IDRC-supported research has been underway in South Sudan and northern Uganda since 2015 to improve maternal and child health. In these post-conflict settings, researchers are strengthening local health systems, reducing barriers to access, empowering women, and mobilizing communities to take action on their health needs.

When the project began, Torit County in South Sudan (one of the locations of the research) was relatively untouched by the civil war, but renewed violence broke out in 2016. Despite this difficult context, the experience proved that not only is it possible to conduct research in conflict-affected areas, it can actually play a vital role in reinvigorating local communities and strengthening health systems. Read full article here..