Addressing Humanitarian Public Health Challenges through collaborative research and innovation - A case study Jess Camburn, ELRHA Director 17 th September 2015 Dealing with Disasters: Health Centred Disaster Risk Reduction: A New Agenda for a New Era.

ELRHAs ultimate beneficiaries –– are crisis affected communities, and particularly affected vulnerable groups, in least-developed and middle income countries. In this sense, the impact which ELRHA as a whole strives to achieve is improved effectiveness of humanitarian action. Despite this, ELRHA is not a ‘frontline’ agency and is not operational in the field. Additionally, we do not fund traditional humanitarian response or direct assistance in crises. Instead, to reach beneficiaries, ELRHA seeks to impact humanitarian policy, processes and practices by providing better evidence of ‘what works’ and influencing behaviour and structures within the humanitarian system. Our approach to impact

Where and how can we impact the system? Humanitarian system Local NGOs/CBOs UN Agencies INGOS National and regional Government Donors

Two different Programme approaches Research for Health in Humanitarian Crises -A collaborative applied research fund -Funded by DFID & Wellcome Trust The Humanitarian Innovation Fund (HIF) -A multi-donor innovation programme

Aim is to improve health outcomes by strengthening the evidence base for public health interventions in humanitarian crises Encourages world class research through fostering collaboration between operational humanitarian agencies and research institutions. Systematic review: identifying the evidence underpinning current practice Funding types ‘Core’ grants: Research projects of up to 2 years in context of ongoing humanitarian crisis ‘Rapid response’ grants: Pre-approved research in acute phase of future rapid-onset crisis, to be triggered when crisis occurs (with some up-front ‘start-up’ funding). ‘Emergency’ research grants: Launched in response to exceptional large-scale public health emergency, e.g. Ebola outbreak

Enhancing Community Resilience in the Acute Aftermath of Disaster: Evaluation of a Disaster Mental Health Intervention

Humanitarian system US University Affected people Nepal Affected people Haiti Local NGO Haiti Local NGO Nepal R2HC Influencing the system

Humanitarian system US University Affected people Nepal Affected people Haiti Local NGO Haiti Local NGO Nepal R2HC Influencing the system National & regional governments

The HIF aims to support the emergence of a humanitarian system that is capable of innovating and adapting to meet the needs of today and tomorrow. Developed a range of innovation grants and innovation management approaches suitable for humanitarian contexts WASH thematic working stream (£4million) Gap analysis identifying needs and space for innovation Selection of key challenges Brokering of new R&D teams- bringing together new actors

Project example: Integrating social enterprise into emergency faecal sludge management Partners: GOAL, Sanergy, Kakuma Refugee Camp

Influencing the system Humanitarian system GOAL Sanergy Nairobi Kakuma Refugge Camp

Influencing the system Humanitarian system WASH Cluster GOAL Sanergy Nairobi UNHCR Kakuma Refugge Camp

Influencing the system- secondary impacts Humanitarian system R2HC Ebola response WHS innovation stream Research Councils engaging with collaborative research

Influencing the system- secondary impacts Humanitarian system R2HC Ebola response WHS innovation stream SPHERE standards Research Councils engaging with collaborative research

Transferrable lessons for health centered DRR To influence and achieve impact in a complex and global system you don’t always have to work with the established actors. Different skill-sets and different perspectives can bring identify incremental improvements and occasionally transformative solutions However, such and approach needs ‘enablers’ that are able to connect the dots and build new relationships both within and without the system. It also requires a funding environment that values collaboration and partnership.