Systems Thinking for Global Health How can systems-thinking contribute to solving key challenges in Global Health?

How can systems-thinking contribute to solving key challenges in Global Health?

Global Health is an evolving field operating within a complex interaction of political, environmental, economic, and socio-cultural factors. Any work on the subject needs to reflect current developments and be supported by a collaborative, interdisciplinary approach that retains a focus on the underpinning determinants of health. This book reflects the importance of applying a systems-thinking approach to Global Health challenges: one that examines both the individual elements within the system as well as the interrelationships between them and wider contextual patterns.

Bringing together a global and multidisciplinary team of experts, this volume outlines the core concepts of a systems-thinking approach and how they can be applied to current Global Health problems. It provides a comprehensive range of case studies, reflections, conceptual pieces, and methodological approaches. Readers are invited to engage with arguments and assumptions across global health interventions and to connect systems-thinking theory with lived experiences. Well-established topics such as infectious and non-communicable diseases, as well as lesser-discussed areas such as still birth, mental health, and war and conflict are united under a shared systems-thinking framework.

Offering innovative perspectives on current health challenges, students, academics, practitioners, and policy makers will find this a significant resource to enhance their understanding and application of systems-thinking in Global Health.

Frédérique Vallières, Associate Professor of Global Health Director, Trinity Centre for Global Health, UK,Hasheem Mannan, Associate Professor, University College Dublin Visiting Professor, FLAME University, Ireland,Naonori Kodate, Associate Professor, University College Dublin,Fiona Larkan, Assistant Professor and Course Director, Centre for Global Health, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland

Fiona Larkan completed her BA, MA and PhD (2007) at Maynooth University in the Department of Anthropology and served as the Director of the MSc Global Health in Trinity College Dublin from 2010 until 2017. Fiona devoted her career to sharing the voices and experiences of people living with HIV and AIDS in South Africa and Ireland to advocate for more inclusive health care for some of society's most marginalised populations. As a teacher and the Director of the MSc Global Health, she counselled hundreds of students, inspiring them to think critically and to question systems that promote existing inequities, and thus gifting the world a future generation of capable and responsible Global Health researchers.

Frédérique Vallières is an Associate Professor of Global Health at Trinity College Dublin where she also serves as the Director of the Trinity Centre for Global Health. She has over a decade of experience in research in Global Health, conducting research across sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. Her current research focuses on the application of Psychology to Global Health, specifically focusing on Global Mental Health, Health System Strengthening, and Human Resources for Health. Aligned with systems thinking approaches, Frédérique prioritises working in close collaboration with a large network of influential local and international non-governmental organisations as well as public bodies to ensure that research findings are integrated for improved practice and policy. Frédérique holds a BSc. from McGill University (Montréal, Canada) and a MSc. in Global Health from Trinity College Dublin (Dublin, Ireland).

Hasheem Mannan completed his PhD on disability policy and family studies at the University of Kansas, USA in 2005. He was a Senior Research Fellow at the Nossal Institute for Global Health, University of Melbourne and Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Global Health, Trinity College Dublin. He also held a two year Marie Curie Fellowship, Trinity College Dublin. He has worked for the University of Kansas, the World Health Organization, the US National Center for Health Statistics, and the National Disability Authority (Ireland). He held the following scholarships: British Chevening, Grace M. Phinney, David M. Dahlke Memorial, and International Student Scholarship. He was awarded Phi Beta Delta International Student Award for Excellence in International Education by the University of Kansas. Hasheem's areas of expertise include content analysis of health policies; human resources for health and service delivery; disability measurement and statistics; and social inclusion.

Naonori Kodate holds a BA (International Relations) and LL.M from the University of Tokyo, MSc in European Politics and Policy, and a Ph.D in Political Science from the London School of Economics and Political Science. His main research interests include comparative public policy, and science, technology and society (STS) studies, particularly in the use of eHealth (e.g. home care robots) in older people's care, patient safety, and gender equality in STEM education. Nao is the Principal Investigator of a Toyota Foundation-funded international research project "Harmonisation towards the establishment of Person-centred, Robotics-aided Care System (HARP: RoCS)". He co-produced a documentary film “Circuits of Care: Ageing and Japan's Robot Revolution”.

1. An Introduction to Systems Thinking, Domhnall McGlacken-Byrne, Fiona Larkan, Hasheem Mannan, Frédérique Vallières and Naonori Kodate
2. A systematic review of existing system- thinking frameworks for health system strengthening, Deepak Thomas, Charles Normand, Brynne Gilmore, Fiona Larkan and Savyasachee Jha
3. Applying Systems Thinking for Human Resources for Health: Lessons from Sudan, Ayat Abu-Agla and Elsheikh Badr
4. Supportive supervision as systems thinking in community health worker programmes, Camille Coyle, Aine Travers, Frédérique Vallières, Mary Creaner and Damen Haile Mariam
5. Systems Thinking in the Context of Decentralisation and Human Resources for Health: Lessons from Malawi, Kingsley Rex Chikaphupha, Thomasena O'Byrne, Linda Nyondo-Mipando, Isabel Kazanga Chiumia, Mairead Finn and Frédérique Vallières
6. A systems-thinking approach to training community health workers in Kenya: what are the challenges raised for the health system?, Niall Winters, Anne Geniets and Alice Lakati
7. Systems Thinking for Communities, Brynne Gilmore, Henry Mollel, Nazarius Mbona Tumwesigye and Eilish McAuliffe
8. Applying Systems Thinking to Health Information Systems: Lessons from South Africa and Tanzania, Annariina Koivu, Margunn Aanestad and Nima Shidende
9. Assistive Technology: Developing a Systems Thinking Approach, Jessica Power, Mac MacLachlan, Emma Smith and Ikenna Ebuenyi
10. Responding to health needs in war and conflict: What can systems thinking contribute to best practice?, Marion Birch, Maria Kett and Mike Rowson
11. Governance in conflict affected fragile states: understanding context for collaborative decision making in reproductive health, Khalifa Elmusharaf, Elaine Byrne and Diarmuid O'Donovan
12. Implementing Systems-Thinking for Global Mental Health during Humanitarian Emergencies: Examples from Lebanon and Nepal, Frédérique Vallières, Ruth Ceannt, Philip Hyland, Mohamed Elshazly, Jihane Bou Sleiman, Caoimhe Nic a Bhaird, Peter Ventevogel and Rony Abou Daher
13. Understanding professional health education for refugees: A Health Systems Approach, Minerva Rivas
14. Using systems thinking as a heuristic in the design of interventions for social inclusion, Tessy Huss, Euan Mackway-Jones and Mac MacLachlan
15. Improving care quality in a nursing home in Japan: organisational culture, robotics-aided care and systems approach, Naonori Kodate, Kazuko Obayashi, Hasheem Mannan, Shigeru Masuyama
16. Capability Approach to aid systems-thinking in addressing right to health of persons with disabilities, Hasheem Mannan and Thilo Kroll
17. How can systems-thinking address the barriers to implementing the right to health and rehabilitation in South Africa?, Meghan Hussey, Mac MacLachlan and Gubela Mji
18. HIV/AIDS, Aging and Chronic Co-morbidities, Amanuel Kidane and Lillian Mwanri
19. Pastoral health in Ethiopia: Area of public health concern in the 21st century, Mirgissa Kaba
20. Systems thinking in the implementation of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, Tikki Pang and Gianna Gayle Herrera Amul
21. The global health imperative to eradicate nuclear weapons, Tilman Ruff
22. Learning from Case Studies in Global Health, Joe Rhatigan
23. Statelessness, the Right to Health, Policy and Case Law: The Potential Role of Feminist Development Education and the Campaign for Universal Birth Registration, Patricia Erasmus
24. Combatting malaria: systematic review, Savyasachee Jha and Anjula Gurtoo
25. The Utility of Systems Thinking in the Context of Infectious Disease Surveillance in India Rosemary James, Anish Jammu, Annabel Taks, Tapashi Adhikary, Hasmik Nazaryan, Sreya Abraham, Upasna Gaba, Zeenath Roohi, Alexandra Humpert and Isabel Foster
26. Human rights and Social Inclusion in Health Policies: HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria Policies across Namibia, Malawi, South Africa, and Sudan, Joanne McVeigh, Mutamad Amin, Malcolm MacLachlan, Hasheem Mannan, Durria M. Elhussein, El Faith El Samani, Leslie Swartz, Alister Munthali and Gert Van Rooy
27. Stillbirth the hidden global mortality burden, Margaret Murphy, Rakhi Dandona, Hannah Blencowe, Paula Quigley, Susannah Hopkins, Claire Storey, Dimitrios Siassakos, Alexander Heazell and Vicki Flenady