Epidemic preparedness and response Archives - Social Science in Humanitarian Action Platform

Article

Contextual note: Funeral practices in Ituri

This note is the second produced by "the collective for Ituri", an informal network primarily driven by social scientists who provide contextual information for the response to the Bundibugyo Ebola epidemic in Ituri, eastern DRC. This note expands on the…

HAL Open Science

2026

EVENT
17 June 2026
Re-thinking pandemic preparedness

Re-thinking pandemic preparedness

This hybrid seminar hosted at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine on 17 June 2026 will explore the current landscape of pandemic preparedness, who it serves and what learnings can be taken from social science research to better inform future preparedness.

news

New interdisciplinary network to respond to health emergencies and natural hazards

4th June 2026

A new UK Government-funded network will extend the work of SSHAP to include a wider range of disciplinary expertise for response and a more extensive hazard focus, including natural hazards in addition to health.

Briefing

Recommendations: Rapid Synthesis of Social and Behavioural Science learnings on Ebola for the Bundibugyo Virus Outbreak (2026) Ituri, DRC

A rapid synthesis of lessons learned from prior Ebola social and behavioural science (SBS) research to highlight critical insights for locally adapted and contextually informed response efforts.

Multi-Hazard Research Network

2026

Briefing

Ituri Ebola Outbreak 2026 (DRC) – Summary overview of context

This note details relevant contextual factors in Ituri Province, DRC, to inform the response to the outbreak of Ebola disease caused by Bundibugyo virus.

Multi-Hazard Research Network

2026

Briefing

Key considerations: the context of North Kivu province, DRC

This brief summarises key considerations about the context of North Kivu province in relation to the outbreak of Ebola in the DRC, August 2018.

SSHAP

2018

blog

“African concerns are global concerns”: Discussions at an Mpox Symposium in Kinshasa, DRC

Members of SSHAP participated in the State-of-the-art Symposium in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, in December 2025. This blog shares insights from the Symposium; considers the important of social and behavioural science and the existing evidence gaps; and lessons for global health security.

Megan Schmidt-Sane, Diane Duclos, Hayley MacGregor

10 Feb 2026

Case study

SSHAP learning note: Building a localised approach

This learning note shares insights, experiences and lessons from SSHAP's approach to the localisation of its operational responses in sub-Saharan Africa.

Central and East Africa Hub

West Africa Hub

SSHAP

2025

blog

Aid cuts and healthcare devastation in South Sudan

Among the countries worst affected from the sudden and wide-ranging US aid cuts is South Sudan. South Sudan relies on international assistance to provide basic services to its people. Cuts will devastate its healthcare system, including its ability to prepare for and respond to infectious disease outbreaks.

Central and East Africa Hub

Leben Moro

6 Apr 2025

blog

Learning from an evolving public health emergency to guide responses to mpox in Africa

As mpox continues to spread within the Democratic Republic of Congo and neighbouring countries, concern is growing over how best to respond to this second mpox Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). Research in Nigeria during the first PHEIC points to the importance of involving affected community perspectives.

West Africa Hub

Michael Kunnuji, Olufunke Adegoke, Megan Schmidt-Sane, Hayley MacGregor, Akanni Lawanson, Syed Abbas, Ayodele Jegede

20 Mar 2025

Research paper

Diagnosis, treatment, and management of mpox in urban informal settlements in southwestern Nigeria: an ethnographic approach

This paper, based on an ethnographic study in southwestern Nigeria, seeks to contribute to a more nuanced understanding of not only the health care access barriers, but the complex geographical, economic, and sociocultural factors that shape how and when people…

West Africa Hub

BMC Public Health

2025

Research paper

Mpox and the men who have sex with men (MSM) community in Nigeria: Exploratory insights from MSM and persons providing healthcare services to them

This paper explores mpox awareness, knowledge, and experiences among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Lagos, Nigeria, to provides insights to improve Nigeria's mpox response and inform similar public health efforts in Africa where MSM criminalisation complicates MSM…

West Africa Hub

Global Public Health

2025

Question Bank

Tools

Viral haemorrhagic fevers question bank

This Question Bank is relevant to outbreaks where person-to-person transmission has been identified as significant to an outbreak's spread and where patient experiences must be understood for a community-centred response.

SSHAP

2025

Briefing

Outbreak of Marburg virus disease in Rwanda, October 2024

Key Considerations regarding the outbreak of Marburg virus disease in Rwanda, including national response capabilities, local governance structures, and regional and economic implications.

Central and East Africa Hub

SSHAP

2024

Report

Meeting report: Mpox and discrimination in African settings

This report summarises contributions from speakers and participants at a Social Science in Humanitarian Action Platform (SSHAP)-organised online meeting to discuss mpox and discrimination issues in African settings, and operational responses to mpox that are contextually sensitive.

Central and East Africa Hub

SSHAP

2024

Briefing

Epidemic/pandemic preparedness in Brazil amongst transnational migrants

This Fellows brief analyses the Brazilian response to COVID-19 regarding transnational migrants and considers how to build a preparedness considerate of migrants’ rights, cultures and political demands.

SSHAP

2024

Briefing

Balancing epidemic preparedness and response with humanitarian protection in Ugandan refugee settlements

This brief presents considerations for preparedness and response, focusing on refugee settlements in north Uganda and drawing on ethnographic data collected during COVID-19.

Central and East Africa Hub

SSHAP

2024

Question Bank

Tools

Mpox question bank: Qualitative questions for community-level data collection

A Question Bank for use by field teams and local research teams working in communities with mpox transmission and those at risk of transmission with the aim of supporting the collection and use of consistent and high-quality social and behavioural…

Central and East Africa Hub

SSHAP

2025

blog

Cross-border learning to enhance the contribution of social science to humanitarian action

Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) is a critical component of cholera outbreak response. Sharing insights, strategies, and best practices for RCCE from national and regional efforts to combat cholera can enable actors to co-create solutions to common challenges and help pave the way towards stronger and more empowered communities.

Ginger A. Johnson, Rachel James, Sophie Everest, Nadine Beckmann

8 Sep 2024

blog

Rapid qualitative assessments: harnessing the explanatory power of social science for people-centred emergency response

Equipping people working in community engagement and communications during humanitarian crises with the knowledge to use social science research can enable them to generate robust, rigorous and context-relevant socio-behavioural evidence to inform interventions and policymaking. Ginger Johnson highlights the important work of Collective Service partners to support governmental and non-governmental…

Ginger A. Johnson

28 Aug 2024

Briefing

Mpox, mining, and vulnerabilities of women and children in eastern DRC

This Key Considerations brief presents considerations for contextualising and responding to the mpox outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, focusing on women and children living and working in artisanal and small-scale mining areas.

Central and East Africa Hub

2024

Report

How can epidemic preparedness and response be improved in the Central and East African Borderlands?

This workshop report offers recommendations and reflects on discussions from a workshop attended by social scientists, policymakers, and humanitarian and public health practitioners from Uganda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Sudan that was facilitated and hosted by…

Central and East Africa Hub

SSHAP

2024

blog

A new mpox emergency declared but the politics of global inequities persist

In this blog, Hayley MacGregor considers how the surge of mpox cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and beyond underscores the need for urgent global action, stronger health systems and ongoing investment in pandemic preparedness.

Central and East Africa Hub

Hayley MacGregor

19 Aug 2024

Background report

Epidemic preparedness and response in Senegal

This report summarises a roundtable discussion which aimed to share strategic information from social science research, help actors in epidemic preparedness and response put in place targeted and appropriate interventions, and highlight the roles social science researchers can play in…

West Africa Hub

SSHAP

2024

blog

Improving outbreak preparedness and response in Enugu State, Nigeria

The Social Science in Humanitarian Action Platform (SSHAP) supported the Enugu State Primary Health Care Development Agency and the Enugu State Ministry of Health to strengthen their qualitative research capacity to improve preparedness for disease outbreak. This blog shares learning from the process.

West Africa Hub

Joe Taylor

30 Jul 2024

news

SSHAP hosts roundtable discussion on the mpox outbreak in the DRC

11th June 2024

Contextual social, political and livelihood understandings, factors affecting care-seeking and challenges to vaccination rollout were among the on-the-ground realities relating to mpox spread that experts discussed.

Central and East Africa Hub

Report

Roundtable Report: Discussion on mpox in DRC and social science considerations for operational response

This report synthesises the discussions at a SSHAP-organised roundtable on the mpox outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo held in May 2024 to appraise the situation, with a focus on social science insights for informing context-sensitive risk communication…

Central and East Africa Hub

SSHAP

2024

news

Social science in Senegal’s epidemic preparedness and response: Bringing stakeholders together

7th June 2024

To facilitate reflection on epidemic preparedness and response in Senegal, and the role played by the social sciences in this process, a roundtable event was held in Dakar in December 2023. Read more about the event in this short news item by Khoudia Sow and Mariam Ballo Boyon.

West Africa Hub

Briefing

Effective vaccine rollout and uptake in Sierra Leone

This Key Considerations brief proposes key considerations for ongoing vaccination efforts in Sierra Leone, including for the hepatitis vaccine and new malaria vaccine (RTS,S/AS01 (RTS,S)), offering insights on planning equitable vaccine campaigns for new infections.

West Africa Hub

SSHAP

2024

Infographic

Child engagement in the context of disease outbreaks in Eastern and Southern Africa

This infographic, in Arabic, French, Portuguese, Spanish and Swahili as well as English, summarises insights from a recent key considerations brief exploring why, when and how to engage children in the prevention, response and recovery stages of disease outbreak in…

Central and East Africa Hub

SSHAP

2024

Briefing

Child engagement in the context of disease outbreaks in Eastern and Southern Africa

This brief explores why, when and how to engage children in the prevention, response and recovery stages of disease outbreaks.

Central and East Africa Hub

SSHAP

2024

Briefing

Social, structural and community dynamics of cholera transmission and mortality in Ethiopia

This key considerations brief was developed to support response efforts by exploring the social and structural determinants and community dynamics of cholera infection and mortality in Ethiopia.

Central and East Africa Hub

SSHAP

2024

Report

A Study of Socio-Cultural Practices and COVID-19 Preventive Measures in South Sudan

The study principally investigates whether the socio-cultural practices of South Sudanese influence their responses to COVID-19 measures that the Government of South Sudan has adopted to stop the spread of the virus. Its findings record the ways in which they…

Central and East Africa Hub

University of Juba

2020

Policy document

Covid-19 Response Intra-Action Review (IAR) Report, Sierra Leone

This report details the findings of an Intra-Action Review (IAR) that was undertaken on the 22nd & 23rd September 2020, to review the COVID-19 response in Sierra Leone, focusing in particular on Surveillance, Laboratories, Case Management, Risk Communications, Food and…

West Africa Hub

2020

Policy document

Pandemic Influenza Strategic Plan (PISP) Jan 2020 to Dec 2024

The Government of Sierra Leone’s plan for tackling a future influenz\a pandemic, written just before the Covid-19 outbreak.

West Africa Hub

Policy document

National Ebola Recovery Strategy for Sierra Leone 2015–2017

The Sierra Leone government’s immediate post-Ebola strategy for rebuilding the health system during and after the 2014-16 Ebola epidemic

West Africa Hub