2021: Moving Forward But Remembering What We Have Learned
There is a humanitarian-to-development nexus. Can we navigate it better?
Written by Elijah Olivas, with Eric Sarriot and Will Story
As is everyone, we are looking for better things in 2021 among them, to remember some of what we learned last year. And no, this is not about Covid-19, although we are sure some of it will apply.
Just over a year ago, we released two case studies of systems effects of successive Save the Children emergency health and nutrition (EHN) projects (Sudan and Pakistan). And, we recently published a cross-cutting analysis paper in Health Policy and Planning on this topic. This work took over three years to complete, but it provides the opportunity for some reflection, which is worth bearing in mind as we start a new year.
The study collected data from 738 pregnant women who arrived at four of Lagosâs largest public hospitals with life-threatening complications. Estimating their travel time using computer models and online maps, researchers sent out drivers to reconstruct their journeys and found that travel times were one and a half times longer than Google maps predicted, and four times longer than computer models.
âThere are huge life and death implications of travel time to reach facilities for pregnant women in emergency situations,â said LSEâs Dr Aduragbemi Banke-Thomas.
âThe World Health Organization recommends that women should be able to access health facilities within two hours,â he said, pointing out that online models all suggested they had, but that was not the case.