Through multidisciplinary research and policy engagement we bring new understanding and action on critical issues around health and health systems, and how they overlap with other systems such as food, as well as nutrition, sanitation, epidemics and zoonotic diseases. Enhancing understanding of how to ensure healthy lives for all is a vital part of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (Agenda 2030) and has been an integral focus of IDS’ work since its inception.
Our research and analysis on innovations in health services and systems – including work on identifying effective strategies to address the challenges of antimicrobial resistance – is accelerating progress towards achieving universal health coverage in Asia and Africa. Our work on nutrition spans the spectrum from dietary transition and globalisation of food systems, through to responding to the ways that marginalisation and inequity drive high child malnutrition rates. We bring vital social knowledge to aid effective preparedness and response on pandemics. We show how direct impacts on the spread of diseases such as Ebola can be achieved by bringing learning from research on social issues and contexts to the right people in the right organisations at the right time. Together with our global partners, we are generating and sharing new knowledge and evidence to identify the underlying causes of poor health and social inequalities, and the progressive policies and practices that can help bring about transformative change.
Generating evidence is only part of achieving positive change. Using that evidence in policy and implementation is the other critical part. IDS is working to help social policy professionals to link evidence to decision-making in ways that can improve people’s lives.
Through sustainable and...
This research examined the access Lao international migrants returning to Lao PDR had to Covid-19 vaccination and the practical and ideological barriers returnee migrants faced in obtaining the vaccination.
Last week COVID CIRCLE (UKCDR) and Covid Collective held a joint webinar exploring the impact of social science research in shaping the global response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The event brought together members of COVID CIRCLE (UKCDR) & Covid Collective (IDS) researcher communities, along...
A unique art exhibition exploring the responses of those living with environmental uncertainty in the Sundarbans of India is being hosted at IDS this week (5 to 10 July). It features artwork co-created by academics and community groups from the Transformation as Praxis: Exploring Socially Just...
The global distribution of malnutrition is remarkably unequal, and rates of malnutrition are also starkly unequal between population groups within countries: There are important differences between those from richer or poorer households, those with higher or lower educational attainment, women...
People with disabilities are under-represented in the global workforce, and this problem is often particularly acute in the ‘global south’. This special issue seeks to provide new perspectives on why this is the case and comprises seven papers focused on disability inclusive employment.
We...
Last week’s blog discussed the massive growth of urban agriculture in Zimbabwe. How is this affecting the wider food system? What are the impacts on traditional sources of production in the rural areas? And what was the role of the COVID-19 pandemic in precipitating these changes?
Higher education is about knowledge and learning. Despite how simple this sounds, contestation remains within the university sector and beyond about what knowledge is valued by universities and how much space and freedom staff and students have to learn from it.
Over 30 years ago, Sandra...
Our five IDS International Initiatives in Brazil, China, Europe, Ghana and Pakistan produced a vast scope of work this year. From new thinking on Brazil’s overlooked Cerrado region to a flagship human development report in Pakistan, research goals have made progress through events, networking,...
This week (5 and 6 July) the UK Government hosts a major International Ministerial Conference on Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB). Aiming to “strengthen international efforts to ensure FoRB for all” the conference is convening events with international government ministers, faith...
How well do policy frameworks in pastoral regions respond to issues of uncertainty? Four new papers (on Europe, West Asia and North Africa, the Horn of Africa and Sahel, and Asia) reflect on the issues in global regions, identifying some major problems and challenges.
In this episode of the IDS podcast Between the Lines, IDS Director Melissa Leach interviews leading development policy analyst and IDS Emeritus Fellow Raphael Kaplinsky, author of the book Sustainable Futures: An Agenda for Action.
The book explores the determinants and character of the ongoing...
1 July 2022
Why learn with us.
In an extraordinary time of challenge and change, we use more than 50 years of expertise to transform development approaches that create more equitable and sustainable futures. The work you do with us will help make progressive change towards universal development; to build and connect solidarities for collective action, locally and globally. The University of Sussex has been ranked 1st in the world for Development Studies for the past five years (QS World University Rankings by Subject).