The Ethics Thematic Working Group (TWG) aims to explore what ethical issues arise in relation to health policy and systems research in low and middle-income countries, how they should be addressed, and by whom.
If you would like to find out more about the Ethics of Health Systems TWG, the activities we will be involved in at the Symposium, or engage in this important area of research, why not:
- Visit us at the HSG stall in the Exhibition space
- Follow #bioethics and #ethics on Twitter
- Join us at one of the exciting sessions listed below.
Official TWG sessions
| Session Type | Title | Short description | Date & time | Location |
| Organized Session | Incorporating a justice lens into HPSR ethics: implications for policy and practice in the global south | Cutting edge conceptual and empirical work highlighting justice considerations in diverse research contexts will be presented and discussed. | Thursday, October 11, 16:00 – 17:30 | ACC room 12 |
| Business meeting | TWG business meeting: Ethics of Health Systems Research | Friday, October 12, 12:30 – 13:45 | ACC room 13 |
Supporting documents for TWG sessions
- Global justice and health systems research in low and middle-income countries
- Linking participatory action research on health systems to justice in global health: A case study of the maternal and neonatal implementation for equitable health systems project in rural Uganda
- Governance of transnational global health research consortia and health equity
- Ethical responsibilities of research funders to advance global health justice
- Webinar launching a Special Issue of Developing World Bioethics on health systems research ethics
- Special Issue of Developing World Bioethics on health systems research ethics
TWG member sessions
| Session Type | Title of presentation | Short description of session/presentation | Date & time | Location |
| Skills building | Navigating Day to Day Ethics Dilemmas in Health Policy and Systems Research (HPSR) | This half day workshop will allow attendees to share ethical dilemmas encountered in health policy and systems research, build knowledge of ethical resources and guidance, develop skills for addressing common dilemmas, and build capacity to undertake ethics reflection sessions to navigate dilemmas on research teams. | Monday, October 8, 13:00 – 17:00 | Exhibition Centre Room 24 |
| Oral presentation by Benjamin Tsofa | ‘The Outsiders from Within’ – Researcher-Managers’ Collaboration for Facilitating Real-Time Research Uptake for System Strengthening in the Process Political Devolution – Lessons from Kenya | Presentation highlights how research team – policy maker relationships and interactions can address practical health system challenges and strengthen ethical practice. | Wednesday, October 10, 14:00 – 15:30 | ACC room 11A |
| Poster | Strengthening the science and ethics of health policy and systems research (HPSR): our experience with embedding ethics reflection sessions into diverse HPSR studies | Shares the theory behind introducing ethics reflection sessions into three very different HPSR case studies, and experience of doing so. | Thursday, October 11, 13:15 | Poster 409 |
| Skills building | Applying intersectionality within health systems research: looking inwards and outward | An interactive workshop introducing the theory and practice of applying an intersectionality lens in HPSR | Tuesday, October 9, 14:00 – 17:00 | Exhibition Centre room 22 |
| Skills building | The practice of embedded health policy and systems research in LMICs: Individuals, organisations and networks building capacity and trust over time | Enthusiasm for ‘embedding’ research into LMIC health systems is running ahead of knowledge and training on how it is best practiced. Embedded HPSR requires specific competencies from researchers and partners at individual, organisational and systems levels (e.g. ethical mindfulness and positional-reflexivity). This skills-building session builds capacity through shared field experience. | Tuesday, October 9, 9:00 – 11:00 | Exhibition Centre room 22 |
| Skills building | Using participatory visual methods to understand and support health systems with a focus on marginalized populations | Focuses on methodological approaches supporting inclusion of those whose voice is often lost in HPSR. | Tuesday, October 9, 8:00 – 12:00 | Exhibition Centre room 19 |
| Oral presentation by Bridget Pratt | Sharing power with the disadvantaged and marginalised in HSR priority-setting: An ethical framework | Presentation highlights ethical considerations to take into account when designing HSR priority-setting in order to ensure the voices and knowledge of marginalised groups are heard. | Wednesday, October 10, 11:00 – 12:30 | ACC room 4A |
| Poster | Linking participatory action research on health systems to justice in global health: A case study of the Manifest project in rural Uganda | Poster 93: Bridget Pratt, University of Melbourne
Describes how initial ethical guidance on how to link HSR in LMICs to health equity can be upheld in research practice. | Thursday, October 11, 10:40 – 10:45 | Level 3 |
| Poster | Conducting multi-disciplinary research with families of children admitted with malnutrition- reflections on researchers’ responsibilities to respond to vulnerabilities identified | Poster number 94: Scholastica Zakayo, KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Program | Thursday, October 11, 10:45 – 10:50 | Level 3 |
| Organized session | Amplifying marginalized voices: towards a meaningful inclusion in social accountability mechanism for health | This organized session explores how marginalized groups can be better included within social accountability mechanisms in LMICs. | Friday, October 12, 11:00 – 12:30 | ACC Hall 2L |
| Panel session | Addressing social inequalities through social protection | Friday October 12, 09.00 – 10.30 | ACC room 3B |