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This brief summarises key considerations about the social, political and economic context shaping the outbreak of Ebola in the N’Zérékoré prefecture, Guinea, as of March 2021. The outbreak was declared on 14 February 2021, two weeks after the death of the first known case, a health agent (Agent Technique de Santé) from Gouécké. Gouécké is… Read more
SSHAP convened a virtual roundtable of expert advisors on Friday 12 March 2021 to discuss the outbreak of Ebola in Guinea declared on 14 February 2021. At the time of writing (19 March 2021), there have been 18 cases (14 confirmed, 4 probable), 9 deaths (including 5 in the community; CFR 50%) and 6 recoveries…. Read more
This blog, written by Alex Jones, originally appeared on the Oxford Policy Management website and is reposted with their permission. The answer to the question ‘would you rather give birth in 1900 or 2018’ might depend on where in the world you are. In 1900 in Sweden, before the construction of modern hospitals or the… Read more
Vimal Kumar, principal consultant in the Oxford Policy Management Health team, discusses the importance of procurement and supply chain management in supporting effective policy reforms. Ensuring availability, affordability, and quality of commodities (for example medicines) to provide services to the patients is one of the key outcomes which procurement and supply chain management establishes. This… Read more
Based on the lessons that emerged from the UN Millennium Development Goals and the Education for All movement 2000–2015, there is now a global consensus that universal school enrolment is necessary but not sufficient for children to learn. This report captures what might be learnt from a selection of the world’s most interesting examples of technology-assisted in-service professional development in lower-income countries… Read more
SAGE is a DFID supported, integrated programme to improve the lives of adolescent girls, responding to the multiple and interrelated disadvantages they face. It comprises two components: Delivery of integrated services for vulnerable adolescent girls through a safe spaces approach, including enhancing their access to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) education and services. Support for… Read more
This article presents the findings of a theory‐based evaluation of the Sierra Leone Free Health Care Initiative (FHCI), using mixed methods. Analytical approaches included time‐series analysis of national survey data to examine mortality and morbidity trends, as well as modelling of impact using the Lives Saved Tool and expenditure trend analysis. We find that the… Read more
In early 2017, WSUP commissioned a situation analysis of urban sanitation services in Bangladesh, Ghana and Kenya, in order to identify potential research areas as part of the DFID-funded Urban Sanitation Research Initiative. Here, Goufrane Mansour (Aguaconsult, lead expert for the study) and Sam Drabble (WSUP, Research and Evaluation Manager) reflect on common findings across the three… Read more
With 2.1 billion people – mostly in rural areas – lacking safely managed drinking water and reported low rural water supply functionality rates, the Sustainable Development Goals pose a triple challenge: to reach unserved mostly rural population groups, to raise service levels, and to sustain existing and future services. This assessment uses a multi-country case… Read more
This report, part of WSUP’s Urban Sanitation Research Initiative, explores the background to the urban sanitation sector in Ghana. Ghana is a fast-growing economy that has made notable progress in reducing poverty but urban infrastructure has not kept pace with cities’ expansion and high levels of rural-urban migration. Only a fraction of urban residents use… Read more
The last decade has witnessed renewed interest in the social benefits of higher education, with recent research suggesting that universities have a role in nurturing developmental leaders who enable positive change and better governance in low-income and conflict-affected countries (Brannelly et al, 2011b). This review summarises available evidence on the relationship between higher education, developmental… Read more