible public health impact. The Mekong Region is a vital economic resource for the livelihood of rural communities in Southeast Asia, characterised by intense mobility of migrant workers and traded goods. It is also a hotspot of severe epidemics, including multidrug-resistant malaria and avian influenza, with high mortality and morbidity rates throughout the region, significant effects on national economies, and important implications for global health. Despite sustained efforts at the regional level, key problems remain such as the lack of effective channels for rapid communication and coordination in the event of cross-border outbreaks. The detailed study of regional cooperation will provide indications to inform the design and implementation of improved regional programmes, including advice on how to achieve more efficient allocation of scarce resources.

This project is driven by an interest in the politics of knowledge sharing and mutual learning across borders, including the development of innovative methods that can guide systematic research on this topic; research findings are expected to be useful to a wide range of academic beneficiaries, including scholars in the social sciences, development studies, and policy analysis. At the same time, it aims to have a tangible impact on public health and development policy, particularly on two categories of users:

(1) The first category of users includes international development organisations in the UK and overseas. In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in transnational networks as an effective mode of contemporary governance, with the potential to address many social problems and challenges that increasingly transcend national boundaries, such as infectious disease control and environmental issues. In the sector of international development, there is a growing consensus that knowledge and information sharing across developing countries can contribute not only to mutual learning and support, but can also produce knowledge that is better suited to local contexts, as well as positive externalities such as political stability, enhanced sense of ownership, self-reliance and independence.

This research project will speak to the policy community and international organisations that are involved in the development and implementation of such collaborative projects. It will identify and analyse problems that may prevent effective and meaningful cooperation, and provide recommendations on ways to address these problems. A workshop will be held in London at the end of the project to disseminate results and recommendations to target audiences such as UK and international development organisations. In addition, policy briefs will be circulated in relevant policy networks at the national and international level.

(2) The second category of users includes health professionals and policy makers that are responsible for infectious disease surveillance and control in the Mekong region and in other contexts of development. Despite sustained efforts and improvements, the Mekong region still suffers from significant health burdens, such as drug-resistant malaria and avian influenza, with important implications for global health. This research project is expected to contribute to improved design and implementation of disease surveillance systems, including strategies to achieve more effective cross-border communication, coordination, and the equitable allocation of scarce resources. As part of the research process, there will be many opportunities to engage directly with this category of users, for example through interviews and attendance at professional meetings. In addition, at the end of the second year a user engagement workshop will be held at Mahidol University, in Bangkok, to discuss research findings in a collective and participatory form. Finally, a end of the award meeting will be held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, to present findings to decision makers and stakeholders from both inside and outside the region, including senior staff from national departments of health, representatives of donor organisations and other professionals involved in regional surveillance networks (e.g. epidemiologists, human and animal health experts). During the workshop, policy briefs will be delivered to convey the main findings, soliciting and encouraging comments from participants.