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Search within Central and East Africa, Health, wellbeing and care,
147 results found
Question Bank
Tools
Mpox question bank: Qualitative questions for community-level data collection frpt
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…
Briefing
Cross-border dynamics between Burundi and Tanzania in the context of viral haemorrhagic fever outbreaks, 2025 fr
This brief summarises key considerations regarding cross-border dynamics between Burundi and Tanzania in the context of viral haemorrhagic fever (VHF) outbreaks in Tanzania and Uganda.
Briefing
Mpox in the Busia-Malaba border region linking Uganda and Kenya
This brief summarises how mpox is perceived and managed in the Busia-Malaba border region that links eastern Uganda and western Kenya.
Briefing
Key considerations: Home-based care for mpox in Central and East Africa
This brief outlines key considerations on health system requirements for safe and inclusive home-based care for mpox.
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.
Briefing
Social, structural and community dynamics of cholera transmission and mortality in Ethiopia am
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.
Briefing
Child engagement in the context of disease outbreaks in Eastern and Southern Africa arfrptessw
This brief explores why, when and how to engage children in the prevention, response and recovery stages of disease outbreaks.
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…
Report
Roundtable Report: Discussion on mpox in DRC and social science considerations for operational response fr
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…
Briefing
Risk communication and community engagement for mpox vaccination in eastern DRC fr
This Key Considerations brief presents social and political considerations for the design and implementation of vaccination-related risk communication and community engagement (RCCE) strategies for mpox in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
Briefing
Mpox, mining, and vulnerabilities of women and children in eastern DRC fr
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.
Report
Meeting report: Mpox and discrimination in African settings fr
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.
Research paper
Psychosocial health in adolescent unmarried motherhood in rural Uganda: Implications for community-based collaborative mental health education, and empowerment strategies in the prevention of depression and suicide
Using co-produced Open Space and ethnographic methods, we examined the psychosocial impact of unmarried motherhood on girls and their communities, and explored problem-solving with key local stakeholders. Findings indicate that girls experience extreme stress, social exclusion and rejection by their…
Research paper
Exploring the effects of COVID-19 on family planning: results from a qualitative study in rural Uganda following COVID-19 lockdown
The COVID-19 pandemic has likely affected the already high unmet need for family planning in low- and middle-income countries. This qualitative study used Andersen’s Behavioral Model of Health Service Use as a theoretical framework to explore the possible ways in…
Research paper
Challenges and commonly used countermeasures in the implementation of lifelong antiretroviral therapy for PMTCT in Central Uganda: Health providers’ perspective
Uganda has implemented lifelong antiretroviral therapy for the prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission since September 2012. Implementation of this strategy has been met with health provider and client challenges which have persisted up to date. This study explored providers’ perspectives…
Research paper
After all, we are all sick: multi-stakeholder understanding of stigma associated with integrated management of HIV, diabetes and hypertension at selected government clinics in Uganda
Integrated care is increasingly used to manage chronic conditions. In Uganda, the integration of HIV, diabetes and hypertension care has been piloted, to leverage the advantages of well facilitated and established HIV health care provision structures. This qualitative study aimed…
Briefing
Cross-Border Dynamics Between Uganda and South Sudan in the Context of the Outbreak of Ebola, 2022
This Key Considerations brief looks at cross-border dynamics between South Sudan and Uganda in the context of the 2022 outbreak of Ebola in Uganda, and the risk of the spread of the virus into South Sudan.
Briefing
Cross-Border Dynamics Between Uganda and Kenya in the Context of the Outbreak of Ebola, 2022
This brief summarises key considerations concerning cross-border dynamics between Uganda and Kenya in the context of the outbreak of Ebola (Sudan Virus Disease, SVD) in Uganda. It is part of a series focusing on at-risk border areas between Uganda and…
Briefing
Cross-Border Dynamics Between Uganda and Tanzania in the Context of the Outbreak of Ebola, 2022
This brief summarises key considerations concerning cross-border dynamics between Tanzania and Uganda in the context of the outbreak of Ebola (Sudan Virus Disease, SVD) in Uganda. It is part of a series focusing on at-risk border areas between Uganda and…
Research paper
Therapy in Uganda: a failed MHPSS approach in the face of structural issues
The past 30 years have seen an unprecedented rise in attention towards the mental health of conflict-affected populations. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that the burden of mental disorder among conflict-affected individuals may be as high as 22% and…
Research paper
A man never cries: barriers to holistic care for male survivors of sexual violence in eastern DRC
While we know that most male survivors of conflict-related sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) do not have access to care, little attention has been devoted to a systematic analysis of why this is so. Drawing…
Research paper
Clinical trials as disease control? The political economy of sleeping sickness in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (1996–2016)
Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT), commonly known as sleeping sickness, is closer than ever to being eliminated as a public health problem. The main narratives for the impressive drop in cases allude to drugs discovery and global financing and coordination. They raise questions…
Research paper
“There are many fevers”: Communities’ perception and management of Febrile illness and its relationship with human animal interactions in South-Western Uganda
Diagnosing the causative agent of febrile illness in resource-limited countries is a challenge in part due to lack of adequate diagnostic infrastructure to confirm cause of infection. Most febrile illnesses (>60%) are non-malarial, with a significant proportion being zoonotic and…
Research paper
A qualitative study exploring parent–daughter approaches for communicating about sex and transactional sex in Central Uganda: Implications for comprehensive sexuality education interventions
Ugandan adolescent girls and young women are disproportionately impacted by human immunodeficiency virus, and this is largely driven by their engagement in transactional sex. Globally, parent–daughter communication about sex is associated with increased contraceptive use and delayed/decreased sexual activity, but…
Research paper
“We saw that jealousy can also bring violence”: A qualitative exploration of the intersections between jealousy, infidelity and intimate partner violence in Rwanda and Uganda
Efforts to prevent intimate partner violence (IPV) have been informed by emerging research on common triggers of IPV and the importance of engaging with couple dynamics. This paper reports on secondary data analysis from the qualitative evaluations of the SASA!…
Research paper
Barriers of HIV treatment-seeking behavior among youths living with HIV in Uganda: a qualitative study
This study aimed to explore experienced barriers to seek human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) treatment and care among youth living with HIV and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) in Uganda. The study demonstrated that barriers to using HIV care included fear of…
Research paper
Male partners of female sex workers: The intersectional risk environment of HIV/AIDS in a Kampala informal settlement
This study examined the context and drivers of HIV risk and vulnerability among male partners of female sex workers in Kampala, Uganda, using an “intersectional risk environment” framework.
Blog
Social media and trust in strangers have grown Uganda’s market for COVID-19 treatments
The COVID-19 pandemic in Uganda has coincided with an ‘epidemic’ of misinformation, spread in part through social media platforms such as WhatsApp. Against a backdrop of unaffordable formal healthcare, this has grown the market for herbal and traditional treatments, with…
Thesis
Antibiotics in Society: a multi-sited ethnography in rural and urban Uganda
This thesis employed a multi-sited ethnographic approach in urban and rural settings in Uganda to study the social and economic factors that shape antibiotic use. It found that these included everyday insecurities, availability of resources, and professional and patient expectations…
Research paper
Reconciling imperatives: Clinical guidelines, antibiotic prescribing and the enactment of good care in lower-level health facilities in Tororo, Uganda.
Faced with the threat of antimicrobial resistance, health workers are urged to reduce unnecessary prescription of antimicrobials. Clinical guidelines are expected to form the basis of prescribing. Emerging through evaluations of best practice, guidelines also create benchmarks to assess practice…
Research paper
Antibiotic Arrivals in Africa: A Case Study of Yaws and Syphilis in Malawi, Zimbabwe and Uganda
The significance of the ways in which antibiotics co-constituted colonial regimes has not been systematically described. Through a case study of yaws and syphilis, this article traces arrivals of antibiotics in Malawi, Zimbabwe, and Uganda. We draw attention to the…
Research paper
Use of Services among Female Sex Workers Receiving a Comprehensive HIV Enhanced Prevention Intervention in Kampala, Uganda: A Cross-sectional Study
We estimated the prevalence and factors associated with the use of a dedicated HIV prevention, care, and treatment service for female sex workers (FSWs) in Kampala, Uganda. Between October 2017 to January 2018, we conducted a cross-sectional study among FSWs…
Research paper
Relational Factors and HIV Testing Practices: Qualitative Insights from Urban Refugee Youth in Kampala, Uganda
This paper explores perspectives, experiences, and preferences for social support in HIV testing among refugee youth aged 16–24 in Kampala, Uganda.
Research paper
A qualitative study to explore dietary knowledge, beliefs, and practices among pregnant women in a rural health zone in the Democratic Republic of Congo
This paper shows that various social, economic, and environmental factors within the local community influenced dietary practices among pregnant women in rural DRC. A comprehensive approach is required to improve nutrition, and address food insecurity, cultural practices and improve the…
Research paper
Examining Masculinities to Inform Gender-Transformative Violence Prevention Programs: Qualitative Findings From Rakai, Uganda
Evidence-based programs are needed to engage men and boys that encourage the transformation of concepts of masculinity that uphold patterns of intimate partner violence (IPV). This study explores the constructs of masculinity and male gender norms surrounding sexual attitudes and…
Research paper
Him Leaving Me – That is My Fear Now: A Mixed Methods Analysis of Relationship Dissolution Between Ugandan Pregnant and Postpartum Women Living with HIV and Their Male Partners
High rates of relationship dissolution among pregnant women living with HIV (PWLHIV) and their male partners might increase mothers’ and children’s vulnerability to financial hardship and poor health outcomes. This mixed methods analysis identified factors associated with separation between PWLHIV…