Maternal Health and Wellbeing

Pioneering a public health approach to modern slavery throughout maternal health systems

Project Duration

September 2022 – August 2025

Funder

University of Nottingham – Anne McLaren Fellowship

Project Staff

Elizabeth Such

Helen Spiby

Habiba Aminu

Aims

The aim of this fellowship is to:

Develop, test, refine, evaluate and mobilise an evidence-informed public health approach to modern slavery, with a specific focus on preventing harm and promoting the wellbeing of women and girls in maternal health systems 

The research questions being addressed are:

1. What are the systems of exploitation to which women and girls are exposed that place them, their maternal health and the health of their babies at risk?

2. What is the global evidence base for effective action on the prevention of exploitation of women and girls, particularly women and girls with maternal health needs?

3. What are the health, wellbeing and healthcare service economic costs of maternal health harms related to exploitation across a selection of countries?

4. How can a public health approach to modern slavery be best mobilised across different country and maternal health care practice contexts?

Methods

The research uses a mix of methods and adopts systems thinking to address this complex problem.

Work Package 1: A state-of-the-art synthesis of the evidence with health economics assessment

Work Package 2: Consultation, case studies and consensus (using key informant interviews, survivor engagement and Delphi methods)

Work Package 3: Knowledge mobilisation of a public health approach in maternal health systems

Stage of Development

Conceptual mapping and evidence synthesis. Survivor consultation

 

 

Maternal Health and Wellbeing Research Group

The University of Nottingham
School of Health Sciences
Queen's Medical Centre
Nottingham, NG7 2HA


email: helen.spiby@nottingham.ac.uk