Susannah Mayhew BA MA PhD

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Background

From 1995-1999 I was in the Health Policy Unit (where I completed my PhD in 1998), then worked at the Nuffield Institute for Health, University of Leeds until the end of 2001 when I joined the Centre for Population Studies here at LSHTM.

I lived in West Africa for a number of years (and was born in Ghana!) and have conducted research in a variety of countries across sub-Saharan Africa and South-East Asia including Ghana, South Africa, Kenya, Swaziland and Pakistan.

Teaching

I teach a variety of courses on the CPS MScs (Demography and Health, Reproductive and Sexual Health Research) and coordinate the Family Planning Programmes module.

I also teach masters students and fourth year medical students at the Nuffield Institute for Health, Leeds and at UCL and give guest lectures at other European universities.

I have supervised three doctoral students who successfully completed and currently supervise another five who have/are examining a range of reproductive health and policy issues (including abortion, domestic violence, maternal health policy, HIV/RH integration and contracting NGOs to deliver HIV services to marginalised groups) in Ghana, Swaziland, Malaysia, Indonesia and Pakistan.

Research

My main research interests lie in analysing the health policy and systems development issues in relation to population, sexual and reproductive (including maternal) health and services. I have conducted research at policy, programme and community levels in a wide range of countries.

In sub-Saharan Africa a large body of my work has been exploring the integration of reproductive health and HIV/AIDS services to understand how policies are translated into practice and how policies and programme structures affect service delivery. I am currently the PI on a Gates-funded five-year research programme to assess different models of delivering integrated RH/HIV services in Kenya and Swaziland.

I coordinate work under the theme of 'Integration' for a DFID RPC on 'Reproductive Health and HIV'. Previously, I managed LSHTM's component of another DFID-funded research programme consortia (RPC) on 'Reproductive Health and Rights'. At community and service delivery levels in Ghana, early work identified community perceptions and use of STI/HIV services. I recently completed an EU-funded research project in Ghana on perceptions of Emergency Contraception among urban dwellers and providers, as part of a four-country study comparing acceptability and accessibility of EC in Ghana, Burkina Faso, Senegal and Morocco.

In Asia, my work has been concentrated in Pakistan where I was involved in two projects investigating the health needs and service provision for marginalised groups at risk of HIV (sex workers and injecting drug users) and documenting their experiences of abuse.

My systems level work has included investigation of decentralisation dynamics in sub-Saharan Africa (a project with the Nuffield Institute for Health, Leeds) and an analysis of recent attempts to contract NGOs to deliver HIV services to marginal groups in Pakistan (with a doctoral student).

Selected publications

• Mayhew, S.; Collumbien, M.; Qureshi, A.; Platt, L.; Rafiq, N.; Faisel, A.; Lalji, N.; Hawkes, S.; Protecting the unprotected: mixed-method research on drug use, sex work and rights in Pakistan's fight against HIV/AIDS. Sex Transm Infect, 2009; 85 Suppl 2:ii31-6
• Church, K.; Mayhew, S.H.; Integration of STI and HIV prevention, care, and treatment into family planning services: a review of the literature. Stud Fam Plann, 2009; 40(3):171-86
• Burchett, H.E.; Mayhew, S.H.; Maternal mortality in low-income countries: What interventions have been evaluated and how should the evidence base be developed further? Int J Gynaecol Obstet, 2009; 105(1):78-81
• Colombini, M.; Mayhew, S.; Watts, C. Health-sector responses to intimate partner violence in low- and middle-income settings: a review of current models, challenges and opportunities Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 2008; 86(8):635-642
• Mayhew, S.; Douthwaite, M.; Hammer, M.; Balancing protection and pragmatism: a framework for NGO accountability in rights-based approaches. Health Hum Rights, 2006; 9(2):180-206
• Mayhew, S.H.; Tibenderana, J.; Haines, A.; Commission for Africa: can it make a difference to health? Lancet, 2005; 365(9465):1122-4
• Mayhew, S.H. Hegemony, politics and ideology: the role of legislation in NGO-government relations in Asia Journal of Development Studies, 2005; 41(5):727-758
• Mayhew, S.H.; Adjei, S.; Sexual and reproductive health: challenges for priority-setting in Ghana's health reforms. Health Policy Plan, 2004; 19 Suppl 1:I50-I61

Full publications listing (since 2001)