Safeguarding community-centred global health research during crises.

Agampodi, Thilini; Nuwangi, Hasara; Gunasekara, Sonali; Mallawaarachchi, Asitha; Price, Helen P; Dikomitis, Lisa; Agampodi, Suneth

Abstract

Summary box
Global health researchers face multiple challenges in proceeding with research programmes during crises, including ethical and safety questions, equitable participation of community members and the collection of robust data.

In Sri Lanka, the multicountry global health programme ECLIPSE adopted innovative research methods in a context dictated by pandemic conditions, and strengthened by community engagement and involvement (CEI), to achieve its goals, provides a model for global health researchers working in crisis settings.

Following the government regulations in combination with scientific guidelines, closely monitoring the pandemic and timely prediction, adopting a robust CEI approachat the early stages of research and using innovative methods that moves beyond virtual mode can help navigation of research without disruption.

Incorporated crisis preparedness and alternative plans focusing on encouraging the use of CEI in grant proposal development by researchers and a the demand of global health research funders on these key aspects would enhance the ability of research programmes to sustain during crises.

• Journal Article Type: Commentary
• Acceptance Date: Jul 16, 2023
• Online Publication Date: Aug 2, 2023
• Publication Date: Aug 18, 2023
• Deposit Date: Aug 21, 2023
• Journal: BMJ Global Health
• Print ISSN: 2059-7908
• Electronic ISSN: 2059-7908
• Publisher: BMJ Publishing Group
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 8
• Issue: 8
• Article Number: e013304
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjgh-2023-013304
• Keywords: Health services research, Public Health, Humans, COVID-19, Cutaneous leishmaniasis, Qualitative Research, Qualitative study, Patient-Centered Care, Health policy, Global Health