Shock Tactics: Urban Health Futures in the Wake of Ebola
The rapid growth of developing cities, including informal settlements with little or no access to public service provision, poses increasing health challenges. Overcrowding, exclusion and lack of information in particular create conditions that have contributed to epidemics such as Ebola and Zika. Yet understanding of the interaction between social inequalities and the spread of deadly diseases remains limited, with potentially global implications.
Shock Tactics: Urban Health Futures in the Wake of Ebola examines the legacy of the recent Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone through first-hand research in the capital of Freetown, through surveys, interviews and other participatory methods with civil society, local authorities and public health professionals. In particular, the project will develop a detailed picture of the perspectives of local communities and the available health support systems available in informal urban settlements. This will support the development of more nuanced, pro-poor health strategies to assist marginalized urban communities in future.
Annie Wilkinson (Principal Investigator, Research Fellow)
Joseph Mustapha Macarthy
• Participatory research in Freetown (Sierra Leone) with poor communities, officials and public health professionals to develop understanding on conditions in informal settlements.
• Platform for multi-stakeholder collaboration and knowledge sharing to support the development of nuanced and locally appropriate policies in Freetown and other urban areas.