The Institute of Development Studies (IDS) has been awarded funding by the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) to lead the Multi-Hazard Research Network (MHRN). Initially covering a three‑year programme, the network will help communities withstand crises by strengthening decision-making before, during and after crises. It aims to help save lives and livelihoods from the devastating impacts caused by infectious disease outbreaks and extreme weather events.
The current Ebola epidemic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda has been a timely reminder of the rapid and coordinated response needed to address crises as they emerge. Hazards are also becoming more interconnected, spanning extreme weather, climate-related shocks and infectious disease outbreaks and their impacts can cascade rapidly through health systems, economies and communities.
The MHRN is designed as a coordinated network providing access to research, tools and expertise. It will combine natural, social and behavioural science research with rapid response capacity to deliver improved forecasting and tools, alongside timely, practical advice for those working to address emergencies in complex and data-limited settings.
Professor Hayley MacGregor, Director of the new MHRN and Researcher at the Institute of Development Studies, said:
“This is an exciting opportunity to help improve people’s engagement in responses to health emergencies and natural hazards and strengthen interdisciplinary perspectives in research and rapid response related to these key emergency areas.
“The orientation towards building an expanding network of hazard expertise also provides a timely opportunity to learn through the implementation of an approach that foregrounds regional expertise in collaboration with UK-based academic partners.”
UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, said:
“The UK is a science superpower – home to world leading researchers, scientists and institutions. We’re harnessing that expertise, bringing together expert research, vital skills and regional knowledge to improve how the world responds to this outbreak and better prepares for others in the future.
“We know that early action is vital to save lives. Deadly diseases like Ebola do not stop at borders, so we must work to stop these outbreaks at source.”
Jenny Chapman, Minister for Africa and International Development, said:
“I’ve recently returned from Kinshasa and the wider region, meeting and hearing from our partners on the ground, and the Government of DRC. They are operating in incredibly difficult circumstances.
“The situation is deeply concerning. It demands urgent, co-ordinated action, in support of the African-led response. We are working with partners across the region and beyond to drive a faster, more effective response. Acting now is the best way to save lives and prevent further spread.”
The MHRN focus will be focused on infectious diseases of epidemic potential and on natural hazards, such as flooding events as well as atmospheric hazards, such as air pollution and heatwaves.
Expansion of the network aims to foreground equitable partnership and regional expertise in responding to emergencies. For instance, in response to the current epidemic of Ebola Disease in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda – determined a public health emergency of international concern – MRHN will draw on longer term research on community-level preparedness and trust, alongside modelling expertise. Responses to floods can likewise build on improvements in the understanding of local impacts of floods, including possible impacts like landslides.
At the heart of the network is an integrated programme of work around prediction, preparedness and emergency response research and the deployment of tools and expert advice. It will make use of the significant improvements made in understanding how forecast information is perceived and acted upon at local levels. Additionally, research will focus on how it can be combined with local understandings and knowledge, and how best to mobilise communities to reduce losses to lives and livelihoods while improving longer term resilience to future events.
A core pillar of delivery will be a dedicated Rapid Response Unit (RRU), designed to ensure that cutting-edge evidence and expertise can be mobilised at pace where appropriate, to support decision-making when crises unfold. The RRU will act as the network’s front line, translating complex science into timely, actionable advice and tools for FCDO and other partners involved in emergency response. It will convene the right mix of expertise across hazards, disciplines and geographies to support urgent decision-making in fast‑moving, high‑risk situations.
The MHRN is built as a learning system, designed to navigate the complexity and uncertainty inherent in multi-hazard emergencies by continuously testing what works, adapting in real-time, and strengthening the connections between evidence production and its use in crisis response.
A dedicated Learning, Impact, Networking, and Knowledge function, co-led by Southern Voice, will facilitate network building, and learning to curate priority-setting and knowledge-sharing across priority regions, including Africa, the Caribbean, and South and Southeast Asia. The programme also includes plans for a MHRN Portal to support open access to tools, expertise and knowledge products.
The MHRN is grounded in principles and practices that will promote equity, inclusion and trust across the network. This is very much in line with the UK government’s commitment to global partnerships as the basis for future development cooperation.
