Engagement activities were designed to acknowledge that inequalities and injustices are writ large in Global Health. Just as social, economic, political, racial and gendered inequalities impact individuals’ health experiences, we also recognise that these same inequalities can be reproduced and reinforced by institutions, organisations and (most pertinent to us) research groups purporting to tackle health issues (Büyüm et al. 2020). Engagement activities were therefore designed from a commitment to make Global Health more equitable, with the following interrelated principles underpinning all engagement efforts. As such, we paid close attention not only to what we did but how we did it, striving towards a goal of activating equitable engagement.
A full report of dissemination activities can be read here: Activating Equitable Engagement: from research to policy (and back again): a report on dissemination activities for ‘NIHR Global Health Research Group on estimating the prevalence, quality of life, economic and societal impact of arthritis in Tanzania
Community Level Dissemination
The workshop was attended by members of the NIHR Arthritis research team; village leaders from Hai District who had facilitated and approved the research; enumerators who had been vital members of the research team conducting the household survey; and the District Medical Officer (DMO) – Dr. Itikija Msuya. The Hai Community Workshop took place in KKKT Hall, District of Hai on August 30th 2022.
As well as feeding back research findings, we also worked with those attending to review and edit the community-facing flyer to be distributed amongst the wider community. All of the changes were adopted and in March 2023 Dr. Nateiya Yongolo and Dr. Sanjura Biswaro distributed findings leaflets to enumerators, to be distributed amongst the wider community.
“In total, 3000 flyers were distributed, with very positive feedback from village leaders and enumerators who noted that most people come to collect data and they do not give feedback of any kind. They appreciated the effort in returning with findings!”
Dr Nateiya Yongolo
Policy Level Dissemination
The Policy Level Dissemination Day was held in Kilimanjaro Wonders Hotel, Moshi, August 31st 2022.
Participants included Dr Aifello Sichalwe – Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of Tanzania; representatives of working clinicians, including Dr. Francis Furia (Muhimbili National Hospital) Dr. Sanna Said and Dr. Ahlaam Armour (Zanzibar Mnazi Mmoja Hospital, Zanzibar), as well as representatives from Tanzania NCD Association, including Prof Bruno Sunguya and Prof Kaushik Ramaiya.
The morning saw the team deliver a series of short talks before setting up evidence-based policy recommendations. A bespoke ‘Activating Research for Change’ exercise was devised; after lunch, in small groups, participants worked to consider the steps, stakeholders and potential challenges (& their solutions!) to achieve the recommendations. In doing so, Activation Route Maps were co-produced for all our policy recommendations.
