Establishing International Research and Training Partnerships for Improving Health
i3HS research visit to Durbar Mahila Samanwaya Committee, Kolkata, India
Written by Tracey Farragher and Hannah Waterson
A defining feature of the i3HS hub is its interdisciplinary approach, and as such hub members collaborate with a wide range of institutions and organisations working towards the improvement of population health.
Durbar Mahila Samanwaya Committee (DMSC), based in Kolkata, India, is one such organisation. Established over 20 years ago in the vibrant Sonogachi red light district of Kolkata, DMSC is a collective which works to empower and promote the rights of sex workers, whilst at the same time engaging in STI/HIV prevention and treatment activities. Based in an underlying philosophy of co-production, DMSC has fostered a peer-education approach through which community members exchange advice and information. This has resulted in significant improvements in awareness and adherence to safe sex practices, and reduced STI and HIV rates.
DMSC also incorporates a small research wing, working on a range of projects from evaluating their network of local clinics through the analysis of routinely collected data, to work on wider social issues such as stigma reduction and citizens’ rights.
In January, Dr Tracey Farragher and Dr Hannah Waterson from the i3HS hub made an initial research visit to the organisation, with the aim of establishing a mutually beneficial collaborative relationship around research and training, which will lead to the dissemination of evidence demonstrating the impact of the DMSC approach, and the identification of opportunities for further interventions to improve health.
Collaborative Research Opportunities
During the visit, our hosts introduced us to the healthcare and support facilities they have established across the region. We were able to see how the organisation operated on a day-to-day basis and hear from staff and community members about the extent to which conditions for sex workers have improved as a result of DMSC’s work. Over several years, a supportive and trusting relationship has been established between sex workers and staff, which means that healthcare and support is easily accessible to community members, but also facilitates the collection of information and routine data.
We explored the health data routinely collected as part of the service delivery, and data collected as part of previous research projects. The research team described the types of analysis they currently engage in, as well as challenges to utilising this further, for example, a lack of staff capacity and IT and technology capabilities to allow the collation of data from across the region.
We also undertook interviews with members of the organisation to identify their research priorities and additional training needs. Ideas for several potential collaborative research projects emerged through these initial discussions, which could combine local knowledge and existing data with the analysis capabilities of the i3HS hub. Topics include long-term HIV/STI incidence and prevalence studies, linking to changing social and demographic factors, and the feasibility of Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) to prevent HIV.
Training resources and materials
The desire of DMSC staff to become more involved in research and data analysis was clear during the visit. Many expressed an interest in undertaking additional training to enable them to recognise and respond to the changing needs of the community.
To give an idea of the training materials we could provide, we adapted materials designed for our existing MPH programme into a half-day taster session about research methods, delivered to DMSC staff. The session was well received, and stimulated a number of questions about how this could be applied in their current roles.
The need for further training in these areas is an opportunity for the i3HS hub to share expertise, adapting learning objects from existing teaching materials to provide bespoke resources designed to meet a specific need. Conversely, the expertise of DMSC will be a valuable resource for students on the MPH studying topics such as Epidemiology, Intercultural Public Health, Engaging the Hard to Reach for Health Gain, and Working with Communities.
As we begin to analyse the data collected during the initial visit, we hope to identify funding sources to help us build on this relationship and develop a strong sustainable international partnership.
Hannah completed a PhD in the evolution of HIV prevention policy in Japan at the University of Manchester and completed the MPH after a period working in policy and media roles. She is now working as a lecturer as part of the i3HS Hub, developing a new unit on Infection Prevention and Control, and teaching on the units: Arts and Public Health, Global Health into the 21st Century and Engaging the Hard to Reach for Health Gain. She is also working on the evaluation of a range of public health interventions and research projects on issues such as health inequalities and childhood obesity.
Tracey is an epidemiologist who applies advanced statistical techniques to routine data to address a range of health questions. She is module lead on the Fundamentals in Epidemiology unit on the Master’s in Public Health (MPH). She also develops online teaching resources on study design, statistics and implementation sciences.
