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Social Science and Epidemics

UNICEF/Boujrada
On 7 August 2019, (right) Jean Louison Miango Makunda, UNICEF Burundi’s Communication for Development (C4D) consultant on Ebola preparedness, goes door-to-door in Gatumba, Burundi, to inform community members about the Ebola virus disease. He and his team distributed leaflets outlining the risks and symptoms of Ebola as well as prevention techniques, including basic hygiene practices such as frequent and proper hand washing. The ongoing outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which started in August 2018, has been declared a health emergency of international concern. The risk of the outbreak spreading into neighboring border…

Considerations from previous outbreaks of Ebola, Cholera, Rift Valley Fever, Influenza and SARS.

This collection collates reports, case studies and tools from the ‘Social Science in Epidemics’ series. In this series, different aspects of past disease outbreaks are reviewed in order to identify social science ‘entry points’ for emergency interventions and preparedness activities.

The case studies compile successful examples of integration of social science knowledge into operational responses.

The collection also includes a series of tools that enable social scientists and practitioners to identify key considerations from a social science perspective when designing or implementing epidemic response activities in a particular context.

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  • Case studies
  • Practical approaches
  • Social science lessons learned

Case studies

Photo credit: © UNICEF/Oatway
Case Studies

Enhancing Community Engagement Through Data Collection: Controlling the Cholera Epidemic in Mozambique

Case study focusing on post-cyclone cholera response activities
SSHAP
2020
UNICEF/Naftalin
Case Studies

Real-Time Ebola Community Feedback Mechanism

Case study examining misinformation and mistrust in the Ebola epidemic
SSHAP
2020
EU/ECHO/Martin Karimi | CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Case Studies

Understanding Sociocultural Dynamics to Enhance Control of Rift Valley Fever (RVF) Epidemics in Kenya

Case study addressing the issue of food shortage and economic losses
SSHAP
2020
UNICEF/Kesner
Case Studies

Balancing Burial Rituals with Public Health Demands During the 2014 Guinean Ebola Epidemic

Case study addressing resistance to Ebola response measures
SSHAP
2020
UNICEF/Kesner
Case Studies

Learning the Lessons of Crisis: Mobilising Knowledge During a Global Health Emergency

Case study addressing issues around knowledge sharing, focusing on the example of Ebola
SSHAP
2020
EU/ECHO/Martin Karimi | CC BY-ND 2.0
Case Studies

Rift Valley Fever: Local Knowledge, Health-Seeking Behaviours and Attitudes Towards Vaccination in Southern Uganda

Case study addressing the challenge of vaccine uptake and regulating the unknown
Central and East Africa Hub
SSHAP
2020
UNICEF/Torrecilla
Case Studies

Building a Community Health Worker Programme During the Ebola Outbreak in Sierra Leone

Case study looking into the challenge of a lack of trust and referrals to biomedical health care
SSHAP
2020
UNICEF/LeMoyne
Case Studies

Participation with a Cholera-Exposed Population in Haiti: Finding their Own Solutions

Case study looking at the challenge of cholera in Haiti
SSHAP
2020
UNICEF/Jallanzo
Case Studies

Beyond the Biomedical: Ebola Response and Recovery Through a Psychosocial Lens

Humanitarian responders must look beyond the biomedical lens to ensure successful interventions across global health programmes
SSHAP
2020
UNICEF | UNI181419 | Syzdlik
Case Studies

People, Poultry and Pandemics: Risk Communication and Community Engagement in Indonesia

This SSHAP Case Study illustrates how the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) worked in 2006-07 to support the Indonesian government in response to avian influenza outbreaks. The agency provided social mobilisation and education programmes to schools and villages in affected…
UNICEF, IDS & Anthrologica
2020

Practical approaches

Tools

Citizen Ethnography in Outbreak Response: Guidance for Establishing Networks of Researchers

This guidance outlines the steps for designing and implementing ethnographic research which is led by citizens. It explains what citizen ethnography is and then sets out what should be considered throughout the process of working with networks of citizen researchers,…
SSHAP
UNICEF/Naftalin
Tools

Social Science Research for Vaccine Deployment in Epidemic Outbreaks

Why is social science vital for effective vaccine trials?
SSHAP
2020
UNICEF/La Rose
Tools

Rapid Appraisal of Key Health-Seeking Behaviours in Epidemics

How to identify health-seeking behaviours
SSHAP
2020
UNICEF/Tesfaye
Tools

Rapid Anthropological Assessments in the Field

Exploring data collection methods and question modules
SSHAP
2020
UNICEF/Jallonzo
Tools

Rapid Remote Context Analysis Tool (RR-CAT) in Epidemics

Methodologies for use during remote context analysis
SSHAP
2020
UNICEF/UNI177688/UNMEER Martine Perret
Tools

Assessing Key Considerations for Burial Practices, Death and Mourning in Epidemics

Highlighting key considerations for rapidly appraising burial/funerary practices and beliefs around death/dying during an epidemic.
SSHAP
2020
UNICEF/UN0229877/Naftalin
Tools

Taking a Psychosocial Approach to Epidemic Response

This Practical Approaches brief highlights key considerations for taking a psychosocial approach to working in the context of an epidemic. Public health emergencies can cultivate fear, anger and grief, and deeply impact the wider social fabric. Exposure to disease is…
SSHAP
2020

Social science lessons learned

EU/ECHO/Eunice Maina | CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Evidence Reviews

Social Science in Epidemics: Rift Valley Fever Lessons Learned

Summary and background reports offering recommendations on risk communication and local frameworks among other topics.
SSHAP
2019
UNICEF/UN0235946/Nybo
Evidence Reviews

Social Science in Epidemics: Influenza and SARS Lessons Learned

Summary and background reports exploring transmission, surveillance and other aspects of outbreaks.
SSHAP
2019
UNICEF/UN0228986/Naftalin
Evidence Reviews

Social Science in Epidemics: Ebola Virus Disease Lessons Learned

Summary and background reports offering recommendations on local customs, health care systems and other topics.
SSHAP
2019
UNICEF/LeMoyne
Evidence Reviews

Cholera

Summary and background reports exploring topics such as infrastructure and stigma.
SSHAP
2018
Photo credit: © UNICEF/Oatway
Case Studies

Enhancing Community Engagement Through Data Collection: Controlling the Cholera Epidemic in Mozambique

Case study focusing on post-cyclone cholera response activities
SSHAP
2020
Photo credit: © UNICEF/Oatway
Case Studies

Enhancing Community Engagement Through Data Collection: Controlling the Cholera Epidemic in Mozambique

Case study focusing on post-cyclone cholera response activities
SSHAP
2020

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