Social Science in Humanitarian Action Platform

South Sudan. 20th Mar, 2024. People are loaded into trucks to take them from Joda, on the Sudanese border, to Renk in South Sudan, where they will stay in a transit camp before they are transported further into the country. Around 1,000 South Sudanese returnees and Sudanese refugees are crossing the border from Sudan to South Sudan every day. Sudan's war, which began in April 2023, has resulted in the world's largest displacement crisis. (Credit: © Sally Hayden/SOPA Images via ZUMA Press Wire)

Our recent roundtable discussion with government actors, academics, development partners and journalists in #SouthSudan reflected on the sweeping impacts on people and programmes of #aidcuts and multiple, intersecting #crises.

Read the report:
www.socialscienceinaction.org/resources/me...

A community health worker and UNICEF field staff put up posters with mpox messaging in order to increase community awareness about mpox. © UNICEF/UNI728495/Bamulanzeki

🏠Home-based care is increasingly being explored as a strategy for managing outbreaks and providing treatment for mild forms of diseases.

🔎This SSHAP brief outlines key considerations for safe and inclusive home-based #care for #mpox.

www.socialscienceinaction.org/resources/ke...

Charmante, a 26-year-old U-Reporter, raises awareness about mpox, cholera, and key family practices in a bustling market in Bukavu, South-Kivu province, DR Congo, on 6 April 2025. “There are so many myths we tackle. I talk to women in this market, share facts, and then they go home and share with their families. This is how we make real change.” With over 8 million U-Reporters, DR Congo is the largest U-Report country in the world. © UNICEF/UNI774923/Mirindi Johnson

📈Cases of #mpox in #urban informal settlements, with high #population densities, overcrowded dwellings & inadequate #infrastructure, are concerning.

🔎Our new brief considers the design & delivery of mpox responses that are adapted to these contexts.

www.socialscienceinaction.org/resources/ke...

Vicky, a UNICEF-supported vaccinator, holds a dose of mpox vaccine during a vaccination session in Kinshasa, DR Congo, on 27 February 2025. “I'm proud to help prevent mpox in my neighborhood through vaccination. We vaccinated nearly 400 people in four days here. Each person vaccinated receives a card, which they must keep in a safe place."

What are key considerations for the introduction of experimental vaccines during #health emergencies?

We look at the experimental stages of #vaccine development during a #disease outbreak & highlights critical issues for communication & engagement.

www.socialscienceinaction.org/resources/ke...

Pascaline, a 24-year-old U-Reporter, raises awareness about mpox in a bustling market in Bukavu, South Kivu, on 6 April 2025. “I used to be shy. Not any more! Now, when I am not feeling good, I come here. And with these people, we really do things for our community” With over 8 million U-Reporters, DR Congo is the largest U-Report country in the world. © UNICEF/UNI774819/Mirindi Johnson

In countries where people with diverse sexual orientation, #gender identity &/or expression are stigmatised or criminalised, #mpox responses must avoid further harms.

Read our analysis of the vulnerabilities, risks & operational considerations. #SOGIE

www.socialscienceinaction.org/resources/su...

Key considerations: Mpox in the Busia-Malaba border region linking Uganda and Kenya - Social Science in Humanitarian Action Platform This brief summarises how mpox is perceived and managed in the Busia-Malaba border region that links eastern Uganda and western Kenya.

Mpox has spread along the Busia-Malaba border linking #Kenya & #Uganda.

A new brief highlights how community responses to #mpox are shaped by access to information, local understandings & beliefs, household structures & cross-border mobility patterns.

www.socialscienceinaction.org/resources/ke...

Community resilience in conflict zones: a distraction, a solution, or both? A personal perspective from Yemen - Social Science in Humanitarian Action Platform In the wake of nearly a decade of protracted conflict in Yemen, Mamoon Al-Absi, a former SSHAP Fellow, considers the uncomfortable intersection between international frameworks and local realities and...

After nearly a decade of protracted conflict in #Yemen Mamoon Al-Absi, former SSHAP Fellow, asks:

Can localised #governance & #community driven strategies truly build #resilience in fragile #urban contexts?

Does the reality live up to the rhetoric?

www.socialscienceinaction.org/blogs-and-ne...

SSHAP's latest newsletter is out.

Read Dr Leben Nelson Moro's blog on the implications of #aidcuts for South Sudan's #healthcare system.

mailchi.mp/socialscienc...

#SouthSudan #aid #globalhealth #healthforall #uhc

Learning from an evolving public health emergency to guide responses to mpox in Africa - Institute of Development Studies Lessons of responding to mpox in Africa.

During the rising concerns of #Mpox on communities in the #DRC and neighbouring countries, IDS researchers emphasise involving the perspectives of affected communities and avoiding approaches that can exacerbate shame, blame, or discrimination. 👇

www.ids.ac.uk/opinions/lea...

A new blog by @sshap-action.bsky.social, in partnership with IDS, highlights the devastating impact of the #ODA cuts on health in South Sudan at a time of heightened economic and political crisis. 👇

#WorldHealthDay

Aid cuts and healthcare devastation in South Sudan - Social Science in Humanitarian Action Platform Among the countries worst affected from the sudden and wide-ranging US aid cuts is South Sudan. South Sudan relies on international assistance to provide basic services to its people. Cuts will devast...

A new blog by SSHAP's Prof Leben Nelson Moro, University of #Juba, highlights how US overseas #aid cuts will devastate South Sudan's #healthcare system at a time of political and economic crisis.

www.socialscienceinaction.org/blogs-and-ne...

#SouthSudan #USAID #USFundingCuts #cholera

Learning from an evolving public health emergency to guide responses to mpox in Africa - Social Science in Humanitarian Action Platform As mpox continues to spread within the Democratic Republic of Congo and neighbouring countries, concern is growing over how best to respond to this second mpox Public Health Emergency of International...

🚨New blog!

Learning from an evolving public #health #emergency to guide responses to #mpox in #Africa.

www.socialscienceinaction.org/blogs-and-ne...

@ids.ac.uk @lshtmcepr.bsky.social @lshtm.bsky.social @wellcometrust.bsky.social @ukhsa.bsky.social @whoafro.bsky.social @who.int

📢 Our latest SSHAP newsletter is out!

It includes:

⭕ social and behavioural considerations for vaccine use during health emergencies;
⭕ cross-border dynamics between Burundi and Tanzania in the context of viral haemorrhagic fever outbreaks.

And lots more!

mailchi.mp/socialscienc...

Cross-Border Dynamics Between Burundi and Tanzania in the Context of Viral Haemorrhagic Fever Outbreaks, 2025 - Social Science in Humanitarian Action Platform This brief summarises key considerations regarding cross-border dynamics between Burundi and Tanzania in the context of viral haemorrhagic fever (VHF) outbreaks in Tanzania and Uganda.

The potential for viral haemorrhagic fever #outbreaks in #Tanzania and #Uganda to spread into neighbouring countries makes understanding cross-border dynamics crucial.

Read our new brief on cross-border dynamics between #Burundi and Tanzania.

www.socialscienceinaction.org/resources/cr...

#Marburg

On 5 June, Ibtisam Abdullah, a vaccinator at Gezirat Al-Feel Health Centre prepares vaccines into a cooler box before heading out to a shelter for displaced people including children to provide vaccination services. While she runs static vaccination clinics at the health facility on Sundays and Tuesday, she conducts outreach sessions for displaced communities in camps and shelters on Mondays. "We also do home visits whenever we hear of a house hosting displaced people from Khartoum. We talk to the mothers and advise them where to take their children for vaccination and check up," she shares. As the conflict continues, UNICEF and the Federal Ministry of Health with support form Gavi are maintaining delivery of healthcare services including child vaccinations in health facilities and community outreaches. © UNICEF/UN0856021/Elfatih

Social dynamics and community perspectives must inform vaccine trials and roll-out.

📖Read SSHAP’s new briefing on social and behavioural considerations for #vaccine use during #health emergencies in sub-Saharan #Africa.

www.socialscienceinaction.org/resources/ke...

#mpox #Marburg #Ebola

Social dynamics of vaccine deployment - Social Science in Humanitarian Action Platform A collection of resources to inform considerations concerning critical social dynamics, including trust in institutions, community norms, and the spread of information (including misinformation), and ...

Interested in issues of #trust, #community norms, and #misinformation, and their influence on #vaccine uptake and acceptance?

SSHAP has compiled its resources on the social dynamics of vaccine deployment.⬇️

www.socialscienceinaction.org/emergency/so...

Connecting social scientists and humanitarians to tackle local challenges - Social Science in Humanitarian Action Platform The UK's Humanitarian Innovation Hub has featured SSHAP in its series of case studies on academic-practitioner collaborations in humanitarian settings. The case study features learning from SSHAP and ...

SSHAP's work is featured in a recent UK Humanitarian Innovation Hub case study - part of a series on academic-practitioner collaborations in #humanitarian settings.

👉https://www.socialscienceinaction.org/blogs-and-news/connecting-social-scientists-and-humanitarians-to-tackle-local-challenges/

For useful #Marburg resources on #CommunityEngagement and #RiskCommunication please see our collection at: www.socialscienceinaction.org/emergency/ma...
#MVD #Tanzania #EmergencyResponse
@msf.org @who.int

📩Our latest newsletter has just dropped 👇🏽
mailchi.mp/socialscienc...
@ids.ac.uk @lshtm.bsky.social
#Ebola #SouthSudan #humanitarian #EmergencyResponse

This is incredible news from @who.int 👏🏽
#Emergency responders: #SocialScience insights from previous Ebola outbreaks can inform the current response. Explore our resources here 👇🏽
www.socialscienceinaction.org/emergency/eb...

New on our resource page: the new mapping study of #CommunityEngagement tools for #vaccination in low- and middle-income countries from the #PulseProject. Find this and others like it 👇🏽
www.socialscienceinaction.org/resources/ma...
@lshtm.bsky.social @ifrc.org @icrc.org
#humanitarian #LMIC

Ebola (Sudan strain) outbreak in Uganda - Social Science in Humanitarian Action Platform On 20 September 2022, Ugandan public health authorities declared an outbreak of Ebola disease caused by Sudan virus. Explore resources created by SSHAP and others on social science dimensions of the r...

The health ministry in #Uganda has confirmed a new #Ebola outbreak in Kampala. #SocialScience insights will make for more effective, contextually appropriate responses. #Emergency responders: find vital resources here 👇🏽
www.socialscienceinaction.org/emergency/eb...
@msf.ca @who.int
#outbreak

Great new blog from a former SSHAP Fellow.
#Venezuela #volunteering #caritas
www.socialscienceinaction.org/blogs-and-ne...
@ids.ac.uk @lshtm.bsky.social

This seminar, on challenges relating to documentation in post-Assad #Syria, will consider topics including verifying the fates of the disappeared, prospects for transitional justice, ethical questions and the shape of new national archives.
www.socialscienceinaction.org/blogs-and-ne...
#postconflict

Alleviating chronic food insecurity in South Sudan - Social Science in Humanitarian Action Platform This infographic summarises the Key Considerations briefing on responding to food insecurity in South Sudan, highlighting the importance of investment in agriculture and livelihoods, market access and...

The #infographic summarising our Key Considerations briefing 'Alleviating chronic #FoodInsecurity in #SouthSudan' is now also avalable in French and Arabic.👇🏽
www.socialscienceinaction.org/resources/ke...

Health and other responders to this latest #Marburg
virus disease outbreak in #Tanzania: Find vital resources, including answers to key questions re viral haemorrhagic fevers based on 10+ years' extensive social science research, here👇🏽
www.socialscienceinaction.org/emergency/ma...
@who.int @msf.ca

Podcast: Navigating uncertainty - radical rethinking for a turbulent World - Institute of Development Studies Uncertainties are everywhere. Whether it’s climate change, financial volatility, pandemic outbreaks or new technologies, we don’t know what the future will hold. For many contemporary challenges, navi...

In this new IDS podcast, @ianscoones.bsky.social discusses the issues in his new book Navigating uncertainty: Radical rethinking for a turbulent World.

www.ids.ac.uk/news/podcast...

Foresight is key to preparing for future challenges.

Ahead of 2025, this year’s Global Foresight report outlines 8 signals of change, offering a glimpse into potential disruptions, positive & negative, which could impact our planet. unep.org/resources/gl... #YearInReview

Marburg virus disease - Social Science in Humanitarian Action Platform Response considerations, including those on national capabilities, local governance structures, and regional and economic implications.

👏🏽👏🏽 and thank you for highlighting this. You may be interested in this collection of resources related to a #SocialScience informed response to the #Marburg outbreak 👉🏽 www.socialscienceinaction.org/emergency/ma...

Explaining your case: No. 5️⃣ and the last in a blog series to help #SocialScientists connect with #humanitarians for evidence-informed #EmergencyResponse 👇🏽
socialscienceinaction.org/blogs-and-ne...
#SocialScience
@fcdoinclusion.bsky.social @idsglobaldev.bsky.social @lshtm.bsky.social