Critical Realism: Opening the door to enriching the evidence base of public health co-creation

Written by Katrina Messiha

In recent years, co-creation has become a widely used approach in public health research. This approach engages stakeholders such as local communities, policymakers and practitioners directly in the research process to develop interventions that are not only relevant but also sustainable and impactful. However, despite growing interest, many co-creation efforts in public health lack a clear theoretical foundation. There is often limited use of theory to guide how co-creation is done and how it can be evaluated effectively.

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Holding our mums…

Written by: Cassandra Sundaraja

Photo by Liv Bruce on Unsplash

Giving birth to a child – bringing forth new life into the world – is an amazing feat a human body (with a uterus) is capable of achieving. It sounds so heroic and powerful. However, going through the process of labour and delivery in a hospital setting, I was struck by the stark contrast of how pregnant, labouring and post-partum women are made to feel instead – powerless and without agency.

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Period power? Ideas for intervening in menstrual poverty

By Tracy Morison & Sheralee Wootton, August 2019

Recently we observed Menstrual Hygiene Day, an annual awareness day on 28th May initiated in 2014 by the German-based NGO WASH United to shine a light on menstrual hygiene management (MHM). Specifically, this day seeks to publicise ‘period poverty’: the lack of access to adequate menstrual products faced by many in low income countries and, it is becoming increasingly apparent, by poorer women1 in rich countries. The movement’s vision is:

“…to create a world in which every woman and girl is empowered to manage her menstruation safely, hygienically, with confidence and without shame, where no woman or girl is limited by something as natural and normal as her period”.

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A sobering take on Foetal Alcohol Syndrome awareness campaigns

By Pieter Bredenkamp & Nicola Jearey-Graham

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“1 in 10 South African babies are born with Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). What if unborn children could warn their mothers about the dangers of drinking while pregnant? Because not even one drink is worth a lifetime of suffering.” This is the premise of a recent social marketing campaign featured on the website of a leading South African brewer. The campaign includes a video intended to increase awareness of the effects of alcohol on the developing foetus and urges pregnant women to act responsibly. Continue reading