Exploring Rapid Ethnography to Improve Community Programs

More from The Last Mile All episodes →

1. 

   3 Sep 2026 · 33 min

   Launching the Africa Regional Chapter: An Interview with Martha Mberu

   After a brief hiatus, iCHORDS is excited to kick off a new podcast episode with the announcement of the iCHORDS Africa University Chapters! Join Dr. Alison Krentel for a relaxed conversation with Martha Mberu , the newly appointed Regional Manager for Africa. In this episode, we introduce the new iCHORDS Africa chapters and hear directly from Martha about her vision for the chapters. Listen to Martha as she shares her thoughts on the importance of engaging youth in the fight to eliminate neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), as well as her perspective on the future and potential of the…

2. 

   S1 · E11 · 22 Nov 2023 · 36 min

   Using public health economics in the fight against NTDs.

   Economic terms such as effectiveness and efficiency are often used when evaluating programs, but what do these terms really mean? Tune in to hear Dr. McFarland from Emory University, and Dr. Dalaba from the University of Health and Allied Sciences, as they discuss the role that public health economics has in the fight against NTDs. A full bio for Dr. McFarland can be found here . A full bio for Dr. Dalaba can be found here . Links to more resources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2023) Edwards et al., (2013). Public health economics: a systematic review of guidance for the…

3. 

   S1 · E10 · 30 Aug 2023 · 34 min

   Using qualitative research methods to enhance MDA

   Join Dr. Margaret baker, Dr. Beth Sutherland and Dr. Gemma Aellah to learn about the value and utility of qualitative research methods to enhance MDA. The guide featured in the podcast can be found by following the link: https://www.ntdtoolbox.org/toolbox-search/guide-improving-mda-using-qualitative-methods Speaker bios: Gem Aellah is Research Fellow in Health and Social Science in the Global Health and Infection Department at Brighton and Sussex Medical School, UK. Gem is part of the Social Science for Severe Stigmatizing Skin Neglected Tropical Diseases Foundation , a collaborative…

4. 

   S1 · E9 · 7 Jul 2023 · 31 min

   Using Outcome Harvesting to evaluate NTD programs

   In this episode we hear from Geordie Woods from Sightsavers and Mack Giancola on how they used a participatory evaluation approach called: Outcome Harvesting to evaluate the Accelerate trachoma elimination programme. Full speaker bios: Mack Giancola has 15+ years of experience as an educator, public health leader, and evaluation consultant. He specializes in participatory evaluation approaches like outcome harvesting by combining qualitative and quantitative approaches with facilitation and sense-making. He is currently wrapping up his dissertation at the University of Illinois Chicago…

5. 

   S2 · E1 · 17 May 2023 · 44 min

   Let's focus on focus group discussions

   This episode of the Last Mile Podcast will discuss how to conduct a successful focus group discussion with Dr. Doris Njomo from the Kenya Medical Research Institute, and Naomi Caplan and Dr. Mekuriaw Alemayehu from the NALA foundation. Here you will find the link to the Beyond MDA report that is discussed in the podcast: https://www.nalafoundation.org/_files/ugd/50e284_2a0cef39ca2745c1a38fd3d16bc277a3.pdf Here is a link to a quick guide on focus groups: https://www.ichords.org/ichords-research-methods-series-focus-group-discussion/ Full Speaker Bios: Dr. Doris Njomo is a Principal Research…

6. 

   14 Oct 2022 · 36 min

   Research Priorities for the Endgame: Hearing from Kikundi Community of Practice

   iCHORDS Community of Practice is a platform for communication, collaboration and knowledge exchange within social and behavioural science research disciplines to address implementation gaps and current issues facing Neglected Tropical Disease programs. Given this, It is extremely important for iCHORDS to work together with other partners to understand challenges that are faced within communities so we as researchers can be responsive to needs. Today we will be speaking to the Chair of Kikundi Leadership Council, a Community of Practice for NTD Program Managers in Africa - to learn more about…

7. 

   7 Jul 2022 · 44 min

   Leveraging the Power of Campaign Integration to Improve NTD Programs

   Health campaigns are defined as time-bound, intermittent activities that deal with particular epidemiologic challenges, quickly close delivery gaps or offer supplemental coverage for health initiatives. Integrating health campaigns can be used by programs and organizations to enable co-delivery and collaboration among public health efforts with the goal of improving the efficiency and effectiveness of several interventions. The notion of integration is especially salient in the WHO NTD 2021-2030 roadmap which emphasizes the need for cross-cutting approaches which include improving…

8. 

   8 Apr 2022 · 45 min

   Implementation Research: Rethinking Our Approach to NTD Research

   Implementation Research (IR) is a systematic approach that recognizes, understands, and addresses implementation bottlenecks and identifies optimal approaches for implementing health interventions, strategies, and policies. IR helps us improve our understanding of the challenges we face in the real world by enhancing our understanding of how real-world factors impact implementation. By doing so, IR sheds light on the intersection between what can be achieved in theory and what happens in practice. Given the importance of IR as a tool to improve interventions in the neglected tropical…

9. 

   12 Jan 2022 · 56 min

   Tips for Writing a Winning Research Proposal

   A request for proposal (RFP) is a document that announces a project, explains it, and invites eligible researchers or organizations to submit bids to complete it. Developing an effective research proposal to submit to the RFP, in public health and global health, is an essential step towards funding research initiatives. Given the role of the proposal in outlining the steps that will be taken to answer a research question, we set out to guide our community towards some of the expectations of what makes a good research proposal. To help us navigate the do’s and don'ts of research proposals, we…

10. 

    14 Dec 2021 · 34 min

    It's Time for Fairness in Research Partnerships

    One of the things we have failed to notice in the evolution of global health ethics has been the neglect of research and implementation partnerships as the context for a wide range of unfair and sometimes inequitable practices. There aren't many frameworks, benchmarks or standards on best practices for governmental, corporate, non-profit, or academic collaborations. This is particularly true for international collaborative research and innovation involving low- and middle-income countries. This is where the Research Fairness Initiative (RFI) hopes to make a difference. The RFI is a…