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Dr Hugh Sharma Waddington

Assistant Professor

London International Development Centre
20 Bloomsbury Square
London
WC1A 2NS
United Kingdom

I specialise in impact evaluations of Global Development and Health programmes using randomised, quasi-experimental and mixed-methods designs, systematic review and meta-analysis. At LSHTM I work with the Pathfinder project (climate and health co-benefits), the Environmental Health Group, and the Action Against Stunting Hub. I work closely with global partners in evidence synthesis including Campbell South Asia, Cochrane and am elected Co-Chair of the Campbell Collaboration Climate Solutions Coordinating Group. I am also a Methods Editor with Campbell Systematic Reviews and the Journal of Development Effectiveness. Previously, I founded the Systematic Reviews Programme and London Office of the International Initiative for Impact Evaluation (3ie), based at London International Development Centre, where I worked for 10 years, and was later seconded to the 3ie Evaluation Office based in New Delhi. I have worked for extended periods at the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning in the Government of Rwanda in Kigali, the World Bank's Independent Evaluation Group in Washington, DC, the UK National Audit Office and the Poverty Research Unit at Sussex University. I have conducted assignments for the Asian Development Bank, Dasra Foundation, DFAT, DFID, FCDO, the Economist Intelligence Unit, Global Affairs Canada, the International Finance Corporation, the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Save the Children, Sightsavers, USAID and the World Health Organization among others. I hold a PhD in Impact Evaluation of Infectious Diseases and Public Health from LSHTM, where I studied under Professor Sandy Cairncross and Edoardo Masset, MA Development Economics from the University of Sussex, and BSc Economics from the University of York.

Affiliations

Department of Disease Control
Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases

Centres

Centre for Evaluation
Global Health Economics Centre

Teaching

I co-direct London International Development Centre's Programme Evaluation Short-Course. I co-organise IDM215 WASH Distance Learning Module. I teach on Environment, Health and Sustainable Development, Environmental Epidemiology and Introduction to Health Economics MSc modules.

I currently have one PhD (DrPH) student (Rose NDulu Ndolo), regularly supervise MSc students, and am happy to speak to prospective Masters or PhD students.

Research

I am interested in rigorous empirical policy research that answers relevant questions for decision making. The methodological focus of my work includes causal methods of impact evaluation, including randomised field trials and quasi-experimental approaches like discontinuity designs, small-n qualitative impact evaluation methods, the critical assessment of these studies, systematic reviews, statistical meta-analysis, and the use of mixed methods. I have published research on a range of topics including aid effectiveness, climate and health, environmental health (primarily water, sanitation and hygiene, WASH), maternal and child health and nutrition, and smallholder agriculture.

Research Area
Behaviour change
Child health
Education
Environmental Health
Impact evaluation
Sanitation
Statistical methods
Systematic reviews
Water
Epidemiology
Mixed methods research
Randomised controlled trials
Disease and Health Conditions
Diarrhoeal diseases
Malnutrition
Infectious diseases
Country
Bangladesh
Ghana
India
Nepal
Rwanda
Region
South Asia
Sub-Saharan Africa (all income levels)

Selected Publications

The effect of improving solid waste collection on waste disposal behaviour and exposure to environmental risk factors in urban low-income communities in Pakistan.
SCHMIDT, W-P; Haider, I; Hussain, M; Safdar, M; Mustafa, F; Massey, T; Angelo, G; Williams, M; Gower, R; Hasan, Z; SHARMA WADDINGTON, H; Anjum, N; BIRAN, A;
2022
Tropical Medicine & International Health
What have we learned after ten years of systematic reviews in international development?
WADDINGTON, H; MASSET, E; Jimenez, E;
2018
Journal of Development Effectiveness
ROBINS-I: a tool for assessing risk of bias in non-randomised studies of interventions.
Sterne, JA; Hernán, MA; Reeves, BC; Savović, J; Berkman, ND; Viswanathan, M; Henry, D; Altman, DG; Ansari, MT; Boutron, I; CARPENTER, JR; Chan, A-W; Churchill, R; Deeks, JJ; Hróbjartsson, A; Kirkham, J; Jüni, P; Loke, YK; Pigott, TD; Ramsay, CR; Regidor, D; Rothstein, HR; Sandhu, L; Santaguida, PL; Schünemann, HJ; ... Higgins, JP.
2016
BMJ (Clinical research ed)
Farmer Field Schools for Improving Farming Practices and Farmer Outcomes: A Systematic Review
WADDINGTON, H; Snilstveit, B; Hombrados, J; Vojtkova, M; Phillips, D; Davies, P; White, H;
2014
Campbell systematic reviews
Effectiveness and sustainability of water, sanitation, and hygiene interventions in combating diarrhoea
WADDINGTON, H; Snilstveit, B;
2009
Journal of Development Effectiveness
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