Institute of Development Studies
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Knowledge, Technology and Society Team
Linking technological change in health, agriculture and environment to poverty reduction and social justice.
Health & Social Change Programme
The IDS Health and Social Change Programme is an initiative to generate
innovative thinking on health policy for a rapidly changing world. We
are committed to improving health in some of the poorest areas of the
world by expanding access to the benefits of health care technologies
and knowledge, particularly for women and children.
The
international environment is characterised by major discontinuities,
unpredictability and inequalities of wealth and access to basic
resources. Many countries have substantially improved their
population’s health over the past fifty years by implementing
commonplace environmental measures and providing access to basic health
services. However, millions of the world’s poor still do not have their
most basic needs met.
Endemic conflict, epidemics, demographic
changes and the impact of globalisation and economic change have
affected national and regional capacities to sustain viable social
sector policies. The relationships between governments, civil society
organisations, communities and households are changing rapidly. Gender
relations and relations between different generations are undergoing
profound transformation. In many of the poorest countries, the public
sector has become degraded and health services are in severe crisis.
The achievements of reforms to public health services have been modest
in these countries.
Our research attempts to address some of
these complexities and provide learning from innovative interventions
and narratives from developing countries.
Related Health news
19 Mar 12 STEPS convenes multidisciplinary research team to tackle animal-to-human disease transmission
STEPS spearheads an integrated approach to understanding links between disease, poverty and ecosystems in Africa.
20 Sep 11 Non-communicable diseases: An indicator of greater shifts
As the demographics of the world change, what are the implications for development and governance approaches more generally?
31 Aug 10 Making health systems work for the poor: Beyond scaling up
Seven thematic briefing papers examine alternative pathways to influence the shape of future health systems
- ARCADE HSSR: African Regional Capacity Development for Health Systems and Services Research - (Ongoing)
- ARCADE RSDH: Asian Regional Capacity Development for Research on Social Determinants of Health - (Ongoing)
- Childhood Vaccination in West Africa - (2002 - 2006)
- Childhood Vaccination: Science and Public Engagement - (2002 - 2004)
- China Health Development Forum - (Ongoing)
- Ensuring Health Care for the Rural Poor: alternative approaches in China and Vietnam - (2003 - 2007)
- Future Health Systems Research Programme Consortium - (Ongoing)
- Partnership for Technical Assistance to Implementation of China Rural Health Project - Early this year the Chinese Government announced a major rural health reform policy, which includes a substantial increase in public funding and measures to improve the performance of the providers of health services. (Ongoing)
- Potential of Mining PPPs to Strengthen Health Systems and Extend Health Services to Underserved Populations - (Ongoing)
- Poverty Reduction Strategies: Approaches to Monitoring and Evaluation - (2004 - 2005)
- Protecting the rural poor against the economic consequences of major illness - (Ongoing)
- Realising Rights Research Programme Consortium - (Ongoing)
- Social, Technological and Environmental Pathways to Sustainability (STEPS) Centre - The STEPS Centre is an interdisciplinary global research and policy engagement hub, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council. It aims to develop a new approach to understanding, action and communication on sustainability and development. (Ongoing)
Health projects
