Systems perspective to population health issues
Members of the Maternal Sexual and Reproductive Health (MSRH) Unit work on diverse and interdisciplinary projects, responding to population health issues and problems from a systems perspective.
We collaborate with colleagues across the Institute and University to identify contextually appropriate solutions and work extensively with funding partners and key service delivery stakeholders in the Indo-Pacific region.
For example, in the Pacific, we are currently supporting the development of national behaviour change communication (BCC) strategies in Vanuatu, Kiribati, and Solomon Islands. We are supporting the development and implementation of a continuing professional development system for nursing in Kiribati and Solomons Islands. We are exploring how countries in the Pacific have redesigned and adapted delivery of public health activities in response to challenges identified during COVID-19 and identifying key areas that require more support to advance Primary Health Care in the region.
In India, we are exploring how institutional arrangements and organisational cultures constrain or enable engagement of public services with healthcare reform initiatives is being explored. Across four states in India, we are examining what shapes and drives care-seeking for chronic illnesses. We are co-leading RESPONSE, a research initiative to explore approaches to improve the responsiveness of the health system to needs of vulnerable groups in Vietnam and Ghana. We are developing case studies of Ghana, Mexico, and Cambodia, to provide evidence of the impact Health Policy and Systems Research has on policy development and implementation.
Facilitating knowledge transfer is a cornerstone of the Nossal Institute’s work. Members of the Maternal Sexual and Reproductive Health Unit coordinate, lead and teach across a range of courses within the University of Melbourne. MSRH Unit members lead a multi-year program focused on building the capacities of UNICEF staff (across the world) on health systems strengthening. We are supporting the development and implementation of the India HPSR Fellowship to build Health Policy and Systems Research capacity in India. We are in the process of renaming the MSRH unit to better reflect and better communicate our research and practice – watch this space for a naming update!