School of Social and Political Science

Description

The Centre of African Studies is delighted to welcome you to the following seminar:

'Exploring the social determinants of malaria in Uganda: the role of livelihoods'

Speaker: Dr Kevin Deane, Senior Lecturer in Economics, The Open University

Chair: Dr Ian Russell, Lecturer in African Studies and International Development, Centre of African Studies, University of Edinburgh

Malaria continues to be one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in Africa. Recent progress towards eliminating malarias has stagnated, and in some cases began to reverse. One key dimension which remains poorly understood in malaria research and policy making are the social determinants of the disease, which direct attention to the conditions in which people live and work. This seminar presents findings from a qualitative study that explored perceptions and understanding of the social determinants of malaria in Uganda. The stakeholders interviewed highlighted a range of key livelihood activities, including maize cultivation, livestock rearing, construction and occupations conducted at dusk/night that they related to increased risk of malaria. The findings emphasise the importance of addressing these livelihood activities, given they are widespread in Uganda and other African malaria-endemic countries. We recommend that malaria is mainstreamed into development strategies, and urge researchers, policy makers, practitioners, and other stakeholders to more deliberately engage with the social determinants of malaria if malaria elimination is to be achieved.

When: Wednesday 29th October 2025 (4-5:30pm) BST

Where: Seminar Room 2 - Chrystal Macmillan

Format: In-person only

Register via Eventbrite

Speaker Biography

I am an interdisciplinary specialist in Development Economics, Political Economy and Global Health. My research interests focus on the social determinants and political economy of health with respect to infectious diseases in Eastern and Southern Africa. These include HIV, COVID-19 and Malaria. I am primarily a qualitative researcher with experience of conducting fieldwork in East Africa, working with colleagues in Tanzania and Uganda on a range of issues related to gender, migration, the workplace, livelihoods, and the role of poverty/wealth in terms of shaping patterns of infectious disease prevalence, development and livelihood impacts, and access to health services.