Community Spaces
Greetings everyone! I write this update off the back of the SVRI (Sexual Violence Research Initiative) conference in Cape Town. This was a fantastic opportunity to reconnect with colleagues and collaborators, old and new, and to meet fellow early career researchers. It served me a reminder of the importance of community. Last summer, during my […]
Feverishly Paddling Duck Feet
It has been over a month since my last post and although a lot of work on the “Early Childhood Development for Maternal Mental Health” study –now rechristened the “Maternal Mental Health and Early Childhood Development in Kawempe” study–there is little observable progress to share. I’m stuck in IRB limbo: I am just a few […]
‘Go where the real issues affecting the community are, engage with them to develop context-specific solutions that effectively address these issues’
Before participating in the ACHIEVE program, I held the belief that rigorous research was synonymous with adhering strictly to established scientific protocols and methodologies. However, my visits to the Greater Masaka and the Bidibidi Refugee Settlement in Uganda profoundly reshaped my understanding of research practices. I gained insights through observation and was motivated by the […]
Research Study: Reflections on the Approval Process
Neonates with gastrointestinal disorders often face substantial nutritional challenges. These may arise due to conditions such as congenital anomalies or postoperative complications that impair nutrient absorption or oral intake. This is what has inspired me to start my ACHIEVE study on the barriers to evaluating the nutritional status of neonates with gastrointestinal disorders in Kampala, […]
The Often Thankless But Essential Work of Instrument Validation
My ACHIEVE project, The Early Childhood Development for Maternal Mental Health study (ECD4MMH), will explore the potential for improving maternal mental health (MMH) during the critical “first 1,000 days” of child growth and development through a community-based early childhood development (ECD) program delivered by community workers in a peri-urban area of Kampala, Uganda. Many of […]
Community Engagement Before Health Research is a MUST
As the mother of an adolescent girl who could benefit from the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, and as a medical provider in Uganda, it pains me greatly to see other parents refusing to vaccinate their children because of myths and misconceptions that are spread in the community. With the HPV vaccine, this includes the belief […]