From reproductive health to neuromuscular disorders - seven new projects to change health policy and practice
We're excited to introduce seven new Changing Policy and Practice Awards. This funding will support our awardees in sharing their research insights and recommendations with patients, healthcare professionals, and policymakers.
Our Changing Policy and Practice (CPP) Awards, which we make twice a year, are designed to ensure that discoveries made by Foundation or Medical Research Council (MRC)-funded researchers can reach a wider audience, beyond the scientific press.
These awards, of up to £30,000, provide extra support to researchers to maximise the real-world impact of their research, with the aim of influencing healthcare and behaviour.
Previously, our CPP funding has enabled researchers to develop policy reports, tailor communications to tackle misinformation, and run workshops for policymakers and local people affected by health issues.
Read about our most recently awarded projects below:
Improving the safety and effectiveness of menstrual cups
Prof Penelope Phillips-Howard from the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine is working to support the menstrual health needs of schoolgirls in countries such as Kenya.
Single-use disposable sanitary pads are often expensive, difficult to distribute in Kenyan schools, and contribute significantly to waste pollution. Prof Phillips-Howards’ previous research has shown that menstrual cups are likely to be a healthier and sustainable alternative, capable of reducing STIs and bacterial vaginosis, while lasting for up to 10 years.
Her team is collaborating with the Menstrual Cup Coalition to share these findings internationally, aiming to improve menstrual health guidelines for schoolgirls. Additionally, they will conduct workshops with teachers to develop guidance on menstrual health and menstrual cup use.
Developing online resources to reduce global inequalities in genomic medicine
Prof Emma Baple from the University of Exeter is developing an online educational resource to enhance understanding of genetic conditions.
The Exeter-led ‘Windows of Hope’ translational genomic research programme works closely with Amish communities and healthcare providers to address healthcare inequalities in this field of medicine. In 2019, Prof Baple launched a free online course on Genomic Medicine and Research, which received positive feedback from the Medical Schools Council.
Now, in addition to updating the scientific content, Prof Baple’s team will develop new materials in collaboration with other underrepresented communities across the world.
Advancing awareness and care for VWA1-Related Neuromuscular Disorders in the UK
Prof Henry Houlden from University College London is working to improve the diagnosis, care, and quality of life for people living with rare genetic VWA1-related neuromuscular disorders.
VWA1, a specific protein coding gene, can lead to various muscle-related diseases. One of these is autosomal recessive hereditary motor neuropathy - a disorder of the peripheral nerves, muscles or the communication between them. It is characterised by muscle weakness.
First identified three years ago, this type of muscle and nerve damage can begin in early infancy, childhood, or adulthood, and is often mistaken for other neuromuscular conditions. Despite the prevalence, VWA1-related disorders remain significantly underdiagnosed.
Prof Houlden is developing a new digital platform to provide patients, families and healthcare providers with resources such as videos, webinars and information leaflets. Expert-developed clinical guidelines and accredited training courses will also be widely shared through this project – helping neurology specialists stay informed on the latest diagnostic and treatment approaches.
The team aims to raise awareness and equip clinicians and families with practical tools, to improve the quality of life for those affected by VWA1-related neuromuscular disorders.
Towards intersectoral health and social services for adolescent mothers in South Africa
Global rates of adolescent motherhood are highest in sub-Saharan Africa, yet state services in the region remain limited. Global rates of adolescent motherhood are highest in sub-Saharan Africa, yet state services in the region remain limited. Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) play a key role in addressing the complex needs of adolescent mothers by linking health and social sectors together. However, these organisations often face structural challenges in delivering integrated interventions
Prof Lucie Cluver from the University of Oxford previously led a study involving over 1,000 adolescent mothers in South Africa’s Eastern Cape, revealing that access to healthcare and childcare services, self-efficacy programmes, and educational support can significantly improve outcomes for both adolescent mothers and their children.
Now, through her CPP-funded project, Prof Cluver’s team will bring together CSO representatives to support adolescent girls through a series of workshops. The team aims to develop a practical roadmap focused on improving adolescent health outcomes.
Achieving universal health care coverage in low- and middle- income countries
Dr Fadi El-Jardali from the American University of Beirut is working to integrate refugees into national health systems.
For many refugees and other vulnerable groups, a lack of universal health coverage and sustainable financial mechanisms can prevent access to healthcare. Dr El-Jardali has studied health reforms and policies related to refugee integration in countries such as Jordan, Lebanon and Uganda.
His team plans to share their findings at the national level in Jordan and Lebanon, as well as with policymakers and stakeholders from various governmental agencies. This will help policymakers design universal health coverage schemes and strategies, so that high quality health services can be provided to both national citizens and refugees.
Enhancing health system responsiveness through knowledge sharing
Prof Tolib Mirzoev from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine is sharing knowledge to improve health system responsiveness in Ghana and Vietnam.
Important mental health conditions, like depression and anxiety, are often neglected – particularly among pregnant and post-natal women, and frontline health workers. Prof Mirzoev’s ‘RESPONSE’ project, developed with input from local stakeholders, has already piloted interventions to change the way health systems support people experiencing common mental health conditions.
While patients and health workers have responded positively to interventions such as screenings and follow-on referrals, there is a need to sustain and integrate these approaches into routine antenatal and postnatal care. Through conferences and policy dialogues, Prof Mirzoev’s team will share their analyses of maternal and mental healthcare in Ghana and Vietnam, to inform and strengthen relevant policies and protocols.
Making neonatal care equitable
Prof Lorenzo Fabrizi from University College London is helping to provide parents and healthcare professionals with a new neonatal pain management tool.
When newborn babies experience pain, it can negatively impact their brain development. Unfortunately, unwell babies often undergo frequent painful procedures, like blood tests or the placement of gastric feeding tubes, making effective pain relief a priority for clinicians.
To address this, Prof Fabrizi and his team have developed a pain scale that helps staff and parents understand the severity of 16 medical procedures. This easy-to-use tool, funded by the Foundation, has already been introduced to 15 neonatal teams across the country, expanding to a network of 80 pain champions.
Now, the team aims to expand access to their pain severity scale, in particular, to healthcare professionals in postnatal wards and to families who face language barriers and may not speak or read English. This work aligns with their long-term goal of strengthening staff-parent collaboration in managing neonatal pain across the UK.