Global epidemics

Epidemics: pathways of disease and response

Changing patterns of land use, interactions between humans, livestock and wildlife and new patterns of social behaviour have seen the emergence of a series of new infectious diseases that now threaten to reverse post-war progress towards improved global public health.

While TB, HIV-AIDS and malaria receive the most policy attention, 'old' diseases of lower respiratory tract infection and diarrhoea remain the major killers, they are being joined by both new diseases such as SARS, avian 'flu and BSE, and modified versions of existing diseases.

Diseases emerge from changing landscape-livelihood interactions in relation to drug resistance, genetic changes in pathogens and zoonosis, as new farming practices, increased mobility and increasingly intensive food, water and social systems allow new evolutionary niches to form.

Drawing on a series of cases, this project will focus on understanding these interactions and on stimulating reflection about procedures for addressing epidemics that support, rather than compromise, the livelihood needs of poorer people and wider principles of social justice. This will involve addressing the dynamics of epidemics, and how they are framed by different groups of scientists, policy-makers and the public. It will also consider institutional and governance issues, including the ways that panics and scares over epidemics are generated and dealt with, and the relationships between disease, political economy and security.

The project aims to work with others to broaden and open debate about epidemics, including consideration, for instance, of the ways that citizens' own perspectives and popular epidemiology could become part of more deliberative, inclusive responses. 

Epidemics Workshop, December 8-9, 2008

This workshop provides an opportunity for discussion of the STEPS Epidemics case studies on HIV/AIDS, Ebola, obesity, avian influenza, SARS and multi-drug resistant tuberculosis. A comparative framework for the case studies will be developed, as well as the identification of ideas, strategies and collaborations for future interdisciplinary research and publication.
Epidemics workshop programme (pdf 159kb)


Presentations from the workshop (on Slideshare)

Erik Millstone - Epidemics of Obesity: narratives of 'blame and 'blame' avoidance

Jerker Edstrom: Constructing AIDS: Contesting perspectives on an evolving epidemic

Research update - autumn 2008

STEPS members are currently working on case studies on SARS, multi-drug-resistant TB, HIV/AIDS, ebola, avian flu, obesity. The studies will appear on this page when complete.

Epidemics flyer

Read about our epidemics project
Download this flyer (pdf 108kb)

Epidemics project on the blog

Publications - Epidemics, Avian Flu and Ebola

STEPS Working Paper 9: Epidemics

Epidemics coverEpidemics for all? Governing Health in a Global Age (pdf 513kb)
By Sarah Dry

Current global health policy is dominated by a preoccupation with infectious diseases and in particular with emerging or re-emerging infectious diseases that threaten to ‘break out’ of established patterns of prevalence or virulence into new areas and new victims. This paper seeks to link a set of dominant narratives about epidemics and infectious disease with what is often called the architecture, or organizational landscape, of global health policy.
Only available online, free to download.
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STEPS briefing 9: Epidemics for all? Governing health in a global age

epidemics cover

Sarah Dry
Download this briefing (pdf 222kb)

 

STEPS Working Paper 10: Avian Flu

avian flu coverThe International Response to Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza: Science, Policy and Politics (pdf 2MB)
By Ian Scoones and Paul Forster

Over the last decade, the avian influenza virus, H5N1, has spread across most of Asia and Europe and parts of Africa. There has, as yet, been no human pandemic, although 245 deaths have been reported since 2003. A major international response has been launched, backed by over $2 billion of public money. Huge numbers of poultry have been culled, vaccination campaigns have been implemented and markets have been restructured. These efforts have affected the livelihoods and businesses of millions. This paper asks: what lessons can we learn from this experience, and what does this mean for future efforts to respond to emerging infectious diseases under the One World, One Health initiative?
Order a copy of paper from the IDS bookshop, cost £5.00
Read a briefing of this paper

 

STEPS Working Paper 14: Ebola

Ebola coverHaemorrhagic Fevers in Africa: Narratives, Politics and Pathways of Disease and
Response (pdf 480kb)
By Melissa Leach

Haemorrhagic fevers have captured popular and
media imagination as deadly diseases to come ‘out of Africa’. Associated with wildlife vectors in forested environments, viral haemorrhagic fevers such as Ebola, Marburg and lassa fever figure high in current concern about so-called ‘emerging infectious diseases’, their hotspots of origin and threat of global spread. Outbreak narratives have justified rapid and sometimes draconian international policy responses and control measures. Yet there is a variety of other ways of framing haemorrhagic fevers. This paper contrasts global
outbreak narratives with three others which consider haemorrhagic
fevers as deadly local disease events, in terms of culture and context, and in terms of long-term social and environmental dynamics. It considers the pathways of disease response associated with each, and how they might be better integrated to deal with haemorrhagic fevers in more effective, Sustainable and socially just ways.
Only available online, free to download
Need help with downloading? See our help page

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