Welcome - Southern Africa (Mesh-Project)

Published Literature: Learning From Participatory Visual Methods in Marginalized South African Communities

In this paper from Frontiers in Public Health, Steps Toward Engagement Integrity: Learning From Participatory Visual Methods in Marginalized South African Communities (2022), authors Gill Black and Pam Sykes describe their 'Bucket Loads of Health project in South Africa.

Article: Cities as Drivers of Sustainable Ecosystems

This article by Abraham Mamela, an engagement specialist based in Botswana, outlines his argument for the need for African cities to be carefully organised to allow them to become hubs of social innovation and science advancement. He also outlines his engagement project, Heartstrings & Heartbeats.

Project Report: COVID-19: Where Art and Science Meet

Report on the Sub-Saharan African Network for TB/HIV Research Excellence's (SANTHE) COVID-19: where art and science meet project. The project, supported by the DELTAS Africa CPE Seed Fund in 2020, brought scientists and young African creatives together to explore the COVID-19 infodemic

Project Report: PowerPack of SuperScientists: Reframing gendered narratives to empower female scientists in South Africa

In this project from South Africa, funded by the DELTAS Africa CPE Seed Fund, SANTHE researchers were transformed into SuperScientists to empower female scientists and challenge gender narratives that block women’s career progression in science.

Project Report: Science-2-Society: Raising future leaders in high schools in South Africa

Immunologist Lerato Ndlovu shares her experience of using a play and career talks in a project, supported by the DELTAS Africa CPE Seed Fund, to engage high school pupils in rural South African communities with research and increase their scientific understanding of TB and its treatment.

Project Report: Community Engagement in the Collaborative African Genomics Network (CAfGEN)

The Collaborative African Genomics Network (CAfGEN) is a H3Africa affiliate and National Institutes of Health (NIH) funded study coordinated at Botswana-Baylor Children’s Clinical Centre of Excellence. This article describes their approach to community engagement.

Project Report: The Genomics of Schizophrenia in South African Xhosa people (SAX) study

The Genomics of Schizophrenia in South African Xhosa People (SAX) study sought to identify genes or mutations underlying predisposition to schizophrenia in the South African Xhosa population. Engagement activities included a Community Advisory Board and a Mental Health Literacy Day.

Project Report: Bate Papo Vacina! (Let’s get vaccinated!)

This blog style project reflection from Village Reach gives an introduction to the different aspects of their research project exploring barriers to vaccination in Mozambique.

Report: Next Generation Biomedical Scientists (NGBS)

The NGBS was a nationwide programme in Zimbabwe engaging secondary school pupils in order to raise awareness on genomics technologies and careers in genomics technology. The project sought to inspire high school students to identify local health challenges, and through community engagement, originate research-based solutions.

Report: The SALUS Eastern Cape Project

The SALUS project is a school engagement project exploring HIV research and treatment using animation, storytelling and online content. The pilot was conducted in the Umtata Region of Eastern Cape, South Africa

Report: Arting Health for Impact: Street art engaging communities in South Africa

Arting Health for Impact: South Africa focused on collaborative storytelling and participatory design to engage three communities closely involved with mental health

Report: Arting Health for Impact: Street art engaging communities in Botswana

Arting Health for Impact: Botswana engaged the public on HIV/AIDS, mental health and hypertension using street art

Project Report: Hip Hop Health: Research, Rhyme, and Rhythm for Healthy Communities

The Hip Hop Health project facilitated the collaboration of young people with health researchers in South Africa to frame research questions, undertake investigations in their communities, and then write and perform hip hop music to share their findings

Project Report: Eh!woza: Intersection of Art and Science to Engage Youth around Tuberculosis

Published Literature: Introducing participatory visual methods to develop local knowledge on HIV in rural south africa

This paper reports a study into the insights and perspectives of rural South African communities on HIV- related mortality. The aim of the study was to elicit local knowledge in order to identify priorities for service organisations to improve health.

Project Report: Genome Adventures: where science meets fun

Art is a powerful medium for communication and engagement with science. To create a collaborative project that melds art with research creative practitioners and scientists must be brought together, but these individuals may think differently, have different priorities and work in different ways. This account of Genome Adventures, gives a little insight into the process of bringing different disciplines together and the challanges and benefits that result. 

Project Report: Art in Global Health: Report and Video giving Insights and Considerations for Future Artist Residencies

In 2013, Art in Global Health set up artist residencies in six Wellcome Trust-funded research centres as a way of teasing out some of the more personal, philosophical, cultural and political dimensions of health research. This exciting project was born out of Wellcome Collection's desire to engage the curious public globally with the health research that the Trust funds - in Kenya, Malawi, South Africa, Thailand, Vietnam and the UK. 

Project Report: co-produced exhibition on migration, health and wellbeing in Southern Africa

Migration, health and wellbeing in Southern Africa: Co-produced exhibition captures experiences of LGBTIQ migrants and asylum seekers in Johannesburg and migrant men, women and transgender persons who sell sex in South Africa

Project Report: Chiedza’s Song: Growing up with HIV in Zimbabwe

Case study of a project run by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine which enabled adolescents in Zimbabwe to capture their stories and the stories of others living with HIV.