Africa Water, Sanitation & Hygiene Africa Water & Sanitation & Hygiene Nov-Dec 2017 | Page 38
Roundup
School awarded £7.5m to help safeguard the health of victims of humanitarian crises
– and dignity – to the
victims, but in such a
tough environment it
can be hard to stand
back and reflect how
support could be better
delivered. However,
if the health of those
caught up in natural
disasters or war is to be
protected, responses
must be robustly
examined and improved.
The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine is to
lead a major project that aims to strengthen the support
given to victims of humanitarian crises, such as war or
natural disasters.
Funded through The Global Challenges Research Fund
(GCRF) Research Councils UK Collective Fund, the
£7.5m RECAP (Research capacity building and knowledge
generation to support preparedness and response to
humanitarian crises and epidemics) project will bring
together leading organizations in the UK and around the
world to shape and improve humanitarian policies.
With NGO partners Médecins sans Frontières, the
International Rescue Committee, Save the Children, and
the largest NGO in the world – Bangladesh’s BRAC –
RECAP will conduct studies and training in some of the
world’s humanitarian crises hotspots. The network will
include the American University of Beirut, in Lebanon,
the University of Sierra Leone, LSE, Oxford University
and the Refugee Law Initiative in the UK.
RECAP aims to strengthen research capacity and
capability to generate knowledge on how to improve
decision-making and accountability. This will help aid
organizations improve their preparedness and response to
humanitarian crises and epidemics.
RECAP will be led by Bayard Roberts, Professor in
Health Systems and Policy at the London School of
Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. Professor Roberts said:
“Humanitarian crises can cause death, disease and mental
health and reproductive health problems. Through the
chaos, aid organizations bring essential health services
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Africa Water, Sanitation & Hygiene • November - December 2017
“RECAP is an
important new
collaboration that
will help fill crucial
knowledge gaps on
delivering health and
protection services in
humanitarian crises. We
are delighted to have been awarded this funding and look
forward to working with our partners around the world.
Together, the network aims to generate and collate vital
data which will hopefully lead to the development of new,
strong policies that could make a difference to the lives of
thousands of people around the world.”
GCRF is one of the most ambitious international research
programmes ever created. It is supporting projects in the
range of £2 – 8 million over four years - in total £225m
has been invested across 37 interdisciplinary projects to
address challenges in fields such as health, humanitarian
crises, conflict, the environment, the economy, domestic
violence, society, and technology.
Jo Johnson, Minister for Universities and Science, said:
“The UK’s research and innovation system is world
leading, and at a time when the pace of scientific discovery
and innovation is quickening, we are placing science and
research at the heart of our Industrial Strategy to build on
our global leadership and ensure the UK continues to be a
nation of science and technical progress.
“By sharing our expertise with countries around the world,
and investing £1.5bn to 2020/21 in the Global Challenges
Research Fund, we stand committed to helping developing
countries tackle some of the greatest global issues of our
time.”
Other projects GCRF will fund include developing low
cost technologies for safe drinking water in developing
regions, and Agricultural and Food-system Resilience:
Increasing Capacity and Advising Policy.