Infrastructures of epidemic response: Mpox and everyday repair work in southwestern Nigeria.

Mpox (formerly known as monkeypox) was declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) by the World Health Organization on 23rd July 2022, however cases of the disease have been detected in Nigeria since the 1970s and more recently since it began spreading in more urban areas of the country from 2017 onward. Nigeria has a strong track record of epidemic preparedness and response, spearheaded by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control. Despite being somewhat separate architectures on paper, epidemic response (in particular, integrated disease surveillance and response) relies on a foundation of primary health care, which is inadequately funded not only in Nigeria, but globally.

Flourishing with chronic illness(es) and everyday stress: Experiences from Soweto, South Africa.

The pursuit of flourishing, or living a good life, is a common human endeavor with different meanings across individuals and contexts. What is needed is a further exploration of the relationship between flourishing and health, particularly chronic illness, which affects individuals across the life course and is affected by experiences of stress derived from social and structural vulnerability. Drawing on data from the Soweto Syndemics study, including a locally derived stress scale and in-depth interviews, we explore the connections between flourishing and health for those living with multiple chronic illnesses in Soweto, South Africa within a syndemic of communicable and non-communicable disease.

Conducting Social Science Research During Epidemics and Pandemics: Lessons Learnt.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on how field-based research is being conducted globally. Given the challenges of undertaking fieldwork during epidemics and the need for mixed methods research to address the social, political, and economic issues related to epidemics, there is a small but growing body of evidence in this area. To contribute to the logistical and ethical considerations for conducting research during a pandemic, we draw on the challenges and lessons learnt from adapting methods for two research studies conducted in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic in low- and middle-income country (LMIC) settings: (1) in-person research in Uganda and (2) combined remote and in-person research in South and Southeast Asia.

Risk perception of Ebola virus disease and COVID-19 among transport drivers living in Ugandan border districts.

Background: Cross-border movements between districts bordering Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are common due to the interdependence between populations on either side, though this increases the risk of the international spread of infectious diseases. Due to the nature of their work, boda boda drivers (motorcycle taxis), taxis and truck drivers continue to cross the border during epidemics. However, perceived risk of contracting and spreading communicable diseases may be influenced by several factors such as the level of education, packaging and perception of health care messages, limited interaction with local socio-cultural dynamics or personal experiences.

Youth for Youth: Raising the voices of children of incarcerated parents and implications for policy and practice.

The aims of our study were (1) to explore the impact of having an incarcerated parent on youth (ages 10-18) wellbeing; and (2) to identify recommendations from the youth based on their needs which address the challenges of having an incarcerated parent and promote individual and community flourishing. We utilized a Youth Participatory Action Research approach, including semistructured interviews, focus group discussions, storytelling, and photovoice with 20 participants, ages 10-18. Data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis and organized into five thematic categories: (1) youths' perceptions of their communities; (2) incarcerations' impact on families and communities; (3) incarcerations' influence on mental health and flourishing; (4) incarceration as a solution for community safety; and (5) addressing the impact of incarceration on children, families, and communities.

Youth Lens: Youth Perspectives on the COVID-19 Pandemic and its Impact on Well-being in an Urban Community.

The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly altered the lives of children and youth throughout the world, with significant implications for their long-term health and well-being. Children were largely excluded from the development and implementation of the various pandemic mitigation strategies and policies, yet their lives were significantly affected. This study sought to shed light on children's perspectives and experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic, the various ways it impacted their health and well-being, along with the resources which allowed them to continue to flourish in the face of extreme hardship.

Social science approaches to infodemiology: understanding the social, political, and economic context of information.

Embedded within the COVID-19 pandemic is the spread of a new pandemic of information - some accurate, some not - that can challenge the public health response. This has been termed an 'infodemic' and infodemic management is now a major feature of the World Health Organization's work on health emergencies. This commentary highlights political, social, and economic aspects of infodemics and posits social science as critical to mitigating the current infodemic and preventing future ones.

Male partners of female sex workers: The intersectional risk environment of HIV/AIDS in a Kampala informal settlement.

Aim: This study examined the context and drivers of HIV risk and vulnerability among male partners of female sex workers in Kampala, Uganda, using an "intersectional risk environment" framework.

Methods: This research reports on findings from an ethnographic study (2016-2019) of men in one informal settlement in Kabalagala Parish in Kampala. This research included long-term participant observation in and around the study community.

Conceptualizing Social Determinants of Neighborhood Health through a Youth Lens.

This study reports on findings from a youth participatory action research of children's well-being and health. We draw upon the Social Determinants of Health framework, including a focus on structural racism and intersectionality, to holistically explore the ways in which youth (ages 13-17) experience multiple forms of marginalization within the neighborhood, and how these experiences influence their well-being outcomes. We employed the data collection techniques of focus group discussion, community mapping, photovoice, and follow-up small group discussions with 14 African American youth in Cleveland, Ohio.

Fixes that Fail: A system archetype for examining racialized structures within the food system.

Access to fresh and healthy food within a neighborhood has been identified as a social mechanism contributing to community health. Grounded in the understanding that challenges related to equity within a food system are both structural and systemic, our research demonstrates how systems thinking can further understandings of food system complexity. Within systems thinking, we provide an illustration of how system archetypes offer an analytic tool for examining complex community issues.

Provider love in an informal settlement: Men's relationships with providing women and implications for HIV in Kampala, Uganda.

Uganda has made progress in controlling the HIV epidemic since it first emerged in the 1980s. While new infections in the country are higher among women, men in urban areas face a higher risk of AIDS-related mortality due to starting treatment later and taking medication inconsistently. While gender analyses have been used to describe women's HIV vulnerability, less is known about how masculinity, and especially different forms of masculinity, affect men's vulnerability.

Gendered care at the margins: Ebola, gender, and caregiving practices in Uganda's border districts.

In July 2019, Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) was declared a public health emergency of international concern and neighbouring countries were put on high alert. This paper examines the intersections of gender, caregiving, and livelihood practices in Uganda's border districts that emerged as key factors to consider in preparedness and response. This paper is based on an anthropological study of the Ebola context among Bantu cultures.

Challenges to Ebola preparedness during an ongoing outbreak: An analysis of borderland livelihoods and trust in Uganda.

Ebola Virus Disease in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) was declared a public health emergency of international concern on July 17, 2019. The first case to cross the border into Uganda in June 2019 demonstrates the importance of better understanding border dynamics in a context of Ebola. This paper adopts a political economy approach to contextualize epidemic response programs conducted in moderate- and high-risk border districts in Uganda, through a qualitative study with 287 participants.

Humanizing an Invisible Population in India: Voices from Bisexual Men Concerning Identity, Life Experiences, and Sexual Health.

Research examining the sexual identities, behaviors, and experiences of bisexual men outside of Western contexts (including in India) is limited. Individuals who self-identify as bisexual due to their orientation toward partners of more than one gender face distinct psychosocial challenges relative to exclusively heterosexual, gay/lesbian, or other individuals. We conducted four focus group discussions (n = 22) and in-depth interviews (n = 50) with self-identified bisexual men (age 18 years and older) who were recruited from the metropolitan area of Mumbai, India, between June and August 2013.

How might neighborhood built environment influence child maltreatment? Caregiver perceptions.

Rationale: Child maltreatment remains a serious but potentially preventable public health concern in the United States. Although research has examined factors associated with child maltreatment at the neighborhood level, few studies have explicitly focused on the role of the neighborhood built environment in maltreatment.

Objective: We begin to address these gaps by investigating caregivers' own perceptions of mechanisms by which neighborhood built environments may affect child maltreatment.

Community vulnerability and stratified risk: Hegemonic masculinity, socioeconomic status, and HIV/AIDS in a sex work community in Kampala, Uganda.

This article examines the social patterning of health, economic uncertainty, hegemonic masculinity, and vulnerability among men who live and work in a low-income sex work community in Kampala, Uganda. This problematises the notion that vulnerable communities are homogenous, in demographics, economic status, and risk. This article draws on ethnographic data collected in 2016, including semi-structured interviews and participant observation.