Organisation profile
Organisation profile
The Department of International Public Health (DIPH) brings together experts from a diverse array of disciplines to support and lead cutting-edge research across a broad spectrum of global health challenges. The department supports a range of research approaches from individual fellowships and project grants to large, multi-partner consortia with a particular emphasis on health systems research and its application in shaping policy and improving healthcare delivery.
DIPH’s key areas of specialisation include maternal and newborn health, sexual and reproductive health, mental health, climate & health, anaemia and blood transfusion, clinical laboratory systems, and broader health systems development. Within health systems development, specific attention is given to human resource management and gender equity.
The department is home to three specialist centres:
- Institute for Resilient Health Systems
- Centre for Capacity Research
- Centre for Childbirth, Women’s and Newborn Health
In addition, it hosts one of LSTM’s global hubs:
- CeSHHAR, Zimbabwe
DIPH’s mission is to improve health outcomes for disadvantaged populations worldwide through collaborative research and education. The department leads globally recognised, multidisciplinary work across critical domains including sexual and reproductive health, maternal health, urban health and well-being, climate change, mental health, and disability. Its work significantly contributes to health workforce development and systems strengthening, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.
Led by experienced academics and supported by dedicated managerial and administrative teams, DIPH also plays a central role in postgraduate education at LSTM, contributing significantly to teaching and student supervision.
UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. Our work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
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SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being -
SDG 5 Gender Equality -
SDG 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth -
SDG 9 Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure -
SDG 10 Reduced Inequalities -
SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities -
SDG 13 Climate Action -
SDG 17 Partnerships for the Goals
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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
Profiles
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Miss Valentina Actis Danna
- International Public Health - Research Associate
- Faculty of Education
- Centre for Childbirth, Women's and Newborn Health
Person: Research only, PhD
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A context-responsive health systems intervention improves the uptake of early infant HIV diagnosis Controlled before and after study in Malawi
Suwedi-Kapesa, L. C., Choko, A., Chirombo, J., Nothale, D., Desmond, N. & Obasi, A., 21 Apr 2026, In: PLOS Global Public Health. 6, 4, e0006269.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile -
Adverse perinatal outcomes indicative of RhD-mediated hemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn in Eastern Ethiopia evidence of maternal health inequity in a multicenter cohort study
AFRICARhE consortium, Desalew, A., van der Schoot, C. E., Mjema, R. N., van den Akker, T., Vermeiden, T., Schonewille, H., Pyuza, J. J., Gure, T., Verweij, E. J. T. & Tura, A. K., 19 Apr 2026, In: AJOG Global Reports. 6, 2, 100625.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile -
Application of geospatial analysis for mapping the distribution of severe maternal morbidities in eastern Ethiopia The case of the Ethiopian obstetric surveillance system
Alemu, S. M., Weitkamp, G., Knight, M., Girma, S., Yuya, M., Stekelenburg, J., van den Akker, T., Biesma, R. & Tura, A. K., 7 Apr 2026, (E-pub ahead of print) In: International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile
Datasets
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Universal in Principle, Unequal in Practice: A Participatory Qualitative Study of Healthcare Access among Syrian, Iranian, Eritrean and Sudanese Refugee and Asylum-Seeking Communities in Liverpool, England
Essale, N. (Creator), Public Library of Science (PLoS), 2026
Dataset
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Dataset and code to reproduce analysis on the impact of indoor residual spraying (IRS) on malaria at Illovo Nchalo, Malawi
Hoek Spaans, R. (Creator), tbc, 24 Apr 2024
Dataset
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Dataset for the article: Prevalence of subclinical pulmonary tuberculosis and its association with HIV in household contacts of index tuberculosis patients in two South African provinces: a secondary, cross-sectional analysis of a cluster-randomised trial
Carter, N. (Creator), Webb, E. L. (Creator), Lebina, L. (Creator), Motsomi, K. (Creator), Bosch, Z. (Creator), Martinson, N. A. (Creator) & MacPherson, P. (Creator), tbc, 18 May 2023
Dataset
Student theses
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A CRITICAL REFLECTION WITH PEOPLE ON HOW URBAN DEVELOPMENT-INDUCED DISPLACEMENT AND RELOCATION PROCESS INFLUENCE THE WELLBEING OF PEOPLE RESETTLED FROM INFORMAL SETTLEMENTS IN AHMEDABAD, INDIA.
Jukur, S. (Author), Tolhurst, R. (Supervisor), 8 Oct 2025Student thesis: Doctoral thesis
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Air pollution in Mpemba, Malawi: a multidisciplinary exploration of the burden and possible solutions
Saleh, S. (Author), Mortimer, K. (Supervisor), Chinouya, M. (Supervisor), Rylance, J. (Supervisor) & Kumwenda, M. (Supervisor), 2022Student thesis: Doctoral thesis
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Albuminuria Among Virally Suppressed HIV-infected Patients in Botswana: Longitudinal Changes, and Association with Inflammation and ACEI/ARB Use in a Clinical Setting
Mosepele, M. (Author), Jaffar, S. (Supervisor), Wang, D. (Supervisor) & Jarvis, J. N. (Supervisor), 11 Feb 2026Student thesis: Doctoral thesis