Improving healthcare at the intersection of gender and protracted displacement amongst Somali and Congolese refugees and IDPs
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Edinburgh
Department Name: Sch of Social and Political Science
Abstract
This project aims to help displaced people to access appropriate healthcare for long-term physical and mental health conditions associated with protracted displacement, conflict, and gendered violence. The category of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) receives a great deal of attention. However, there is limited research on how gendered violence, including violence relating to sexuality, is experienced in displacement contexts. There is also limited understanding of how gender, sexuality, and related violence affect access to healthcare, and how that can result in neglected chronic health conditions, particularly mental ill-health. Similarly, much attention is devoted to immediate healthcare needs following SGBV, but longer-term physical and mental health conditions are not adequately addressed. Displaced people face multiple barriers when seeking healthcare in protracted displacement settings, with the result that long-term health conditions are often misdiagnosed and mistreated or undiagnosed and untreated.
This project examines access to care and the responsiveness of healthcare providers for displaced Congolese and Somalis in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Somali, Kenya, and South Africa. Eastern DRC and Somalia have both experienced long-term conflict and displacement since the early 1990s, leading to large populations of Internally Displaced People (IDPs) within these countries and large refugee populations across the region. Conflict and displacement in Eastern DRC and Somalia are characterised by high rates of sexual and gender-based violence, and victims are stigmatised through prevailing gender and sexual norms. Existing health research tends to focus on the immediate aftermath of violence rather than on long-term mental and physical health conditions. The project has eight field sites in four countries. The four IDP field sites are one formal camp and one informal settlement each in Eastern DRC and Somalia, both of which have weak health systems. The four refugee field sites are Congolese and Somali settlements in Kenya and South Africa, which have different health systems and different refugee laws and policies.
The project brings together researchers and practitioners from international development, migration studies, gender studies, medical anthropology, public health and health policy, and medical sciences to undertake interdisciplinary empirical research in these protracted displacement contexts. Panzi Foundation (DRC) and War Trauma Foundation (Netherlands) will guide teams of researchers based at the University of Edinburgh (UK), the University of Kinshasa (DRC), the Somali Institute for Development and Research (Somalia), Amref International University (Kenya), and the University of Witwatersrand (South Africa). Project activities are designed to: 1) enhance the capacity of partner organisations; 2) support the inclusion of displaced people in healthcare systems; 3) foster international networks.
This project examines access to care and the responsiveness of healthcare providers for displaced Congolese and Somalis in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Somali, Kenya, and South Africa. Eastern DRC and Somalia have both experienced long-term conflict and displacement since the early 1990s, leading to large populations of Internally Displaced People (IDPs) within these countries and large refugee populations across the region. Conflict and displacement in Eastern DRC and Somalia are characterised by high rates of sexual and gender-based violence, and victims are stigmatised through prevailing gender and sexual norms. Existing health research tends to focus on the immediate aftermath of violence rather than on long-term mental and physical health conditions. The project has eight field sites in four countries. The four IDP field sites are one formal camp and one informal settlement each in Eastern DRC and Somalia, both of which have weak health systems. The four refugee field sites are Congolese and Somali settlements in Kenya and South Africa, which have different health systems and different refugee laws and policies.
The project brings together researchers and practitioners from international development, migration studies, gender studies, medical anthropology, public health and health policy, and medical sciences to undertake interdisciplinary empirical research in these protracted displacement contexts. Panzi Foundation (DRC) and War Trauma Foundation (Netherlands) will guide teams of researchers based at the University of Edinburgh (UK), the University of Kinshasa (DRC), the Somali Institute for Development and Research (Somalia), Amref International University (Kenya), and the University of Witwatersrand (South Africa). Project activities are designed to: 1) enhance the capacity of partner organisations; 2) support the inclusion of displaced people in healthcare systems; 3) foster international networks.
Planned Impact
This project aims to have a direct impact on the health of those affected by displacement in Eastern DRC, Somalia, Kenya, and South Africa. It will:
* improve diagnosis, provision, and accessibility of healthcare for neglected chronic physical and mental ill-health conditions amongst displaced populations.
* help develop resilient, responsive, inclusive health systems which ultimately contribute to strong and welcoming societies.
* support the development of mechanisms and organisations that empower displaced communities when they seek healthcare.
Through interactive knowledge exchange with key stakeholders, this project will influence working practices in health systems and among those who organise and/or support displaced people in protracted situations. In-country and cross-country workshops during the initial and final stages of the project will foster dialogue and knowledge exchange between key knowledge users (activists, health practitioners, academics, policy-makers, and displaced people). Phase I workshops will also allow us to better identify the stakeholders' priorities and willingness to implement change, which are relevant for the refined research design and maximisation of research uptake. Finally, the workshops will improve our mapping of the key stakeholders, including (grassroots) groups and the private sector that are less visible to us at the moment. The project will impact upon three main user categories:
A. Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Somalia and Eastern DRC and refugees and asylum seekers in Nairobi and Johannesburg, and the wider public living in the region. The project will generate positive health and societal impacts, including:
* developing displaced peoples' (and medical personnel's) awareness of neglected chronical health conditions in their communities. This increases the chances of proper diagnosis, and then treatment.
* improving the understanding of chronic health issues affecting displaced communities amongst the wider public and civic society (through dissemination events and social media), which is key to building a coalition for increasing displaced people's rights and access to healthcare services.
B. NGOs, civil society, local organisations of displaced people and/or working on access to healthcare. The project's innovative methods of engagement will enhance the impact and effectiveness of support structures for displaced populations:
* the co-design and co-delivery of the project will enhance the research and advocacy capacity of the project partners and civil society organisations involved in our workshops. It will also help identify areas for further work, during and beyond the project, on chronic neglected conditions.
* long-lasting relationships amongst project collaborators will be fostered through the project's activities, thereby contributing to refining and circulating approaches that make healthcare services more responsive to the needs of displaced people during and beyond the project.
C. Policymakers including those responsible for governing and reforming health systems and/or IDP/refugee policies: Ministries of Health, United Nations agencies (particularly WHO, IOM and UNHCR), and influential patients/displaced people's groups and networks such as Refugees International or the People Health's Movement:
* dedicated outputs and policy engagement workshops will feed directly into national policies and national health plans, with clear proposals for accruing effective access to healthcare for displaced people. Health plans, which are developed every 4-6 years in our target countries, and WHO, IOM, and UNHCR strategies guide governmental and non-government interventions.
* engagement between country-based practitioners and transnational actors will enable networks with a lobbying remit to uptake our research insights into best practices on health and displacement and campaign for change outside our countries of focus.
* improve diagnosis, provision, and accessibility of healthcare for neglected chronic physical and mental ill-health conditions amongst displaced populations.
* help develop resilient, responsive, inclusive health systems which ultimately contribute to strong and welcoming societies.
* support the development of mechanisms and organisations that empower displaced communities when they seek healthcare.
Through interactive knowledge exchange with key stakeholders, this project will influence working practices in health systems and among those who organise and/or support displaced people in protracted situations. In-country and cross-country workshops during the initial and final stages of the project will foster dialogue and knowledge exchange between key knowledge users (activists, health practitioners, academics, policy-makers, and displaced people). Phase I workshops will also allow us to better identify the stakeholders' priorities and willingness to implement change, which are relevant for the refined research design and maximisation of research uptake. Finally, the workshops will improve our mapping of the key stakeholders, including (grassroots) groups and the private sector that are less visible to us at the moment. The project will impact upon three main user categories:
A. Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Somalia and Eastern DRC and refugees and asylum seekers in Nairobi and Johannesburg, and the wider public living in the region. The project will generate positive health and societal impacts, including:
* developing displaced peoples' (and medical personnel's) awareness of neglected chronical health conditions in their communities. This increases the chances of proper diagnosis, and then treatment.
* improving the understanding of chronic health issues affecting displaced communities amongst the wider public and civic society (through dissemination events and social media), which is key to building a coalition for increasing displaced people's rights and access to healthcare services.
B. NGOs, civil society, local organisations of displaced people and/or working on access to healthcare. The project's innovative methods of engagement will enhance the impact and effectiveness of support structures for displaced populations:
* the co-design and co-delivery of the project will enhance the research and advocacy capacity of the project partners and civil society organisations involved in our workshops. It will also help identify areas for further work, during and beyond the project, on chronic neglected conditions.
* long-lasting relationships amongst project collaborators will be fostered through the project's activities, thereby contributing to refining and circulating approaches that make healthcare services more responsive to the needs of displaced people during and beyond the project.
C. Policymakers including those responsible for governing and reforming health systems and/or IDP/refugee policies: Ministries of Health, United Nations agencies (particularly WHO, IOM and UNHCR), and influential patients/displaced people's groups and networks such as Refugees International or the People Health's Movement:
* dedicated outputs and policy engagement workshops will feed directly into national policies and national health plans, with clear proposals for accruing effective access to healthcare for displaced people. Health plans, which are developed every 4-6 years in our target countries, and WHO, IOM, and UNHCR strategies guide governmental and non-government interventions.
* engagement between country-based practitioners and transnational actors will enable networks with a lobbying remit to uptake our research insights into best practices on health and displacement and campaign for change outside our countries of focus.
Publications
Bile A
(2024)
Rethinking (local) integration: domains of integration and their durability in Kismayo and Garowe, Somalia
in Frontiers in Human Dynamics
Boeyink C
(2022)
Pathways to care: IDPs seeking health support and justice for sexual and gender-based violence through social connections in Garowe and Kismayo, Somalia and South Kivu, DRC.
in Journal of migration and health
Boeyink C
(2024)
Perceptions of health: (dis)integration and (mis)integration of refugees in Nairobi, Kenya
in Frontiers in Human Dynamics
Ghafoerkhan R
Concerning 'neglect': perspectives on the prioritisation of mental health conditions in protracted displacement contexts
in Medicine Anthropology Theory
Jeffery L
(2024)
Concerning 'Neglect': Perspectives on the Prioritisation of Mental Health Conditions in Protracted Displacement Contexts
in Medicine Anthropology Theory
Kazamwali M
(2024)
Traditional, complementary, and alternative medicine and the provision of health care to internally displaced persons in South Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo
in Frontiers in Human Dynamics
Lakika D
(2024)
Between Informality and (Il)legality: Congolese Migrants' Survival Mechanisms in South Africa
in The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science
| Description | 1a) Mental health in relation to refugees and migrants in is understood primarily as trauma and sexual violence. This means that mental health that is layered (i.e., trauma experienced at all stages of migration), complex, and shaped by specific socio-cultural experiences is neglected. b) Mental health challenges are determined by structural violence: lack of documents, exclusion, poverty, poor access to housing, employment and support systems, discrimination, stigma and xenophobia, and violence within healthcare systems. c) Mental health challenges for refugees and migrants are felt through and expressed by the body. This can be due to a link between body and mind and somatic experiences, visible/invisible pain, a lack or inability of language to express pain, and/or the physical manifestations of stress, anxiety, fear, and hopelessness. d) Healthcare systems are overwhelmed, and refugees and migrants with mental health challenges are often misunderstood and seen as a threat and burden to the system. This is compounded by: a shortage of psychiatrists and psychologists and community responses, lack of understanding and compassion, and poor mental health literacy. Many healthcare workers themselves struggle with their own mental health problems, which can be compounded and triggered by the systems within which they work. e) Services work but there is limited to no access to mental healthcare for refugees and migrants: mental healthcare systems are under-resourced, over-burdened, and unable to respond to the needs of all and especially migrants. This situation was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, which both diverted resources and triggered mental health challenges. f) Responses: "plugging the gaps" and responding to immediate needs to reduce mental stress. The starting point is that responding to immediate needs (i.e. food, rent money, access to schools etc) is the central response needed to reduce stress created by structural violence. In recognition of specific needs and challenges faced by refugees and migrants, civil society creates "parallel systems" to bypass state services and reduce risks of stigma and discrimination. In contexts of forced internal displacement, by contrast, IDPs and host populations do not necessarily differ in terms of the extent to which they seek support from state institutions. g) Displaced people connect with a wide range of actors when seeking care and support. Biomedical care, psychological, and psychiatric support only accounts for a small proportion of social connections. Faith communities and religious healers are often key points of contact. h) In some field sites, we find clear evidence that localised responses developed over the last decades (such as Mukwege's Panzi hospital) participate in a more comprehensive response to the SGBV-related health needs of displaced populations. These findings link to our aim to support the right to healthcare in contexts of protracted displacement and vulnerability (SDG3). 2a) 'Neglect' must be considered in the context of differential health priorities and health-seeking behaviours, particularly given the additional challenges associated with disruption to social care networks in protracted displacement contexts. b) Our respondents distinguished between overt bodily expressions of distress that are socially disruptive and more internalised expressions of distress that are more easily containable. c) We highlight the intersectional 'neglect' of women and girls by sexual violence's distinctive confluence of social withdrawal with strategies of containment to avoid social disruption. d) Neglect is also a matter of who is recognised as support provider, and our study shows that many key actors located outwith the realm of the state (e.g. religious leaders, faith communities) prefer recognition over full integration/assimilation: forcibly displaced people favour having access to a range of options, and non-state/biomedical actors are keen to retain their specificity. These findings underpin our aim to support the right to healthcare in contexts of protracted displacement and vulnerability (SDG3). 3a) For Congolese and Somali migrants, "deep sadness" is exacerbated by mistrust, GBV and a fear of the future: mental health challenges are considered in terms of failure, committing sin, breaking with the norm, and mental health is stigmatised. b) In Johannesburg, migrants generally do not seek help from formal, public health services due to: awareness they will not be seen or treated well, stigma around mental health, lack of information and resources, and lack of trust/belief in formalised (Westernised) health systems. c) Religious/faith communities can be both supportive and stigmatising: many migrants seek support through religious/faith communities which, however, sometimes cast judgement, increase stigma, and deter migrants from seeking formal help. d) Support networks are critical to responding to mental health but vary: in Nairobi and Johannesburg, Congolese migrants are part of "disorganised and disjointed" communities, in comparison to the tight support networks amongst Somali communities. e) Much research on IDP health focuses on the barriers that IDPs face in accessing healthcare. While these obstacles are myriad, we used a social connections methodology to analyse what IDPs actually do and where IDPs actually turn in times of need, within and beyond the formal healthcare system. While taking into account the significant lack of resources and capacity of the formal healthcare systems of these countries, we found that the pathways to care IDPs take is also contingent upon cultural and gendered beliefs and practices. When individuals and households need to seek support, they toggle through possible social connections in an almost algorithmic fashion based on the nature of health issue, their understandings of what caused the health problems, and the social, cultural, and material capital at their disposal. Comparing Somali and Congolese IDPs in four field sites in Somalia and DRC, we see significant similarities and overlaps in pathways to care. While both countries have experienced severe erosions of state capacity, NGOs and parallel customary legal systems have filled the state's void to varying degrees of acceptance by IDP participants. f) The type of displacement seem to have an influence on the tightness, number, and type of social connections IDP access. In particular, recent IDPs from violence have more developed connections to aid actors than those who say they are primarily displaced due to natural disasters and poverty. This is consistent with the focus of (international) aid. These findings link to our aims to support the right to healthcare in contexts of protracted displacement and vulnerability (SDG3) and to improve gender equality in the context of gendered access to healthcare services (SDG5). 4a) Gender is found to be a significant factor affecting peoples' health and mental health decisions, particularly around issues of SGBV. In both Congolese and Somali communities in all four sites, intermediate family and wider ethnic/clan communities put explicit and implicit pressure on decision-making due to fear of stigma or social ostracisation. However, comparison between sites such as Nairobi (Kenya) and Garowe (Somalia) show subtle differences in women's access to healthcare and justice, which is affected by access to community health workers. b) Interviews with healthcare providers confirm the barriers to healthcare that refugees/IDPs face, yet reveal a disconnect in their understandings of displaced peoples' conceptions of health and health-seeking behaviours. c) Interviews with formal/informal healthcare providers generate insights into the financial incentives and logics of care that both recruit service users and exclude others. d) Interviews with healthcare providers in Somalia identify non-communicable diseases such as hypertension and diabetes to be serious issues that lack understanding in displaced communities, which is exacerbated by a lack of screening and diagnoses. e) Life-history interviews reveal that displaced individuals feel a nostalgia and longing for their friends, family, and social ties in their country of origin, but due to violence or lack of livelihoods opportunities there, or a lack of money available to them at present they feel they are unable to return. This exacerbates stress already accumulated from difficulties of displacement such as xenophobia and poverty. f) Interviews with migrants in South Africa show that gender and sexuality are primarily understood through the lens of heteronormative gender roles; many Somali and Congolese migrants interviewed explained same-sex desires and/or relations as a form of mental ill-health. Women also described their experiences of mental health challenges as resulting from obstetric violence, poor access to, and xenophobic discrimination within maternal health services. Men meanwhile described their mental health challenges primarily due to unemployment and the difficulty of providing for their families. g) Interviews with healthcare providers in South Africa suggest that the gender lens on mental health amongst asylum seekers and refugees tends to see women as victims of SGBV and other forms of violence. Men's mental health challenges receive less recognition, and are attributed to stressors in accessing work and poor working conditions. These findings link to our aims to support the right to healthcare in contexts of protracted displacement and vulnerability (SDG3) and to improve gender equality in the context of gendered access to healthcare services (SDG5). |
| Exploitation Route | 1. Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Somalia and Eastern DRC and refugees and asylum seekers in Nairobi and Johannesburg: a) Developing displaced peoples' (and medical personnel's) awareness of neglected chronical health conditions in their communities. This increases the chances of proper diagnosis, and then treatment. b) Improving the understanding of chronic health issues affecting displaced communities amongst the wider public and civic society (through dissemination events and social media), which is key to building a coalition for increasing displaced people's rights and access to healthcare services. 2. NGOs, civil society, local organisations of displaced people and/or working on access to healthcare: a) The co-design and co-delivery of the project will enhance the research and advocacy capacity of the project partners and civil society organisations involved in our workshops. It will also help identify areas for further work, during and beyond the project, on chronic neglected conditions. b) Long-lasting relationships amongst project collaborators will be fostered through the project's activities, thereby contributing to refining and circulating approaches that make healthcare services more responsive to the needs of displaced people during and beyond the project. 3. Policymakers including those responsible for governing and reforming health systems and/or IDP/refugee policies: a) Dedicated outputs and policy engagement workshops will feed directly into national policies and national health plans, with clear proposals for accruing effective access to healthcare for displaced people. b) Engagement between country-based practitioners and transnational actors will enable networks with a lobbying remit to uptake our research insights into best practices on health and displacement and campaign for change outside our countries of focus. |
| Sectors | Communities and Social Services/Policy Healthcare |
| URL | https://displacement.sps.ed.ac.uk/ |
| Description | Mapping health systems' responsiveness to refugee and migrant health needs mapping review - member of strategic working group |
| Geographic Reach | Africa |
| Policy Influence Type | Membership of a guideline committee |
| URL | https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/346682/9789240030640-eng.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y |
| Description | University of Edinburgh advised German state-owned investment and development bank (KfW) consultants and influenced their feasibility study for Germany's Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) to undertake work in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) |
| Geographic Reach | Africa |
| Policy Influence Type | Contribution to new or improved professional practice |
| Description | Cluster of Research Excellence in Migration and Health |
| Organisation | Amref Health Africa |
| Country | Kenya |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | N/A |
| Collaborator Contribution | The Cluster of Research Excellence in Migration and Health was co-founded and is co-led by Co-I Jo Vearey from project partner African Centre for Migration and Society (ACMS) at the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa, alongside partner institutions including Co-I Joachim Osure from our project partner Amref International University (AMIU) in Kenya and Co-I Amina Jama Mahmud and Mohamed Ali-Salad from our project partner Somali Institute for Development, Research and Analysis (SIDRA) in Somalia. |
| Impact | The Cluster of Research Excellence (CoRE) in Migration and Health will address the key scientific challenge of identifying and developing solutions, relevant to the social, cultural and political contexts, to address the root causes of poor health among migrants to enhance the positive health outcomes of migration across one of the largest migration corridors globally, the African Union (AU) - European Union (EU) corridor. The corridor includes countries in Africa, Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean and is associated with multiple risk factors for health, determined by varying structural and social contexts. These factors are experienced differently by diverse migrant groups and the communities through which they move, live and work; and change across time and places of origin, transit, destination; and, for some, return. In an increasingly nationalist, xenophobic, and racist world, the varied forms of population movements that connect origins and destinations within and between countries along the AU-EU corridor, and associated health concerns, need to be better understood to develop evidence-informed and contextually relevant interventions, including cross-border interventions. |
| Start Year | 2024 |
| Description | Cluster of Research Excellence in Migration and Health |
| Organisation | Somali Institute for Development Research and Analysis |
| Country | Somalia |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | N/A |
| Collaborator Contribution | The Cluster of Research Excellence in Migration and Health was co-founded and is co-led by Co-I Jo Vearey from project partner African Centre for Migration and Society (ACMS) at the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa, alongside partner institutions including Co-I Joachim Osure from our project partner Amref International University (AMIU) in Kenya and Co-I Amina Jama Mahmud and Mohamed Ali-Salad from our project partner Somali Institute for Development, Research and Analysis (SIDRA) in Somalia. |
| Impact | The Cluster of Research Excellence (CoRE) in Migration and Health will address the key scientific challenge of identifying and developing solutions, relevant to the social, cultural and political contexts, to address the root causes of poor health among migrants to enhance the positive health outcomes of migration across one of the largest migration corridors globally, the African Union (AU) - European Union (EU) corridor. The corridor includes countries in Africa, Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean and is associated with multiple risk factors for health, determined by varying structural and social contexts. These factors are experienced differently by diverse migrant groups and the communities through which they move, live and work; and change across time and places of origin, transit, destination; and, for some, return. In an increasingly nationalist, xenophobic, and racist world, the varied forms of population movements that connect origins and destinations within and between countries along the AU-EU corridor, and associated health concerns, need to be better understood to develop evidence-informed and contextually relevant interventions, including cross-border interventions. |
| Start Year | 2024 |
| Description | Cluster of Research Excellence in Migration and Health |
| Organisation | University of the Witwatersrand |
| Department | African Centre for Migration and Society |
| Country | South Africa |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | N/A |
| Collaborator Contribution | The Cluster of Research Excellence in Migration and Health was co-founded and is co-led by Co-I Jo Vearey from project partner African Centre for Migration and Society (ACMS) at the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa, alongside partner institutions including Co-I Joachim Osure from our project partner Amref International University (AMIU) in Kenya and Co-I Amina Jama Mahmud and Mohamed Ali-Salad from our project partner Somali Institute for Development, Research and Analysis (SIDRA) in Somalia. |
| Impact | The Cluster of Research Excellence (CoRE) in Migration and Health will address the key scientific challenge of identifying and developing solutions, relevant to the social, cultural and political contexts, to address the root causes of poor health among migrants to enhance the positive health outcomes of migration across one of the largest migration corridors globally, the African Union (AU) - European Union (EU) corridor. The corridor includes countries in Africa, Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean and is associated with multiple risk factors for health, determined by varying structural and social contexts. These factors are experienced differently by diverse migrant groups and the communities through which they move, live and work; and change across time and places of origin, transit, destination; and, for some, return. In an increasingly nationalist, xenophobic, and racist world, the varied forms of population movements that connect origins and destinations within and between countries along the AU-EU corridor, and associated health concerns, need to be better understood to develop evidence-informed and contextually relevant interventions, including cross-border interventions. |
| Start Year | 2024 |
| Description | ACMS policy analysis workshop |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | The DiSoCo workshop took place in Johannesburg, South Africa, from 11-15 September 2023, at the African Centre for Migration and Society (ACMS) at the Wits University. The key aims of the workshop were to learn the process of analysing policy and how to communicate/disseminate this through reports and briefs. The expected outcomes for the workshop: 1. Create a policy report with graphics analysing national/sub-national laws/policies of each DiSoCo country (Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Somalia, South Africa) and how inclusive they are to migration, displacement, gender, health, and mental health. 2. Create issue briefs summarising analyses for each country. 3. Agree on the structure and timeline for a joint academic publication based on findings. 4. Create blogs for DiSoCo website outlining findings/reflections from the workshop. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Amref International University (AMIU) Primary Healthcare Congress panel |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | We hosted a 90-minute panel discussion attended by an audience of around forty people, including more than twenty stakeholders of refugee health and rights (including ministry of health representatives and NGOs that deal with refugee health) and five community workers and PHC workers who had been undertaken community engagement during the data collection phase. The main objective of the panel were to: 1) increase awareness on refugee health-seeking behaviours, access to social justice, and health system readiness to support the needs of refugees in Kenya. 2) Share practical challenges in access to healthcare services among refugees in Kenya. 3) Explore the effect of Refugee Health Policy Framework on access to healthcare services by Somali and Congolese refugees in Kenya. 4) Highlight the realities related to the pursuit of quality mental health care services among Somali and Congolese refugees in Nairobi, Kenya. 5) Explore the health service provider perceptions on refugee health care financing in Kenya. 6) Discuss about the disease profile of Somali and Congolese refugees in Nairobi, Kenya 7) Suggest ways forward for improving refugee health. Policy makers and NGOs working with the refugees and asylum seeker promised to take up refugee health seriously and push for development and implementation of refugee-centred policies. There was a call for collaboration and all stakeholder including the communities involvement in implementation of health programmes and policies to improve primary health care in the population. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Amref International University (AMIU) Primary Healthcare Congress presentation - "Displaced populations and access to mental healthcare: exploring multiple perspectives on refugee mental health care" |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | The audience included more than twenty stakeholders of refugee health and rights (including ministry of health representatives and NGOs that deal with refugee health). There was a call for collaboration and all stakeholder including the communities involvement in implementation of health programmes and policies to improve primary health care in the population. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Amref International University (AMIU) Primary Healthcare Congress presentation - "Mental health and structural injustice: A qualitative investigation of interlocking patterns of disadvantage among displaced populations in Nairobi, Kenya" |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | The presentation was part of a panel of six presentations in the main hall attended by around fifty people, including five community workers and PHC workers who had been engaged during the data collection period, as well as the community engagement. After the six presentations, questions were solicited from the audience and the paper presented on structural injustice generated eleven questions, indicating high interest in the topic, especially because it is a quite unusual approach for those working in PHC. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Amref International University (AMIU) Primary Healthcare Congress presentation - "Perception of Health: disintegration and misintegration of refugees in Nairobi, Kenya" |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | The audience included more than twenty stakeholders of refugee health and rights (including ministry of health representatives and NGOs that deal with refugee health). There was a call for collaboration and all stakeholder including the communities involvement in implementation of health programmes and policies to improve primary health care in the population. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Amref International University (AMIU) Primary Healthcare Congress presentation - "The decision-making process in reporting Sexual Violence among Somali refugee women living in Nairobi, Kenya" |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | The audience included more than twenty stakeholders of refugee health and rights (including ministry of health representatives and NGOs that deal with refugee health). There was a call for collaboration and all stakeholder including the communities involvement in implementation of health programmes and policies to improve primary health care in the population. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Concerning 'neglect': exploring the conceptualisation and prioritisation of mental health conditions in protracted displacement contexts |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Presentation by Professor Laura Jeffery at the Edinburgh Mental Health (EMH) Conference. EMH is a University of Edinburgh wide initiative that aims to establish Edinburgh as a future global leader in interdisciplinary mental health research. EMH is an interdisciplinary network that brings together research expertise from across the university, mapping areas of research activity and fostering opportunities for new collaborations and impact/engagement activities. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Drones, dinghies and an army helicopter - why the state's new toys won't help South Africa's response to Covid-19 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Op-Ed by Co-Investigator Jo Vearey and Research Fellow Rebecca Walker based at the University of the Witwatersrand, along with Sally Ganda at the Scalabrini Centre of Cape Town and Francois Venter head of Ezintsha at the University of the Witwatersrand. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2021-01-08-drones-dinghies-and-an-army-helicopter-why-the-st... |
| Description | Eastleigh dissemination workshop |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Representatives from the Nairobi County government, key public and private organisations concerned with refugee affairs, local government leaders including the area chief and sub-chief, community health volunteers, and representatives of refugee population living in the Eastleigh area participated in a dissemination workshop to present findings to and solicit feedback from research participants, the Ministry of Health, and other stakeholders. Objectives: 1) To disseminate the research finding to the refugees and stakeholders working with the refugee communities in Eastleigh and Kawangware. 2) To better understand the policy gaps identified in the study that can be addressed to shape and improve the refugee's access to better and quality healthcare services. 3) Based on the findings to identify relevant information from the attendants which could help to enrich the findings. 4) To hold an open discussion of the findings with the refugees and the stakeholders. Outcomes: 1) The refugees enlightened about their health rights and where they can be able to get health services from. 2) Refugees informed where they can get legal rights help when their rights have been violated. 3) Policy gaps shared with the policy makers and stakeholders and promised to work on the gaps to improve the accessibility of health services among the refugees. 4) Agreement made between the refugees and the government officials to protect their rights. In closing remarks, The CEO of the Kenya Medical Association affirmed their commitment to equitable treatment for all attendees, and encouraged community health volunteers and refugees to share insights with their communities. Dr Kibe emphasised the importance of identifying and supporting refugee community champions. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | EdCMA SIDRA seminar |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Research partner Somali Institute for Research Development and Analysis (SIDRA) led a seminar for The Edinburgh Centre for Medical Anthropology (EdCMA). They discussed the projects work gender, health, and displacement. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | EdCMA conference ARQ/UoE presentation - "Concerning 'neglect': Exploring the conceptualisation and prioritisation of mental health conditions in protracted displacement contexts" |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Paper presentation by project team members from ARQ and the University of Edinburgh on "Concerning 'neglect': Exploring the conceptualisation and prioritisation of mental health conditions in protracted displacement contexts" at the Edinburgh Centre for Medical Anthropology (EdCMA) conference in June 2022 |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022,2023 |
| Description | EdCMA conference Wits presentation - "'For good mental health people need a (safe) place to go': Exploring context, crisis and responses to unmet basic needs amongst Somali and Congolese migrants, asylum seekers and refugees in Johannesburg, South Africa" |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Paper presentation by project team members from the University of the Witwatersrand on "'For good mental health people need a (safe) place to go': Exploring context, crisis and responses to unmet basic needs amongst Somali and Congolese migrants, asylum seekers and refugees in Johannesburg, South Africa" at the Edinburgh Centre for Medical Anthropology (EdCMA) conference in June 2022 |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | EdCMA conference Wits presentation - "The impact of COVID-19 crisis: Exploring support strategies and community-centred approaches among Congolese and Somali communities in Johannesburg, South Africa" |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Paper presentation by project team members from the University of the Witwatersrand on "The impact of COVID-19 crisis: Exploring support strategies and community-centred approaches among Congolese and Somali communities in Johannesburg, South Africa" at the Edinburgh Centre for Medical Anthropology (EdCMA) conference in June 2022 |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | GCRF Protracted Displacement website |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Study participants or study members |
| Results and Impact | A dedicated project website was set up in 2020 to increase the visibility of project outputs and promote wider public engagement. The website is multilingual in English, French, and Somali. The website will host reports of the 2020 work packages 1) led by ACMS at the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg (South Africa) and 2) led by ARQ in the Netherlands. The website will continue to showcase project activities, findings, dissemination events, publications, and other outputs. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020,2021 |
| URL | https://displacement.sps.ed.ac.uk/ |
| Description | GENDER.ED blogpost - "It's not just the war that displaces these people": care and containment for displaced survivors of sexual and gender-based violence" |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Participation in the 16 days of activism against Gender Based Violence Campaign blogathon, organised by the Gendered Research Network and GenderED. This piece is based on aspects of the project, which looks at improving healthcare for internally displaced people in Somalia and DRC,and Somali and Congolese refugees in Kenya and South Africa. The authors reflect on their interviewees' stories on sexual and gender-based violence and the repercussions on those who report these stories. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://16daysblogathon.blog/2022/11/29/day-five-its-not-just-the-war-that-displaces-these-people-ca... |
| Description | GENDER.ED blogpost - "No justice without healing; no healing without justice: Pathways to care for sexual and gender-based violence in Somalia and DRC" |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Participation in the 16 days of activism against Gender Based Violence Campaign blogathon, organised by the Gendered Research Network and GenderED. This blog covered t drew attention to the different pathways of care that sexual violence victim-survivors take to address their needs. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://16daysblogathon.blog/2022/11/29/day-five-no-justice-without-healing-no-healing-without-justi... |
| Description | GENDER.ED poster presentation - "Concerning 'neglect': exploring the conceptualisation and prioritisation of mental health conditions in protracted displacement contexts" |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Poster presentation by the University of Edinburgh team on project research at GENDER.ED annual research showcase, which showcases and promotes teaching, research, knowledge exchange and impact (KEI) in gender and sexualities studies at the University of Edinburgh and beyond. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | GENDER.ED poster presentation - "Intersectional vulnerabilities: Between Gender and Displacement in Nairobi, Kenya" |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Poster presentation by the University of Edinburgh team on project research at GENDER.ED annual research showcase, which showcases and promotes teaching, research, knowledge exchange and impact (KEI) in gender and sexualities studies at the University of Edinburgh and beyond. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | GENDER.ED poster presentation - "Pathways to care: IDPs seeking health support and justice for sexual and gender-based violence through social connections in Garowe and Kismayo, Somalia and South Kivu, DRC" |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Poster presentation by the University of Edinburgh team on project research at GENDER.ED annual research showcase, which showcases and promotes teaching, research, knowledge exchange and impact (KEI) in gender and sexualities studies at the University of Edinburgh and beyond. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Garowe dissemination workshop |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Study participants or study members |
| Results and Impact | The dissemination workshop co-hosted with Puntland Ministry of Interior was aimed at sharing research findings with the various stakeholders including policy makers, internally displaced people and governmental and non-governmental organisations working with IDPs and refugee returnees in Garowe. The specific objectives of the workshops included: bringing together policy makers and IDPs to discuss about the interpretation and meaning of the research findings and their policy and programming implications and applications in service design and delivery; returning to the research participants with an opportunity to reflect and comment on the research findings; promoting the IDP engagement and participation in the discussions about improving health and other basic services for IDPs and refugee returnees; raising awareness about the particular topics and issues that were explored in the research such as the policies and strategies in migration, health, mental health and gender, IDP integration, continuum of care for IDPs (neglected aspects of both physical and mental health) and pathways to justice for survivors of SBGV among the IDPs and refugee returnees. A total of 50 participants including 10 participants from the IDP population, representatives from various Puntland government institutions, international and local NGOs and civil society groups attended the dissemination workshop in Garowe. The dissemination workshop promoted engagement with IDPs and refugee returnees, particularly the research participants, and involved them in the discussions about long terms solutions for and access to services for IDPs. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | Governing Migration and Health in Africa |
| 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 | This project involves many partners across the continent who are documenting governance approaches to migration & health in Africa. This includes collating legislation, policies and frameworks at global, continental, regional, national and sub-national levels. Our aim is to build a user-friendly, open-access repository for policy makers, programmers, non-state actors, researchers and others who are involved in reviewing and developing approaches to improve the governance of migration & health across the continent. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://mighealth-policy-africa.org/ |
| Description | Kawangware dissemination workshop |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Representatives from the Ministry of Health Nairobi County, key public and private organisations concerned with refugee affairs, and representatives of refugee population living in Dagoretti South Subcounty participated in a dissemination workshop to present findings to and solicit feedback from research participants, the Ministry of Health, and other stakeholders. Objectives: 1) To disseminate the research finding to the refugees and stakeholders working with the refugee communities in Eastleigh and Kawangware. 2) To better understand the policy gaps identified in the study that can be addressed to shape and improve the refugee's access to better and quality healthcare services. 3) Based on the findings to identify relevant information from the attendants which could help to enrich the findings. 4) To hold an open discussion of the findings with the refugees and the stakeholders. Outcomes: 1) The refugees enlightened about their health rights and where they can be able to get health services from. 2) Refugees informed where they can get legal rights help when their rights have been violated. 3) Policy gaps shared with the policy makers and stakeholders and promised to work on the gaps to improve the accessibility of health services among the refugees. 4) Agreement made between the refugees and the government officials to protect their rights. In closing remarks, the Ministry of Health representative from the County Government confirmed their commitment to supporting equitable access healthcare services for all the refugees, encouraged refugees to come out and seek health services from the healthcare facilities, and encouraged the community refugee representatives to mobilise refugees to acquire the right documentation and seek health services from qualified health practitioners. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Kismayo dissemination workshop |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Study participants or study members |
| Results and Impact | The dissemination workshop co-hosted with JUCRI was aimed at sharing research findings with the various stakeholders including policy makers, internally displaced people and governmental and non-governmental organisations working with IDPs and refugee returnees in Kismayo. The specific objectives of the workshops included: bringing together policy makers and IDPs to discuss about the interpretation and meaning of the research findings and their policy and programming implications and applications in service design and delivery; returning to the research participants with an opportunity to reflect and comment on the research findings; promoting the IDP engagement and participation in the discussions about improving health and other basic services for IDPs and refugee returnees; raising awareness about the particular topics and issues that were explored in the research such as the policies and strategies in migration, health, mental health and gender, IDP integration, continuum of care for IDPs (neglected aspects of both physical and mental health) and pathways to justice for survivors of SBGV among the IDPs and refugee returnees. A total of 37 participants including 9 participants from the IDP populations, representatives from the various Jubbaland government institution and international and local NGOs attended the dissemination workshop in Kismayo. The dissemination workshop promoted engagement with IDPs and refugee returnees, particularly the research participants, and involved them in the discussions about long terms solutions for and access to services for IDPs. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | Mombasa writing workshop |
| 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 | A writing workshop in Mombasa from 6-9 February 2023 co-organised by project partners Amref and ARQ in collaboration with Intervention journal, which contributed to the development of articles for a special issue. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Mukwege Congress AMREF presentation - "Somali and Congolese refugees in Kenya: The laws, regulations and political realities" |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Presentation at the 2022 Mukwege Congress in DRC, by partner AMREF titled: Somali and Congolese refugees in Kenya: The laws, regulations and political realities |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://chaire-mukwege.uea.ac.cd/en/ |
| Description | Mukwege Congress ARQ presentation - "À Propos de la 'négligence': perspectives sur la hiérarchisation des problèmes de santé mentale dans le contexte des déplacements prolongés" |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Presentation at the 2022 Mukwege Congress by partner ARQ: "À Propos de la 'négligence': perspectives sur la hiérarchisation des problèmes de santé mentale dans le contexte des déplacements prolongés" |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://chaire-mukwege.uea.ac.cd/en/ |
| Description | Mukwege Congress KSPH presentation - "Analysis of policies, laws and directives concerning gender based violence, refugees and Internally Displaced people in DRC" |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Kinshasa School of Public Health (KSPH) presentation at the Mukwege Congress in 2022. Presentation titled: Analysis of policies, laws and directives concerning gender based violence, refugees and Internally Displaced people in DRC |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | http://www.chaire-mukwege.uea.ac.cd/en/ |
| Description | Mukwege Congress SIDRA presentation - "The complex landscape to justice & reparations for SGBV survivors in Somalia" |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Presentation at the 2022 Mukwege Congress by partner SIDRA: The complex landscape to justice & reparations for SGBV survivors in Somalia |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://chaire-mukwege.uea.ac.cd/en/ |
| Description | Mukwege Congress UEA presentation - "Pathways to care" |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Presentation at the Mukwege Congress 2022 by partner UEA, presenting research undertaken by UEA, SIDRA and UoE: Pathways to care: IDPs seeking health support and justice for sexual and gender-based violence through social connections in Garowe and Kismayo, Somalia and South Kivu, DRC |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://chaire-mukwege.uea.ac.cd/en/ |
| Description | Mukwege Congress UoE presentation - Project overview and background |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Presentation at the 2022 Mukwege Congress by the University of Edinburgh giving an overview of the project. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://chaire-mukwege.uea.ac.cd/en/ |
| Description | Mukwege Congress Wits presentation - "When a bad thing happensyou are better only when you are home" |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Presentation at the 2022 Mukwege Congress by partner Wits: "When a bad thing happensyou are better only when you are home" How separation impacts mental health among Congolese and Somalis in Johannesburg, South Africa |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://chaire-mukwege.uea.ac.cd/en/ |
| Description | New UK Gov funding for SPS researchers to take on global sustainable development challenges |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | New UK Gov funding for SPS researchers to take on global sustainable development challenges Edinburgh researchers are tackling some of the biggest global development challenges - from the demands on urban infrastructure caused by climate change and poverty, to improving healthcare and rights among displaced populations - with new funding from the UK Government. Experts at the University of Edinburgh's School of Social and Political Science (SPS) have received a slice of a new £147million investment package from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) for various projects. The awards - from UKRI's Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) Collective Programme - bring together a wide range of researchers from across the UK and developing countries. The aim is to generate innovative solutions to intractable development issues and contribute to enabling healthier and safer lives, sustainable development and prosperity. The funded projects run across UKRI's six strategic GCRF Challenge portfolios: global health; education; sustainable cities; food systems; conflict; and resilience. They are aligned to the UK Government's aid strategy and the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals. The SPS awards include: GCRF Challenge portfolio: Cities and Sustainable Infrastructure Project theme: (Re)thinking the off-grid city: Human infrastructure interactions in the context of urban crisis and urban change SPS projects: Cool Infrastructures: Life With Heat in the Off-Grid City - £1,777,882; PI - Professor Jamie Cross This project aims to benefit people with partial or limited access to electricity in low-income urban settlements across Yaoundé (Cameroon), Karachi (Pakistan), Hyderabad (India), Jakarta (Indonesia) and beyond. Its objectives are to improve access to affordable, sustainable cooling, and reduce the impact of heat waves for these groups. Navigating the grid in the 'world-class city': poverty, gender, and access to services in India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka - £818,748; PI - Professor Jonathan Spencer This project sets out to reduce urban poverty in South Asia by providing workable, context-sensitive solutions to the problems poor communities encounter in accessing key infrastructural services. The team will work with partners in three cities - Lahore, Colombo and Mumbai. GCRF Challenge portfolio: Security, Protracted Conflict, Refugees and Forced Displacement Project theme: Development-based approaches to Protracted Displacement SPS projects: Improving healthcare at the intersection of gender and protracted displacement amongst Somali and Congolese refugees and IDPs - £2,809,679; PI - Professor Laura Jeffery This project aims to help people affected by displacement in Eastern DRC, Somalia, Kenya and South Africa to access appropriate healthcare for long-term physical and mental health conditions associated with protracted displacement, conflict and gendered violence. Maghreb Action on Displacement and Rights (MADAR) Network Plus - £1,871,675; PI is based at Keele University. SPS lead - Professor Laura Jeffery The MADAR project aims to directly impact the lives of those affected by displacement and to enhance the research and advocacy capacity of civil society organisations in the Maghreb and other South-South displacement contexts. Professor Tobias Kelly, Co-Director of Research at the School of Social and Political Science, said: "Researchers at the School of Social and Political Science in Edinburgh have long addressed some of the world's most enduring challenges, providing critical and important insights, as well as supporting practical responses. "These latest projects funded under the GCRF Collective Programme focus on urban development and forced displacement, and will help improve access to healthcare, energy and government services in multiple places across the globe." Full details about UKRI's GCRF Collective Programme are available in this brochure. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| URL | http://www.sps.ed.ac.uk/about/news/2020/new_uk_gov_funding_for_sps_researchers_to_take_on_global_sus... |
| Description | No country for poor people: South African government must act on its motto of 'saving lives and protecting livelihoods' |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Op-Ed by one of our Research Fellows Rebecca Walker based at the University of the Witwatersrand, and her colleague Elsa Oliveira on the impact of covid lockdown and xenophobia on refugee women in Johannesburg. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2021-03-24-no-country-for-poor-people-south-african-governme... |
| Description | Op Ed - "Scapegoating migrants in SA undermines progress on healthcare for all" |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Article written for the Daily Maverick in South Africa. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2022-09-06-scapegoating-migrants-in-sa-undermines-progress-o... |
| Description | SIDRA policy analysis workshop |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | The conference brought together policy makers from the Federal government and Federal Member States of Jubbaland and Puntland, academics, representatives from the donor community and NGOs. It served as a dynamic platform for engaging discussions on displacement, integration and durable solutions, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV), mental health, and other chronic health conditions affecting Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and refugee returnees in Somalia. The findings from the four years of research activities were presented over two days on topics as diverse as displacement and health governance, policy processes, local integration of IDPs and refugee returnees, continuum of care for IDPs and refugee returnees (including identifying common health conditions and existing healthcare providers and services), livelihoods, and access to justice for survivors of SGBV. The participatory nature of the conference enabled the participants to provide comments and feedback on the findings of the research and also present their views, perspectives and experiences on displacement, gender, health, and mental health in Somalia. The participants also debated about the emerging research areas and co-production of innovative interventions to overcome challenges identified in the research. A total of 40 participants attended the conference. The Federal government and Federal Member State representatives included: representative from the Somali National Commission for Refugees and IDPs; Chairman of Jubbaland Commission for Refugees and IDPs; Manager of the Mental Health Department, Federal Ministry of Health; Representative from the Federal Ministry of Labor; Director General of the Ministry of Justice, Jubbaland; Director General of the Ministry of Health, Jubbaland; Director General of Ministry of Health, Puntland; representative from Department of Refugees and IDPs of Puntland Ministry of Interior. The other participants include representatives from USAID, and Canadian Embassy in Nairobi, INGO (GIZ/S4D, Save Life, NCRI, Blue Cross Norway), civil society organisations and academics. The conference was followed on Twitter and Facebook. There were 25 posts related to the two-day conference on Twitter. The conference attracted a total of 11.9K views over the 2 days period. Similarly, the were 28 Facebook posts which reached an audience of 18.8K. The conference served as an opportunity to build collaborative relationship between DiSoCo team (particularly SIDRA Institute) and the various government institutions such as the Ministries of health, the mental health department, JUCRI and Puntland Ministry of Interior on the improving services for IDPs and refugee returnees. The conference provided validation and informative feedback on the research findings. It also facilitated the meeting of senior government officials from different governments institutions and levels (Federal and Federal Member States) in a dialogue and knowledge and experience exchange. The new Chairman of JUCRI remarked that this workshop was the best orientation to his new workplace and role. He said that he had learned a lot and at the same time had an opportunity to challenge some of the findings. A number of international NGOs such as CIDA, IRC and GIZ requested the research publications. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://twitter.com/SIDRAInstitute/status/1732084946104177014 |
| Description | Social Connections online methods training module |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Study participants or study members |
| Results and Impact | QMU and UoE co-designed and recorded (and translated from English into French where necessary) materials with which to facilitate weeklong online training in QMU's Social Connections method for the project's field research teams in the project's field countries (Somalia, DRC, Kenya, South Africa). The online Social Connections methods training module was piloted with the project's field research team at SIDRA in Mogadishu (Somalia) over the course of a week in November 2020. Following the pilot, in 2021 the online Social Connections methods training module was rolled out with the project's field research teams at SIDRA in Garowe (Somalia), UEA Bukavu (Eastern DRC), Amref in Nairobi (Kenya), and ACMS at the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg (South Africa), including focus group discussions with displaced populations in project field sites. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020,2021 |
| Description | Social connections, care and integration workshop |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Study participants or study members |
| Results and Impact | 16 people attended a workshop on social connections, care and integration workshop, which contributed to the development of articles for a special issue |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Your home is the place you can't return to, and the place where you are doesn't appear to want you - Blog post |
| 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 | Blog post by by one of our Research Fellows Rebecca Walker based at the University of the Witwatersrand. The post highlights mental health issues amongst mostly displaced populations in Johannesburg, South Africa. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | https://displacement.sps.ed.ac.uk/2021/04/05/your-home-is-the-place-you-cant-return-to-and-the-place... |