Public Engagement with Research is a two-way process that aims to benefit both the public and researchers, and ultimately enhance the quality or impact of research. Members of the public can be involved in many ways, in the design, conduct and dissemination of research. Activities can take different forms, to inform and inspire, consult and listen, or collaborate with the public.
KWTRP School Leavers Attachment Scheme
10 July 2023
This year’s School Leavers Attachment Scheme (SLAS) cohort have successfully concluded. The cohort included 9 students drawn from secondary schools in Kilifi who scored highest in aptitude tests and interviews. The 3-month attachment, which started from 1st March to 31st May, involved two-week long rotations in the HSRE, Neuro, ICT, Labs, Wards and ED departments and bi-weekly tutorials.
Public Engagement in Vaccine Uptake projects at OUCRU
5 May 2023
Vaccines are the most effective and affordable way to prevent diseases. The pandemic led to a lag in immunisation for essential vaccines – 25 million children worldwide missed out on vaccination in 2021, according to WHO. At OUCRU, in addition to research and collaborations on various vaccine projects, we are committed to public and community engagement and education around vaccines. Look at some engagement projects that help raise awareness about vaccination and build the capacity for frontline healthcare workers, especially in rural areas.
Public Engagement projects at MSc IHTM
3 May 2023
Students at the MSc in International Health and Tropical Medicine, University of Oxford, talk about their public engagement projects.
The journey of dreams, improving engagement with underserved populations at risk for Hepatitis C in Vietnam.
22 March 2023
OUCRU Public and Community Engagement team produced a video based on their project “Community-based participatory research to promote engagement with underserved communities at risk of Hepatitis C virus in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam”. This video was made by community members of the community-based participatory research to the project. The video is in Vietnamese with English subtitles
Shobhana Nagraj, Women in Science
17 February 2023
Clinical Researcher Shobhana Nagraj, from the Health Systems Collaboratives in Oxford, tells us about the female role models who inspired her to follow her dreams
OUCRU Engagement around mental health
25 October 2022
OUCRU’s Public and Community Engagement team develops training and resources on the topic of stress management and communication skills. Run by the Public and Community Engagement team, the Youth Ambassadors programme also links young people to medical research that impacts their lives and connects researchers to the health issues that young people care about.
OUCRU presents a new virtual exhibition: Digital Diaries, Voices from the Pandemic, COVID-19 experiences in Asia
13 September 2022
This online exhibition showcases short films and photographs created by health-care workers and community members and documents the socio-cultural impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia, Nepal and Vietnam.
OUCRU SPEAR Digital Diaries
21 June 2022
Healthcare workers and community members in Indonesia, Nepal and Vietnam have been documenting their personal experiences of Covid-19. They have each made their own ‘digital diary’, using a range of creative tools and with technical support from the project team. These diaries form part of the SPEAR project: exploring the experiences and impacts of COVID-19 for healthcare workers and vulnerable communities.
Taking relationships seriously
17 June 2022
Community Engagement (CE) is a critical aspect of health research because of its potential to make research more ethical, relevant, and well implemented. Many research programmes now aim to incorporate CE activities at all stages of their work. This KWTRP brief summarises key findings from a malaria trials, and provides an illustration of how CE works more generally. It highlights facilitators and challenges to engagement, and the ethical issues that are particularly relevant in LMIC settings with under resourced health systems.
Laos’ first Pint of Science: warty newts, COVID, AI for Instagram, and more!
11 May 2022
Organised by a grass-root community of thousands of scientists across the world, Pint of Science 2022 allows researchers in 25 countries and over 800 cities to share their latest findings with lay folk in interesting, informal settings. Lao PDR joined the global Pint of Science family on Monday 9 May, when the first-ever Pint of Science Laos kicked off!
Picturing Health: The Burden of Leprosy in Eastern Indonesia
26 April 2022
The Eijkman Oxford Clinical Research Unit in Indonesia and Sumba Foundation collaborated with photographer Yoppy Pieter to express the human face of leprosy in Sumba, a remote island in eastern Indonesia. The project aimed to visualize the story of leprosy and raise awareness of this debilitating and heavily stigmatised disease
Community and Public Engagement at KWTRP
29 March 2022
Monitoring and Evaluation helps us keep track of our public engagement activities and outcomes. KEMRI -Wellcome Trust recently completed a report detailing our experiences and learning.
Policy and Public Engagement at OUCRU
29 March 2022
Why does OUCRU place an important focus on engaging with its important partners, policy makers, the press, the community, and young people? Explore our work in policy & public engagement.
Under the Mask, drama film based on testimonies of tuberculosis patients
24 March 2022
In 2022, tuberculosis (TB) remains a major global health problem, particularly in developing countries. On the Thai-Myanmar border, TB is an important problem among migrants, a vulnerable, very mobile population, with unstable, often difficult living conditions, insecure incomes, and poor access to health services.
Covid-19 at OUCRU - Research and engagement portfolio
11 March 2022
In the last two years, OUCRU has worked with our partners and collaborators to conduct various research and engagement projects in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This portfolio provides an overview of all the on-going projects that our entire programme have been working on to contribute to the understanding and management of COVID-19 and its national, regional and global impact.
New! A learning framework about antimicrobial resistance for children and young people
19 November 2021
A downloadable resource for educators, health & research professionals to help develop young peoples’ understanding of AMR and positive actions they can take to mitigate it.
The global burden of Plasmodium vivax malaria is obscure and insidious
16 November 2021
Until recently, Plasmodium falciparum dominated the malaria research landscape, and Plasmodium vivax infection was considered benign and inconsequential. We now know that this is not true: if not properly diagnosed and treated, P. vivax can lead to life-threatening syndromes and death. Professor Kevin Baird from EOCRU in Jakarta, Indonesia talks to OutBreak News Today
Pint of Science Thailand is back, now online
7 May 2021
Live and on-line from Bangkok! Be ready for Thursday 13th May, when Pint of Science Thailand will stream live from Bangkok. Join us via Facebook, YouTube or right here from the Pint of Science Thailand website as we journey from bacterial infections to viruses, discover how clinical trials work, and how scientific development is seen in the eyes of the law!
Celebrating women in ICT: connected girls, creating brighter futures
27 April 2021
The International Girl’s in ICT day is commemorated to create awareness on the critical need for more girls and women in the ICT sector, encourage and inspire young girls to actively pursue careers in STEM as well as engage the community to promote collaboration through partnerships. Kathreen Wafula, an ICT Support Technician in Kilifi, joins a strong team of techies and is one of the 4 women in the department.
Communicating with communities for World Immunisation Week 2021
26 April 2021
World Immunization Week highlights the role vaccinations play in improving the health of communities. As the COVID pandemic continues to impact countries worldwide, governments are facing challenges related to coverage, equity and sustainability of routine immunisation alongside access and the particular maintenance requirements related to the SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. Communication with communities has been key to ensure continued engagement with the vaccine programs despite the challenges of current contexts.