Working to Advance
Health Equity in Africa

Webinar: From Health to Well-Being: Extending the Scope of Economic Evaluation

  ABOUT THE SPEAKER   Jason Madan is a Professor of Health Economics at Warwick Medical School, UK. His career has involved applied and methodological research in the economic evaluation of healthcare. He has conducted and led health economic research across the world, with particular experience in infectious diseases, mental health, screening and diagnosis, rehabilitation, and health system strengthening.   ABOUT THE WEBINAR   There is growing interest in well-being as a policy goal. Public investment in interventions to i...

College Research Day 2023 – Presenter Prize

Emma won a presenter prize at College Research Day for best research paper. College Research Day was held on 12 October 2023 in Durban (Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa). Her presentation focused on examining vaccine uptakes rates amongst HCWs in South Africa in relation to socio-demographic factors, attitudes and perceptions of COVID-19 and the available vaccines, and against context-specific factors.

College Research Day 2023

Phiwe and Emma presented at UKZN College Research Day on 12 October 2023. Phiwe’s presentation focused on determining vaccine uptake among Healthcare Workers (HCW) in South Africa whilst identifying what drives vaccine hesitancy among HCWs. Emma’s presentation focused on examining vaccine uptakes rates amongst HCWs in South Africa in relation to socio-demographic and context-specific factors as well as perceptions of COVID-19 and vaccination.

International Conference of Annual Africa Research Group 2023: The proposed maternal and newborn health care program implementation and integration strategy for Rwandan health care system

  One of HEARD’s PhD graduates, Dr Clemence Nishimwe, co-authored a paper for the 7th international Conference of Annual Africa Research Group which took place from 27 to 30 August 2023. The paper was declared ‘Best Social Impact Paper’ of the entire gathering—quite an accolade for a newly-established scholar.   It is a delight for everyone at HEARD to see Clemence establishing herself as an intellectual innovator and practical leader and we’re certain to hear more of her accomplishments in the near future.   Our congratulat...

Public Health Association of South Africa (PHASA) conference 2023: Examining Healthcare Workers’ Willingness to Promote COVID-19 Vaccines in South Africa

Dr Phiwe Nota presented at the PHASA 2023 conference in Gebeqa (Port Elizabeth, South Africa), which was held from 10 to 13 September 2023. Her presentation focused on examining Healthcare Workers' Willingness to Promote COVID-19 Vaccines in South Africa. The study investigated the readiness of healthcare workers to endorse COVID-19 vaccines, analysing how this willingness correlated with their vaccination behaviour, attitudes, perceived knowledge, and communication skills.

Webinar: Research methods for working with marginalised populations considered ‘hard-to-reach’ or ‘hidden’ to researchers

  ABOUT THE SPEAKER   Dr Liz Fearon is an infectious disease epidemiologist and lecturer at the Institute for Global Health at University College London. She has experience conducting research among minoritized and marginalised populations including sex workers and gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM) in East and Southern Africa and in the UK, groups who are heavily affected by HIV. Her experience includes conducting HIV prevention needs assessments, designing and analysing epidemiological surveys, intervention evaluations, ...

Exploring the Influence of Intersectional Stigma on Uptake and Retention in ART Programmes for Selected Young Key Populations in Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe

  Across the southern African region, individuals from key populations, particularly young men who have sex with men (MSM) and young transgender women, have become priorities for HIV programming, including those already living with HIV.  The efforts to reach these groups take place in a context where the risks of stigma, discrimination and violence remain acute, based on sexual orientation, gender identity and health status, and where little is know about the influence of these factors on uptake and retention on anti-retroviral treatment (ART) and other h...

Institute for Disease Modelling Conference 2023: The Use of Preference Modelling for Understanding COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy

Michael Strauss presented at the Institute for Disease Modelling Conference in Seattle, Washington, which was held from 22 to 24 May 2023. His presentation was about using Preference Modelling to understand COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy. The research that he presented showed that vaccine effectiveness was the strongest driver of preferences, with the number of doses, and the frequency of boosters being significant drivers of choice regarding vaccination. Waiting time and the possibility of a financial incentive for vaccination were also significant in participantsâ€...

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS   Russell Armstrong is a senior research officer at HEARD. Since joining HEARD in 2017, he has led multi-country research projects in the African region on a range of topics, including access to HIV treatment, human rights, young key populations, and organisational development for advocacy for global health. He is also a senior technical consultant with a 20-year track record of supporting human rights and key population programming for governmental and nongovernmental stakeholders across the African continent.   Patrick Ny...

ABOUT THE SPEAKER   Dr David Wilson is a Programme Director in the Health Nutrition and Population practice. He is Team Leader for the COVID-19 Fast Track Facility and the Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Fund. Wilson has worked in approximately 65 countries on all continents, including many fragile and conflict situations in Africa, the Middle East, South Asia and the Pacific. He has a long history of work in HIV and was previously appointed as the World Bank’s Global HIV/AIDS Program Director since 2010.   ABOUT THE WEBINAR &...