The Drum Beat 829 - CI Network Spotlight

• 1. Nambusi Kyegombe - username NambusiKyegombe
   
• From the profile: "an interdisciplinary social scientist with 19 years of experience working in global health and development. [She has]...a development studies background and a keen interest in the bi-directional relationship between health and poverty (and other social and structural drivers of morbidity) from a global health perspective."
   
• Example of knowledge shared: A Qualitative Exploration of the Salience of MTV-Shuga, an Edutainment Programme, and Adolescents' Engagement with Sexual and Reproductive Health Information in Rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, by Nambusi Kyegombe, Thembelihle Zuma, and Siphesihle Hlongwane, et al. - Evaluations show that edutainment programmes such as MTV Shuga can have wide audience reach, strong viewer engagement, and positive impacts on young people's sexual and reproductive health (SRH). This paper examines the extent to which MTV Shuga has influenced young people's engagement with SRH information in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, a setting in which adolescent girls' and young women's HIV incidence is high. In short, MTV Shuga "appears to have had particular salience amongst adolescents, enabling them to animate important and accurate information related to their SRH owing to its educational and youth-friendly design and targeting." [Aug 2022]
   
• 2. Pablo Rodriguez-Bilella - username pablo67@gmail.com
   
• From the profile: "a consulting sociologist, with 20 years of progressively responsible positions in applied and academic social sciences. He is...interested in linking issues of relevance and applicability with high standards of evaluation quality."
   
• Example of knowledge shared: Leaving a Footprint: Stories of Evaluation that Made a Difference, by Pablo Rodríguez Bilella and Esteban Tapella - This book compiles 7 diverse evaluation stories in development contexts that produced positive effects. Scattered throughout Latin America and the Caribbean, the narratives cover evaluation of interventions that worked with children, rural young people, and indigenous women, as well as evaluation of health programmes and university self-evaluation. Through what are meant to be engaging narratives, these change stories identify the factors that allowed evaluation itself - the very process of it - to enhance local development in ways that go beyond the mere use of evaluation results that change policies or programmes. The stories are accompanied by illustrations that aim to reinforce their transformative nature. [Sep 2018]
   
• 3. Jacqui Park - username Jacqui_Park
   
• From the profile: an "editor, journalist, researcher and senior executive with a track record using innovative strategies and human-centered design to tackle big problems and create and grow new ventures. She advises media startups and programs...on revenue and fundraising, audience engagement, design strategies and product development."
   
• Example of knowledge shared: 2023 IPI World Congress - New Frontiers: Press Freedom and Media Innovation in the Age of AI - Videos - The International Press Institute (IPI) hosted the 2023 World Congress and Media Innovation Festival in May 2023 under the theme "New Frontiers: Press freedom and Media innovation in the Age of AI". The event was designed to bring journalists together to explore emerging challenges for press freedom and independent journalism, including a special lens on the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) and other new technologies, all in a global context of rising authoritarianism and pervasive disinformation. Videos are available that share ideas, experiences, and solutions related to a wide range of issues affecting journalism, including digital censorship, surveillance, media capture, and staying safe on the frontlines covering war and protests. [May 2023]
   
• 4. Kennedy Obohwemu - username Dr. Ken
   
• From the profile: an "author, public health physician, researcher, publisher, editor, novelist, playwright, poet, essayist, literary critic, entrepreneur, humanitarian, activist, motivational speaker, social commentator, blogger, and leadership coach..."
   
• Example of knowledge shared: Parental Childhood Vaccine Hesitancy and Predicting Uptake of Vaccinations: A Systematic Review, by Kennedy Obohwemu, Floor Christie-de Jong, and Jonathan Ling - Concern from parents, decision-makers, and the media regarding the safety of recommended immunisations has increased in recent years. Vaccine hesitancy (VH) recognises a continuum between vaccine acceptance and vaccine refusal. The 34 papers in this systematic review recognised the complex nature of VH, evidenced by the range of factors identified as determinants of vaccination behaviour. Based on the constructs of relevant theoretical models, the researchers emphasise the need for parents and stakeholders to be actively engaged in the vaccination decision-making process from an early stage. The researchers observe that only a few of the studies expanded the field of VH research using novel approaches drawn from the core concepts of social cognitive models. [Nov 2022]
   
• 5. Susan Tino - username Susan Tino
   
• From the profile: "a Public Health Specialist with over ten years of experience in the health sector...[who is] accomplished in sexual and reproductive health and strengthening health systems in district, community, and health facility environments."
   
• Example of knowledge shared: Scale-Up and Capacity Building in Behavioral Science to Improve the Uptake of Family Planning and Reproductive Health Services (SupCap) - Implemented by IntraHealth International in partnership with ideas42, this project employed a behavioural design process (define, diagnose, design, test, and scale) to develop an intervention with the goal of increasing postpartum family planning use, couples' communication, and knowledge about contraceptive methods in eastern Uganda. Designed to reach male partners of postpartum women, SupCap consisted of an interactive game, a child spacing planning card, and short messaging service (SMS) messages. One lesson learned: Using human-centred design principles resulted in an intervention that was relevant to the community and produced a sustainable mechanism for continued implementation.
   
• 6. Godfrey Woelk - username Godfrey Woelk
   
• From the profile: "leads and provides technical and management oversight and strategic thinking for the global implementation research activities of the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation.....Previously, Dr. Woelk carried out teaching and research for 20 years at the University of Zimbabwe Medical School..."
   
• Example of knowledge shared: Project ACCLAIM: Intervention Effect on Community Knowledge, Attitudes and Beliefs of Maternal and Child Health and HIV/AIDS in Eswatini, Uganda and Zimbabwe, by N. Bandopadhay, G. B. Woelk, M. P. Kieffer, D. Mpofu, and the Project ACCLAIM Study Group - The Advancing Community-Level Action for Improving MCH/PMTCT (ACCLAIM) study aimed to assess the effect of a package of community interventions on the demand for, uptake of, and retention of HIV-positive pregnant/postpartum women in mother and child health (MCH) and prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission (PMTCT) services. The 3-arm randomised trial occurred from 2013 to 2015 in Eswatini, Uganda, and Zimbabwe. The results show that for both women and men, arm 2 (community leader engagement plus community days) and arm 3 (community leader engagement, community days, and peer groups) led to greater mean score changes than that of arm 1 (community leader engagement only) for at least 2 of the 3 outcome scores. These interventions led to the intended changes in MCH beliefs, HIV stigma, and gender-equitable norms among women in the countries studied. [Mar 2021]
   
• 7. Charlotte Gryseels - username Charlotte Gryseels
   
• From the profile: "works as a post-doctoral researcher at the Socio-Ecological Health Research Unit of the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp....She has focused mainly on the effectiveness of medical interventions; including projects on the acceptability and uptake of malaria preventive measures, social factors impacting on infectious disease transmission dynamics, use of reproductive health services, and COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy."
   
• Example of knowledge shared: Platform for Vaccine Dialogue - Conducted from November 2021 to March 2022, this participatory research project involved development of a pilot intervention to create open dialogue among healthcare workers (HCWs) in Belgium about COVID-19 vaccination concerns. To maximise the potential for engagement, the researchers chose to use a digital (online) platform called Discord to allow HCWs to engage anonymously and asynchronously. One lesson learned: The cultivation of open dialogue entails a tension between helping participants voice and overcome their concerns (e.g., about vaccination) and exposing participants to others' ideas that may exacerbate those concerns. This is the paradox of open dialogue that must be adaptively navigated.
   
• 8. Syed Kamrul Hassan - username Syed Kamrul Hassan
   
• From the profile: "[is Deputy Director of] South Asia Center for Media in Development (SACMID)[,]... a media development organisation fostering media development in Bangladesh as an indispensable part of tackling poverty and enabling Bangladesh attain its development vision."
   
• Example of knowledge shared: Inclusion: Gender Content Monitoring in Selected Media Outlets in Bangladesh - This series of media monitoring reports was developed as part of a project in Bangladesh that sought to investigate how different media represent men and women in their news content. Also available is a position paper that offers recommendations for the way forward for the project and outlines future plans for SACMID's work to improve gender equality in the media. The research, which was conducted by the South Asia Center for Media in Development (SACMID) with the support of Free Press Unlimited (FPU), forms part of the PRIMED (Protecting Independent Media for Effective Development) project in Bangladesh. [2021-2022]
   

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• 9. Rebecca Alban - username Rebecca Alban
   
• From the profile: "[a g]lobal health professional with 10 years of experience in public health program management, implementation, and capacity development."
   
• Example of knowledge shared: Leveraging Community Health Workers as Vaccinators: A Case Study Exploring the Role of Malawi's Health Surveillance Assistants in Delivering Routine Immunization Services, by Rebecca Alban, Emily Gibson, Jenny Payne, and Tafwirapo Chihana - In many countries, community health workers (CHWs) play a key role in demand generation for primary health services, including routine immunisation (RI). As trained, trusted members of their local communities, CHWs are in a position to expand the immunisation workforce and increase vaccination coverage in under-reached communities. However, CHWs are rarely enlisted to administer vaccines. Malawi is one of only a few countries that relies on Health Surveillance Assistants (HSAs), who are CHWs, to administer vaccines. This paper describes the operational and programmatic characteristics of a functional CHW-led RI programme. [May 2023]
   
• 10. Isah Mohammed Bello - username isahbelloh
   
• From the profile: "an Information Management/Monitoring and Evaluation Professional"
   
• Example of knowledge shared: Contribution of Auto-Visual AFP Detection and Reporting (AVADAR) on Polio Surveillance in South Sudan, by Ayesheshem Ademe Tegegne, Sylvester Maleghemi, and Evans Mawa Oliver Bakata, et al. - Surveillance, which relies on timely detection and notification of acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) cases, has been proven effective in many countries that have eradicated polio. However, maintaining a high-quality AFP surveillance system is challenging in hard-to-reach and insecure settings. Auto-Visual AFP Detection and Reporting (AVADAR) is a mobile-based technological intervention deployed in areas with such challenges. This study examines the contribution of the AVADAR community surveillance system to the traditional AFP surveillance system in South Sudan, comparing this approach with other non-AVADAR-implementing counties and documenting lessons learned and best practices. [Jun 2022]
   
• 11. Ricky Cohen - username Ricky Cohen
   
• From the profile: "Director of Health Professions, Infection Prevention, Research and Medical Innovation at Bait Balev; a senior faculty member at the Cheryl Spencer Department of Nursing, University of Haifa, Israel; Researcher & Research Coordinator at the Health and Risk Communication Research Lab, School of Public Health, University of Haifa, Israel; [and] Member of the Board of Directors at "Veahavta Clinic" for refugees and status-less people..."
   
• Example of knowledge shared: Translating a Theory-Based Positive Deviance Approach into an Applied tool: Mitigating Barriers among Health Professionals (HPs) Regarding Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) Guidelines, by Ricky Cohen, Anat Gesser-Edelsburg, and Arvind Singhal, et al. - Hand hygiene (HH) is an essential strategy for preventing healthcare associated infections (HAIs), but compliance remains a problem in many hospitals across the globe. The positive deviance (PD) approach identifies the behavioural practices of positively deviant individuals within a community and builds a social network to distribute and implement these practices over time. This paper proposes an applied, PD-inspired tool to increase health professionals' adherence to infection prevention and control guidelines, such as HH, to prevent HAIs in Israel. [Jun 2022]
   
• 12. Engelbertus Wendratama - username Wendratama
   
• From the profile: "is a researcher at PR2Media, a media policy and regulation think tank in Indonesia. His work has appeared in various publications covering journalism, disinformation, and digital governance."
   
• Example of knowledge shared: Violence Against Female Journalists in Indonesia: A Threat to Journalism and Freedom of the Press, by Engelbertus Wendratama, Rahayu, and Novi Kurnia, et al. - This report shares the results of research that was conducted to map and identify various forms of both digital and physical violence perpetrated against female journalists in Indonesia. It sought to produce nationally representative data looking at the extent and nature of the violence, the most common sources of violence, and how female journalists are responding to it. Based on the findings, the research proposes several recommendations, such as: Conduct various types of training for female journalists so they are better able to prevent or address violence in both digital and physical domains. [Mar 2022]
   
• 13. Kate Leventhal - username kateleventhal
   
• From the profile: "[is] Chief Program Officer at CorStone and PhD candidate at University of Edinburgh, Clinical Psychology."
   
• Example of knowledge shared: Example of knowledge shared: Promoting Wellbeing and Empowerment via Youth First: Exploring Psychosocial Outcomes of a School-based Resilience Intervention in Bihar, India , by Katherine S. Leventhal, Peter L. Cooper, and Lisa M. DeMaria, et al. - CorStone's Youth First is a school-based psychosocial resilience programme that seeks to improve the mental, physical, social, and educational wellbeing of early adolescents in India, Kenya, and Rwanda. This study, conducted in Bihar, India, observed Youth First participants' inter- and intra-personal psychosocial skills and attitudes, contrasting these skills and attitudes with those of a control group that did not attend Youth First. "Overall, adolescents who participated in Youth First exhibited high-level inter- and intra-personal psychosocial skills, understanding, and attitudes, spanning problem-solving, perspective-taking, awareness of strengths, helping behaviors, and more." [Nov 2022]
   
• 14. Wole Kinati - username Wole Kinati
   
• From the profile: "[his doctoral] research focuses on development, social inclusion, gender equality, women's empowerment, agriculture development, food security, and sustainable agricultural production."
   
• Example of knowledge shared: Pathways to Empowerment: Case Studies of Positive Deviances in Gender Relations in Ethiopia, by Wole Kinati, Elizabeth C. Temple, Derek Baker, and Dina Najjar - There is a growing recognition that social norms act as structural barriers to progress toward achieving gender equality worldwide. In Ethiopian agriculture, gender norms discourage women from owning assets through which they might acquire more agency and empowerment, even though women are primarily responsible for major agricultural activities. This study uses an interpretative phenomenological approach to assess how Ethiopian women have managed to achieve expanded agency while living within a constraining normative environment. [Sep 2022]
   
• 15. Antoine Boivin - username Antoine Boivin
   
• From the profile: "is a practicing physician...[whose] research program focuses on patient and citizen engagement in community care, health services delivery, science and policy."
   
• Example of knowledge shared: The Ecology of Engagement: Fostering Cooperative Efforts in Health with Patients and Communities, by Antoine Boivin, Vincent Dumez, Geneviève Castonguay, and Alexandre Berkesse Ming - Various conceptual frameworks support the recognition that health is co-produced with patients and communities. While this idea is not new, there have been calls for more reciprocal and integrated models that reflect the complexity of engagement, such as those voiced at the 2019 International Summit on Patient and Public Partnership. In that vein, this article describes a conceptual model called the Ecology of Engagement, which is focused on understanding, supporting, and evaluating engagement relationships across health ecosystems. [Aug 2022]
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• 16. Sana Ali - username Sana Ali
   
• From the profile: "[is] pursuing [her] Ph.D. in Mass Communication and also working as a freelance writer...[who is] focusing on children's rights, especially regarding online media and violence against children."
   
• Example of knowledge shared: COVID-19, Vaccination, and Conspiracies: A Micro-Level Qualitative Study in Islamabad, Pakistan, by Sana Ali, Saadia Anwar Pasha, and Atiqa Khalid - Keeping in mind the response to date of the COVID-19 vaccine rollout in Pakistan, this phenomenological study analyses the perceptions of everyday citizens regarding the vaccination process. Results revealed that the increased vaccine hesitancy in Pakistan is due to misinformation, conspiracies, myths, and rumours about the side effects of the vaccine. In response, the researchers suggest some practical considerations for counteracting misinformation and increasing vaccine acceptance among the masses. For example, government officials and policymakers could create community engagement programmes to educate the public about the importance of vaccination and focus more on building trust in the healthcare system. [Jun 2022]
   

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