analytics Evidence-Based Public Health & M&E

Research, Publications & Consultancy

IHDI generates rigorous field data, facility readiness audits, and epidemiological surveys to guide local government health plans and donor investments, and shares that expertise through professional consultancy.

Research Areas Publications Consultancy Services
What We Study

Research Areas

From malaria and chronic disease to cancer, nutrition and herbal medicine, our research answers the questions communities, districts and partners in Uganda need answered.

Active research Open to research partners
pest_control Active research

Malaria & Vector-Borne Disease

Community and school-based studies that track malaria burden, prevention behaviour and vector breeding in high-burden West Nile parishes.

  • check_circleHousehold baseline and endline malaria surveys
  • check_circleSchool-based fever and malaria screening
  • check_circleBed-net ownership, use and retention studies
  • check_circleVector breeding-site mapping
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monitor_heart Active research

Non-Communicable Diseases (Diabetes & Hypertension)

Population studies on the rising burden of diabetes and hypertension in rural and peri-urban communities, and on how patients stay in care.

  • check_circleRole of Village Health Teams in cardio-metabolic care (Bidi Bidi)
  • check_circleCommunity screening and prevalence surveys
  • check_circleTreatment continuity and follow-up studies
  • check_circleComorbidity and risk-factor analysis
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biotech Open to partners

Cancer Research

Studies on cancer awareness, early detection and access to care, with a focus on cervical, breast and prostate cancer in rural Uganda.

  • check_circleCancer awareness and early-detection studies
  • check_circleScreening uptake and barriers in rural communities
  • check_circlePatient pathways and referral delays
  • check_circlePalliative care needs assessments
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restaurant Open to partners

Nutrition Research

Evidence on child, maternal and household nutrition to inform nutrition-sensitive health and agriculture programmes.

  • check_circleChild and maternal nutrition status (anthropometry)
  • check_circleDietary diversity and household food security
  • check_circleStunting and micronutrient risk factors
  • check_circleNutrition-sensitive agriculture studies
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eco Active research

Herbal & Traditional Medicine Research

Scientific study of the medicinal plants communities rely on. As a collaborator on the Artemisia project, IHDI is helping develop herbal formulations for intermittent preventive treatment of malaria in children (IPTc) in West Nile.

  • check_circleEthnobotanical surveys and mapping of Artemisia growers
  • check_circlePhytochemical extraction and bioactive ingredient analysis
  • check_circleAntiplasmodial activity testing with partner laboratories
  • check_circleArtemisia tea bags, powder and infusions for malaria prophylaxis
  • check_circleHerbarium management and mosquito-repellent formulations
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local_hospital Active research

Health Systems & Facility Readiness

Assessments of how well peripheral health facilities can diagnose, treat and refer, to guide district health plans.

  • check_circleHealth Centre II and III readiness audits
  • check_circleDiagnostic capacity and medicine stock cycles
  • check_circleCold-chain integrity checks
  • check_circleTriage and referral workflow analysis
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pregnant_woman Open to partners

Maternal, Child & Reproductive Health

Studies on care-seeking, danger-sign recognition and service use among mothers, newborns and adolescents.

  • check_circleAntenatal and postnatal care uptake
  • check_circleRecognition of maternal and newborn danger signs
  • check_circleAdolescent sexual and reproductive health
  • check_circleCommunity health worker performance
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water_drop Active research

WASH & One Health

Research linking water, sanitation, hygiene, animal and environmental health to disease prevention.

  • check_circleWater source quality and functionality
  • check_circleHousehold sanitation and handwashing coverage
  • check_circleZoonotic disease risk at the human-animal interface
  • check_circleSchool WASH assessments
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fact_check Active research

Humanitarian & Programme Evaluations

Independent evaluations of community health, refugee self-reliance and first aid programmes, including in fragile cross-border settings.

  • check_circleBaseline, midterm and endline evaluations
  • check_circleMixed-methods designs (surveys, FGDs, KIIs)
  • check_circleMost significant change and success stories
  • check_circleHumanitarian data ethics
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Research team at an Artemisia annua nursery bed during a benchmarking visit
Benchmarking visit: the research team at an Artemisia annua nursery bed at Mbarara University of Science and Technology.
eco Herbal Medicine Research • IHDI as Collaborator • Phase 1

Artemisia Herbal Formulations for Preventing Malaria in Children

With resistance to artemisinin-based treatments threatening malaria control in Africa, this collaborative project, in which IHDI is a partner, is developing Artemisia herbal formulations for intermittent preventive treatment of malaria in children (IPTc) and for ACT-resistant malaria in West Nile.

check_circle Field work: ethnobotanical survey and mapping of Artemisia growers in Arua, with A. annua propagated for study.
check_circle Laboratory: pure oils produced from A. annua and A. vulgaris and phytochemicals extracted, with chromatography and antiplasmodial testing next.
check_circle Products: Artemisia tea bags, powder and infusions for malaria prophylaxis, and mosquito repellents.
groups Team: a multidisciplinary, university-led research team with PhDs in public health, entomology, chemistry and biology, and expertise in nursing, gender and molecular epidemiology.
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monitor_heart Non-Communicable Diseases • IHDI as Field Partner

Village Health Teams & Continuity of Diabetes and Hypertension Care in Bidi Bidi

Bidi Bidi hosts more than 240,000 forcibly displaced people, and cardiovascular and metabolic conditions are a growing share of health facility visits. This 2021 qualitative study, part of the CONTINUITY project funded by the Novo Nordisk Foundation, asked what role Village Health Teams (VHTs) play in keeping refugees with hypertension and type 2 diabetes in care. IHDI was the field partner for the study in Bidi Bidi.

check_circle Methods: focus group discussions with 20 VHTs and 6 key informant interviews (VHT coordinators, health facility in-charges, the District Health Officer and IRC) in two zones of Bidi Bidi, Yumbe District.
check_circle What VHTs do: screen and monitor blood pressure, refer, educate, check adherence, collect and deliver medicines, report and mobilise communities. Two in ten refugees with hypertension seen at Bidi Bidi HC were first diagnosed by a VHT.
check_circle Barriers: 7 of 20 VHTs had no NCD training, no blood pressure monitors, walks of up to 4 km, no phone credit, and a rising caseload carried by volunteers.
lightbulb Recommendations: NCD training and refreshers for VHTs, electronic BP monitors, bicycles and phone credit.
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Zonal VHT leader giving health education to refugees living with diabetes and hypertension in Bidi Bidi
A zonal VHT leader talks with refugees living with type 2 diabetes and hypertension in Bidi Bidi Zone 1 (2021).
menu_book Third-Party Evaluation

Endline Evaluation of CBHFA Project (South Sudan Red Cross)

In technical partnership with WANA Consultants, IHDI contributed key technical expertise to the independent endline evaluation of the Community-Based Health and First Aid (CBHFA) Project for the South Sudan Red Cross in Wau, Western Bahr el Ghazal.

check_circle Mixed-Methods Methodology: Combined qualitative focus group discussions with quantitative household sampling adhering to international humanitarian data ethics.
check_circle Mobile Data Collection: Field enumerators utilized digital survey tablets with automated real-time verification and secure cloud synchronization.
check_circle Community Success Stories: Documented firsthand testimonies of emergency first aid, hygiene adoption, and maternal danger sign recognition.
Focus group discussion in Wau during CBHFA evaluation
Focus group discussions in Wau during the endline evaluation of the Community Based Health and First Aid Project for South Sudan Red Cross.
Institutional Documents

Publications & Programmatic Reports

Verified documents available for partners, grant evaluators, and academic researchers.

Baseline Survey November 2024

Dadamu Sub-County Malaria Baseline Survey & Vector Distribution Dossier

Lead Author: Research Directorate in Collaboration with TASO

Epidemiological baseline surveying 420 households across 7 parishes in Dadamu. Examines bed net ownership, evening outdoor vector transmission patterns, and school-age pupil fever prevalence.

Pages: 52 | 3.7 MB Request Dataset / PDF arrow_forward
Facility Assessment February 2025

2025 Health Centre III Operational Assessment & Primary Healthcare Readiness Report

Lead Author: IHDI Health & M&E Directorate

A comprehensive clinical and structural audit of peripheral health centres in Ayivu Division, detailing staffing bottlenecks, diagnostic kit shortages, and cold-chain capacity for disease management.

Pages: 38 | 2.4 MB Request Dataset / PDF arrow_forward
Case Study September 2022

CSO/CBO Monthly Narrative Report: Dadamu Malaria Prevention

Lead Author: IHDI Field Coordination Office

Official monthly submission to TASO Uganda and the Ministry of Health detailing school dialogues, VHT fever registers, and household net audit results in Dadamu Sub-County.

Pages: 24 | 1.8 MB Request Dataset / PDF arrow_forward
Baseline Survey June 2023

IHDI Baseline Health Assessment in Arua City & Yumbe

Lead Author: IHDI Technical Team

Synthesized epidemiological indicators on communicable disease risk factors, handwashing facility coverage, and community health facility distance across West Nile parishes.

Pages: 46 | 3 MB Request Dataset / PDF arrow_forward
Case Study April 2021

CBHFA Endline Evaluation: South Sudan Red Cross

Lead Author: WANA Consultants & IHDI Technical Consortium

Technical field assessment conducted in Wau, South Sudan with WANA Consultants. Details community volunteer training, first aid utilization, and health education outcomes.

Pages: 64 | 4.4 MB Request Dataset / PDF arrow_forward
Policy Brief January 2024

IHDI Statutory Profile & Governance Charter

Lead Author: IHDI Secretariat & Legal Counsel

Includes national NGO registration certificate No. 503/1549, board committee mandates, constitution, and financial accountability policies.

Pages: 18 | 1.2 MB Request Dataset / PDF arrow_forward
Professional Services

Consultancy Services

Our researchers, epidemiologists, agronomists and data analysts take on assignments for NGOs, government, UN agencies and private clients.

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query_stats Data Analytics & Statistics We turn raw survey and programme data into clear, defensible findings that donors, districts and journals can rely on. coronavirus Epidemiology & Public Health Practical epidemiology for programmes, from measuring disease burden to supporting surveillance and outbreak response. agriculture Agriculture & Agribusiness Field-tested expertise in smallholder farming, cooperatives and value chains from our livelihoods work in West Nile. restaurant Nutrition & Food Security Assessments and programme support that connect what households grow and eat to child and maternal health. fact_check Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning Independent evaluations and M&E systems that show what is working, for whom, and why. tablet_android Research Design & Digital Data Collection End-to-end study management, from protocol and ethics approval to trained enumerators and clean digital data.

Commission Research, Consultancy or Request Datasets

Our research and M&E teams are available for joint studies, facility assessments, data analysis and third-party evaluations.

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