Qualitative synthesis has become more commonplace in recent years. Meta ethnography is one of several methods for synthesising qualitative research and is being used increasingly within health care research. However, many aspects of the steps in the process remain ill-defined. Meta-ethnography is a useful method for synthesising qualitative research and for developing models that interpret findings across multiple studies. Despite its growing use in health research, further research is needed to address the wide range of methodological and epistemological questions raised by the approach.
Useful Resources
Conducting a meta-ethnography of qualitative literature: Lessons learnt
Atkins S, Lewin S, Smith H et al: BMC Medical Research Methodology 8: 21, 16 April 2008
Conference in Global Health Diplomacy: The new realm in international relations- event video
ECSA Health Community, Arusha, August 2013
This video covers the one day meeting held by the ECSA Health Community on global health diplomacy prior to the ECSA HC best practices forum.
Consolidated guidelines on the use of antiretroviral drugs for treating and preventing HIV infection
World Health Organisation: 2013
These consolidated guidelines provide guidance on the diagnosis of HIV infection, the care of people living with HIV and the use of antiretroviral (ARV) drugs for treating and preventing HIV infection. They are structured along the continuum of HIV testing, care and treatment. Behavioural, structural and biomedical interventions that do not involve the use of ARV drugs are not covered in these guidelines. The 2013 guidelines combine and harmonise recommendations from a range of World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines and other documents. Comprehensive guidance is now provided on using ARV drugs across age groups and populations of adults, pregnant and breastfeeding women, adolescents, children and key populations. The guidelines also aim to consolidate and update clinical, service delivery and programmatic guidance. Consistent with previous WHO guidelines, the new guidelines are based on a public health approach to the further scaling up of ARV drugs for treatment and prevention that considers feasibility and effectiveness across a variety of resource-limited settings.
Construct Africa
Uncube, Uncube Magazine (17):2013
This special issue of Uncube magazine explores the changing trends in the built environment on the African continent. The issue presents case studies at various scales, from the construction of a sustainable orphanage in Guabuliga, Ghana to the results of a course in supporting residents of a suburb in Johannesburg to be experts of their own living situations.
Corona Diaries: Open source audio stories from around the world
Nieman Foundation for Journalism: USA, 2020
Corona Diaries is an open platform allowing people around the world to voice their experiences during the pandemic. It’s a place for stories big and small, joyful or sad, one off contributions or daily audio blogs. Every story is welcome. Initiated by former fellows of the Nieman Foundation for Journalism, the platform is intended for journalists, artists and creators of all types to then use to make into any media they choose under the Creative Commons licence. It is an open database of recordings forever growing and always accessible.
Coronavirus: Ten African innovations to help tackle Covid-19
BBC, August 2020
As Africa passes more than a million confirmed Covid-19 cases, innovators on the continent have responded to the challenges of the pandemic with a wide range of creative inventions. These innovations include the ‘Doctor Car’ designed by students from the Dakar Polytechnic School. This multifunctional robot is designed to lower the risk of Covid-19 contamination from patients to caregivers. The device is equipped with cameras and is remotely controlled via an app. The designers say it can move around the rooms of quarantined patients to take their temperatures and deliver drugs and food. Nine-year-old Kenyan schoolboy Stephen Wamukota invented a wooden hand-washing machine to help curb the spread of coronavirus. The machine allows users to tip a bucket of water to wash their hands by using a foot pedal. This helps users avoid touching surfaces to reduce the risk of infection. Other innovations include portable ventilators designed in Nigeria, 3d printed masks in South Africa, solar powered hand sinks from Ghana, and online platforms for x-rays from Tunisia.
Corporations and Human Rights Database
Corporations and Human Rights Global, 2016
Businesses are often implicated in human rights violations. Yet the patterns behind claims of corporate human rights abuses and the pursuit of justice and remedy associated with those claims remain unstudied and thus unknown. Who makes claims about corporate human rights abuse? How do companies respond? And, what explains why some claims are addressed and others are not? To address some of these gaps, the CHRD team is currently creating a database of claims of corporate human rights abuses from 2000 through today. The database intends to inform practitioners, policymakers, and academics alike and the data will be made readily available.
Counselling for maternal and newborn health care: A handbook for building skills
World Health Organization: 2009
The main aim of this counselling handbook is to strengthen counselling and communication skills of health providers including skilled birth attendants, helping them to effectively discuss with women, their husbands/partners and families and communities the important issues surrounding pregnancy, childbirth, postpartum, postnatal and post-abortion care. The handbook relies on a self-directed learning approach. Although it is designed to be used by groups of health workers with the help of a facilitator, it can also be used by an individual. All topical sessions contain specific aims and objectives, clearly outlining the skills that will be developed and corresponding learning outcomes. Practical activities have been designed to encourage reflection, provoke discussions, build skills and ensure the local relevance of information. There is a review at the end of each session to ensure that the learner has understood the key points before progressing to subsequent sessions.
Country case studies and reform comparison tool
UHC Forward
The Joint Learning Network for Universal Health Coverage systematically documents the reforms of its member countries and other countries that have expanded health coverage through demand-side financing. The network has compiled all available data on this website, which contains case studies describing the key highlights and technical features of each programme for each country. This tool allows users to compare health funding mechanisms for various countries, including African countries.
Country progress in the implementation of the global action plan on antimicrobial resistance: WHO, FAO and OIE global tripartite database
World Health Organisation: WHO Geneva, 2018
The World Health Organisation hosts this global open-access tripartite antimicrobial resistance database that provides access to information on the status of countries’ regarding the implementation of the global action plan and actions to address antimicrobial resistance across all sectors. Country responses are visualized through maps and can be sorted by regions and by income groups. Information captured in this database is a result of a country self-assessment questionnaire reporting on progress in: developing national antimicrobial resistance action plans; working with multiple sectors; and implementing key actions to address antimicrobial resistance. The database currently contains data for the reporting year 2016-17 and 2017-18.