A Global Social Sciences Network for Infectious Threats and Antimicrobial Resistance

Project Information

SoNAR-Global

Grant agreement ID: 825671

DOI

10.3030/825671

Project closed

EC signature date 8 December 2018

Start date 1 January 2019

End date 30 June 2022

Funded under

• SOCIETAL CHALLENGES - Health, demographic change and well-being

Total cost

€ 4 306 347,50

EU contribution

€ 4 306 347,50

Coordinated by

INSTITUT PASTEUR
France

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - SoNAR-Global (A Global Social Sciences Network for Infectious Threats and Antimicrobial Resistance)

Reporting period: 2020-07-01 to 2022-06-30

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

SoNAR-Global is a global consortium led by social scientists specializing in emerging infectious diseases (EID) and antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Until SoNAR-Global’s creation in 2019, no coherent international network organized and fostered interactions among social scientists working on topics related to EID and AMR preparedness and response in Europe and around the world. The existence of this network is important: social scientists are uniquely positioned to evaluate linkages between infectious events, political economic and ecological conditions, local communities and marginalized people. Such insights are crucial when instability (caused by infectious disease outbreaks, conflicts, or other stresses) exaggerates local inequalities, hampering effective preparedness and response efforts. SoNAR-Global has therefore developed a social science network to engage the active participation of social sciences and promote complementarity and synergy in the governance of prevention and response to epidemics and AMR. Partnering with major international and regional institutions, it leads activities through a program that builds governance from the ground up. Its objectives are to:
• Establish and coordinate the SoNAR-Global network and develop an open-access platform to support the SoNAR-Global activities and to share them broadly;
• Adapt, test, and evaluate vulnerability assessment tools on the ground and engagement models to facilitate collaboration with multiple stakeholders and to co-develop concrete policies to bolster resilience;
• Create, pilot, and evaluate curricula for training social scientists and non-social scientists in preparedness and response to infectious threats (epidemics and AMR).

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

Between 2019 and mid-2022, Sonar-Global developed a global network of over 800 individual members and regional networks around the world, 3 active regional hubs (based in Senegal, Thailand, Ukraine), 2 thematic hubs (social sciences of tuberculosis in India and social sciences of viral hepatitis in Vietnam), and a dynamic web-based platform that offers users our tools and trainings, webinars and podcasts, news and publications. Regional hubs have actively developed new research projects, social science capacities, and publications. That we have been approached by institutions to develop new regional hubs (in India, Vietnam, Argentina and Brazil) indicates Sonar-Global's global importance and visibility.

To build social sciences capacity, particularly in LMICs, Sonar-Global developed four social sciences trainings, in careful consultation with global experts and potential users. These four trainings are SPECIAL-SOC Epidemics (in English and French) and SPECIAL-SOC AMR for confirmed social scientists; and OPERATE-SOC Epidemics (in English and French) and OPERATE-SOC AMR for both younger social scientists and public health, clinical, and biomedical specialists who want to contribute to operational activities related to epidemics and AMR. SoNAR-Global has also developed a MOOC (Massive Online Open Course) for the SPECIAL SOC AMR training. To date, we organized 15 trainings of over 150 social scientists, other researchers, public officials, professional staff, epidemic responders, and students from around the world. West African medical and public health students have also received instruction in selected modules of these trainings. In addition, SoNAR-Global developed a stand-alone Vulnerability Assessment training in English and French. All trainings are freely accessible on our website. Finally, we produced 5 high-quality podcasts on

Sonar-Global developed and implemented its combined COVID-19 Vulnerability Assessment (VA) and Community Engagement (CE) tools in 7 countries: Uganda, Bangladesh, Germany, Italy, France, Malta, and Slovenia. These assessments sought to identify complex factors that exacerbated existing health and social vulnerabilities or produced new vulnerabilities. Our objective was to produce actionable analyses and to work with communities and stakeholders to co-develop policies that would assist those marginalized during the global pandemic. Amassing some 912 assessments total, partners produced concrete, actionable findings which have been taken up by municipal and national authorities as well as association and ONG actors on the ground.Results have been scaled to national levels in two countries. Although engagement and policy translation is still ongoing, specific policy contributions have already been implemented in selected sites in all country sites.

In the final reporting period alone, we published results of our activities in popular formats (7) and peer-reviewed journals, organized 13 conferences, presented our findings at 45 conferences and workshops, and participated in 9 press releases, press interviews, and podcasts of other institutions.

Sonar-Global has advanced the integration of the social sciences into national, regional and global institutions for preparedness and response. Several members actively contribute to WHO committees and working groups at regional and global levels for COVID-19 and other health emergencies, and multiple partners have advised and collaborated with national authorities throughout the COVID pandemic. We have a formal collaboration with UNICEF, integrating on a permanent our capacity building, tools, and ethics, data sharing and codes of conduct into humanitarian response around the world.

Sonar-Global has thus catalyzed and developed a dynamic, active network of social scientists and advanced the integration of the social sciences into the global health landscape at multiple levels and around the world. It continues as a legally-recognized association and as the social sciences services provider for the ISIDORe research infrastructure for preparedness and response to epidemics.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

SoNAR-Global reflects a major departure from other social sciences projects and networks and has achieved progress beyond the state of the art. Specifically, although the network has a well-organised central coordinating structure and active partners, its dynamism also results from its regional (and thematic) hub structure. This governance structure has catalyzed EID governance through capacity strengthening (particularly in regions where social scientists have worked in isolation), through new collaborations, and through specific actions related to pandemic response.

SoNAR-Global has not only catalyzed new regional, interdisciplinary social sciences collaborations and strengthened social sciences capacity in LMICs. In five European countries, Uganda, and Bangladesh, its broader impact has been to produce actionable analyses and policy interventions through its vulnerability assessment-community engagement approach in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. We have developed a strong collaboration with UNICEF to integrate our approach into their humanitarian response programming. We have set the foundations for our continued existence, by creating a permanent, legally recognized structure bringing together all partners, and as a research service provider in the Horizon Europe-funded research infrastructure, ISIDORe.

Community engagement during the 2018 Ebola epidemic, Equateur Province, Democratic Republic of Congo