Research & Knowledge Management
EQUAL — Ensuring Quality Access and Learning for Mothers and Newborns in Conflict-Affected Contexts
A five-year, $11.3 million research programme generating evidence on effective approaches to deliver life-saving maternal and newborn health care in conflict-affected settings, including Somalia.
EQUAL — Ensuring Quality Access and Learning for Mothers and Newborns in Conflict-Affected Contexts — is a five-year, US$11.3 million research programme funded by UK International Development. It is one of the largest research investments to date on maternal and newborn health in humanitarian contexts.
The consortium is led by the International Rescue Committee (IRC), in partnership with the Somali Research and Development Institute (SORDI), Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and its Center for Humanitarian Health, the Institute of Human Virology Nigeria, and Université Catholique de Bukavu. The programme conducts research in Somalia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria, and South Sudan.
In Somalia, SORDI's work under EQUAL focuses on the Galgaduud and Benadir regions, spanning three research workstreams: a political economy analysis of maternal and newborn health prioritisation, community-based maternal and newborn health service delivery, and midwifery workforce development. The programme aims to generate evidence that informs policies, programming, and outcomes for mothers and newborns in conflict-affected communities.