Mirko S Winkler
Biographic Data
| ID | 6020138 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Mirko S Winkler |
| GIVEN NAMES | Mirko S |
| FAMILY NAME | Winkler |
| SIGNATURE | WINKLER M S |
| AFFILIATIONS | Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-7387-3863 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 45 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 31 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 45 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2010 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 3 |
Potential benefits, opportunities, risks and challenges of population suppression gene drive mosquitoes for malaria control described in the scholarly literature
Gene drive mosquitoes represent a promising strategy to alter mosquito populations and reduce disease transmission. However, their use has generated considerable debate due to ecological, ethical, and societal concerns. This paper reviews risks, challenges, benefits, and opportunities of gene drive technology, focusing on environmental, social, economic, and health implications. A literature search of peer-reviewed articles published between Janu…
A call for research and policy into building multi-layered social resilience toward a sustainable agricultural workforce in Switzerland
The agricultural workforce is exposed to rapidly changing working conditions due to societal, economic, political, and ecological challenges. In the Swiss farming community, poor mental wellbeing is a growing concern and research focuses on the distribution and hazards of psychological distress in farmers and their social network. This perspective benefits from insights of the first agricultural cohort in Switzerland, illustrating the complex fie…
‘Knowing how the machine works’
It is well established that social determinants influence people’s health and well-being. Yet, limited attention is given to the fact that social determinants are, in turn, the result of political determinants. The political struggle between different ideas, interests and power over public policies, that is, how societies shall function, results in formal and informal structures that work as a ‘sorting machine’: they determine how societies (re)d…
Applying the photovoice method with adolescents in mining areas in rural Mozambique
There is a recognised need for innovative methods to elicit the perspective of adolescents on public health issues, particularly when addressing sensitive topics such as the impact of mining projects on their health. Participatory approaches such as "photovoice" allow for deep engagement of vulnerable and marginalised populations, including adolescents. However, few existing studies have used the photovoice method to reflect on issues related to …
Adolescent health and well-being in the context of impact assessment of natural resource extraction projects
Background Natural resource extraction projects (NREPs) might impact the social, economic and health conditions of marginalised and/or vulnerable population groups, such as adolescents. While different types and forms of impact assessments (IAs) have the aspiration to place particular emphasis on potential project-related effects in vulnerable and/or marginalised groups, it remains unclear whether and to what extent health and well-being of adole…
Walking the talk
Although Health Impact Assessment (HIA) has been gaining momentum over the past decade, it is still a relatively small field of practice. Here we explore whether possible opportunities to promote the field of HIA can be translated into concrete actions. We pursued an exploratory sequential mixed-methods approach. In a first step, HIA practitioners’ ideas were collected across 18 semi-structured interviews. Building on these insights, a survey que…
Exploring the Impact of Mining on Community Health and Health Service Delivery
Sub-Saharan Africa is rich in natural resources but also faces widespread poverty. The United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals brought increased attention to resource extraction projects, emphasizing their development potential in extraction regions. While mining companies are required to conduct environmental impact assessments, their effect on the project-affected communities' health mostly lacks systematic management, and their considera…
A roadmap for using DHIS2 data to track progress in key health indicators in the Global South
High quality health data as collected by health management information systems (HMIS) is an important building block of national health systems. District Health Information System 2 (DHIS2) software is an innovation in data management and monitoring for strengthening HMIS that has been widely implemented in low and middle-income countries in the last decade. However, analysts and decision-makers still face significant challenges in fully utilizin…
Promising practices for dealing with complexity in research for development
Are there aspects of complexity that are characteristic for research for development projects? Our study shows what are these aspects, how they affect research and what practices seem to be promising for dealing with the increasing levels of complexity.The need to deal with complexity is getting increasingly attention in research for development projects implemented through transboundary research partnerships between organisations from the Global…
Barriers to evidence use for sustainability
Calls for supporting sustainability through more and better research rest on an incomplete understanding of scientific evidence use. We argue that a variety of barriers to a transformative impact of evidence arises from diverse actor motivations within different stages of evidence use. We abductively specify this variety in policy and practice arenas for three actor motivations (truth-seeking, sense-making, and utility-maximizing) and five stages…
Assessing the effects of mining projects on child health in sub-Saharan Africa
BACKGROUND: The African continent hosts many industrial mining projects, and many more are planned due to recent prospecting discoveries and increasing demand for various minerals to promote a low-carbon future. The extraction of natural resources in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) represents an opportunity for economic development but also poses a threat to population health through rapid urbanisation and environmental degradation. Children could benef…
Incorporating community perspectives in health impact assessment
Large infrastructure projects, such as mining and renewable energy projects, can affect the health of surrounding communities by changing the natural, physical and social environment. While there is limited understanding of potential health impacts of such projects on local populations in general, there is a particular need for community-driven and equity-oriented approaches to predict and manage such impacts. To assess health impacts as perceive…
Health impact assessment of a watershed development project in southern India
A “Health in All” approach has been encouraged by India’s National Health Policy to address cross-sectoral health concerns. To illustrate how health concerns can be systematised in food system planning, we pursued a health impact assessment (HIA) of a watershed development (WSD) project in semi-arid Kolar district, India. The planned WSD project included measures for soil and water conservation, improving agricultural productivity, and enhancing …
Scoping review of the inclusion of economic analysis in impact studies of natural resource extraction projects
The extraction of natural resources, such as minerals, oil, and gas, can have profound economic effects. The application of economic analysis methods in impact studies of resource extraction projects holds potential to inform decision-making in order to optimise gains and minimise negative externalities. This paper aims to identify and characterise peer-reviewed publications that report on economic studies implemented as part of impact assessment…
Gendered health impacts of industrial gold mining in northwestern Tanzania
Mining projects affect the health of surrounding communities by inducing environmental, economic, social and cultural changes in different population groups. Health impact assessment (HIA) offers an opportunity to manage these impacts. This paper aims to explore gender differences of impacts on the wider determinants of health as described by communities impacted by industrial gold mining and consider the implications for impact assessment. We co…
Estimating the mortality burden of large scale mining projects—Evidence from a prospective mortality surveillance study in Tanzania
We set up a mortality surveillance system around two of the largest gold mines in Tanzania between February 2019 and February 2020 to estimate the mortality impact of gold mines. Death circumstances were collected using a standardized verbal autopsy tool, and causes of death were assigned using the InSilicoVA algorithm. We compared cause-specific mortality fractions in mining communities with other subnational data as well as national estimates. …
Impact of mining projects on water and sanitation infrastructures and associated child health outcomes
BACKGROUND: Access to improved water and sanitation infrastructures are key determinants of health. The sub-Saharan African region in particular is lagging behind the ambitious goal of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development to ensure universal access to improved and reliable water and sanitation for all (Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6). Large mining projects can promote economic growth and hence investments in water and sanitation infr…
Access to Water and Sanitation Infrastructures for Primary Schoolchildren in the South-Central Part of Côte d’Ivoire
In rural settings of Côte d'Ivoire, access to water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) at schools is often lacking. The purpose of this study was to assess the availability, quality, and use of WASH infrastructure in schools in the south-central part of Côte d'Ivoire, and to determine the hygiene practices of schoolchildren. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 20 primary schools with (n = 10) or without (n = 10) direct access to drinking water.…
Association of Livestock Ownership and Household Dietary Quality
Studies from India and several eastern African countries found that the impact of dairy animal ownership on household nutrition varied greatly, depending on the socio-geographic context. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between livestock ownership and household dietary quality in rural Kolar district, India. We collected data from a household survey in four study villages ( n = all 195 households of the four villages) of K…
Associations between Natural Resource Extraction and Incidence of Acute and Chronic Health Conditions
Natural resource extraction projects are often accompanied by complex environmental and social-ecological changes. In this paper, we evaluated the association between commodity extraction and the incidence of diseases. We retrieved council (district)-level outpatient data from all public and private health facilities from the District Health Information System (DHIS2). We combined this information with population data from the 2012 national popul…
Long-Term Neurological and Psychological Distress Symptoms among Smallholder Farmers in Costa Rica with a History of Acute Pesticide Poisoning
Studies suggest that acute pesticide poisonings (APP) may be linked with long-term neurological effects. To examine long-term neurological and psychological distress symptoms associated with having experienced an APP, we conducted a cross-sectional study of 300 conventional and organic smallholder farmers from Zarcero County, Costa Rica, May-August 2016. We collected self-reported data on sociodemographic characteristics, occupational history, pe…
It Is Like We Are Living in a Different World”
Extractive industries bear considerable risks to widen existing health gaps. In order to create equal opportunities among affected populations, the wider determinants of health must be considered more explicitly in the licensing process of resource extraction projects
Spatial mobility and large-scale resource extraction
We examine population mobility around a newly-developed large-scale copper mine in Zambia and analyse how socioeconomic and health indicators differed amongst migrants, resettled households, and non-mobile local (e.g. non-migrant/-resettled) populations. Two cross-sectional household surveys in 2015 and 2019 collected quantitative data on health, socioeconomic indicators, and resettlement and migration status. A wealth index for the pooled sample…
Changes in socioeconomic determinants of health in a copper mine development area, northwestern Zambia
In 2011, an industrial copper mine was developed in northwestern Zambia. A health impact assessment was conducted to anticipate and address potential health impacts. To monitor these impacts, three community-based surveys were conducted in the area (2011, 2015 and 2019). We analysed these data to determine how household socioeconomic indicators – considered determinants of health – have changed in the area over time. In mine-impacted communities,…
Housing conditions and respiratory health in children in mining communities
Poor housing conditions, such as poor building materials and weak structures as well as high levels of indoor air pollution, are important risk factors for a broad range of diseases, including acute respiratory infections (ARI). In mining areas, research on the determinants of respiratory health predominantly focuses on exposures to outdoor air pollutants deriving from mining operations. However, mining projects also influence the socioeconomic s…
Utilization of research knowledge in sustainable development pathways
Assessing health impacts in complex eco-epidemiological settings in the humid tropics
Assessing health impacts in complex eco-epidemiological settings in the humid tropics
Barriers to evidence use for sustainability
Calls for supporting sustainability through more and better research rest on an incomplete understanding of scientific evidence use. We argue that a variety of barriers to a transformative impact of evidence arises from diverse actor motivations within different stages of evidence use. We abductively specify this variety in policy and practice arenas for three actor motivations (truth-seeking, sense-making, and utility-maximizing) and five stages…
Flood governance for resilience in cities
Incorporating community perspectives in health impact assessment
Large infrastructure projects, such as mining and renewable energy projects, can affect the health of surrounding communities by changing the natural, physical and social environment. While there is limited understanding of potential health impacts of such projects on local populations in general, there is a particular need for community-driven and equity-oriented approaches to predict and manage such impacts. To assess health impacts as perceive…
Health impact assessment in Latin American countries
Housing conditions and respiratory health in children in mining communities
Poor housing conditions, such as poor building materials and weak structures as well as high levels of indoor air pollution, are important risk factors for a broad range of diseases, including acute respiratory infections (ARI). In mining areas, research on the determinants of respiratory health predominantly focuses on exposures to outdoor air pollutants deriving from mining operations. However, mining projects also influence the socioeconomic s…
Assessing health impacts in complex eco-epidemiological settings in the humid tropics
Assessing health impacts in complex eco-epidemiological settings in the humid tropics
Assessing health impacts in complex eco-epidemiological settings in the humid tropics
Health impact assessment
Health impact assessment (HIA) has matured as a form of impact assessment over the past two decades. The use of HIA methods and approaches has expanded rapidly, and it now has applications in both the public and private sectors and in an increasing number of countries around the world. This paper presents an overview of the historical and recent international developments in HIA, before detailing the existing strengths, weaknesses, opportunities …
Assessing health impacts in complex eco-epidemiological settings in the humid tropics
Changing Patterns of Health in Communities Impacted by a Bioenergy Project in Northern Sierra Leone
Large private sector investments in low- and middle-income countries are often critically evaluated with regards to their environmental, social, human rights, and health impacts. A health impact assessment, including a baseline health survey, was commissioned by the Addax Bioenergy Sierra Leone project in 2010. As part of the monitoring, a follow-up survey was conducted three years later. A set of health indicators was assessed at six impacted an…
Experience and lessons from health impact assessment for human rights impact assessment
As globalisation has opened remote parts of the world to foreign investment, global leaders at the United Nations and beyond have called on multinational companies to foresee and mitigate negative impacts on the communities surrounding their overseas operations. This movement towards corporate impact assessment began with a push for environmental and social inquiries. It has been followed by demands for more detailed assessments, including health…
Análise descritiva dos acidentes de trabalho ocorridos em Porto Velho (RO) entre 2002 e 2012
Realizou-se análise descritiva da série histórica de acidentes de trabalho ocorridos entre 2002 e 2012, em Porto Velho (RO), a fim de identificar se houve aumento relacionado com a implantação das obras do Programa de Aceleração do Crescimento no município. Foram utilizados dados do Ministério da Previdência Social e da Relação Anual de Informações Sociais. Verificou-se aumento na incidência de acidentes de trabalho em Porto Velho a partir de 200…
Risks and Impacts to First Nation Health and the Mount Polley Mine Tailings Dam Failure
In August 2014, the Mount Polley Mine tailings dam was breached, releasing millions of cubic metres of tailings water and tailings into Polley Lake, Quesnel Lake, and Hazeltine Creek in British Columbia (BC), Canada. To date, no assessment has identified the communities impacted by this event, nor how they were impacted, from a social or health perspective. This qualitative study uses a community-based participatory research approach to identify …
Monitoring of Selected Health Indicators in Children Living in a Copper Mine Development Area in Northwestern Zambia
The epidemiology of malaria, anaemia and malnutrition in children is potentially altered in mining development areas. In a copper extraction project in northwestern Zambia, a health impact assessment (HIA) was commissioned to predict, manage and monitor health impacts. Two cross-sectional surveys were conducted: at baseline prior to project development (2011) and at four years into development (2015). Prevalence of Plasmodium falciparum , anaemia…
Association between Childhood Diarrhoeal Incidence and Climatic Factors in Urban and Rural Settings in the Health District of Mbour, Senegal
We assessed the association between childhood diarrhoeal incidence and climatic factors in rural and urban settings in the health district of Mbour in western Senegal. We used monthly diarrhoeal case records among children under five years registered in 24 health facilities over a four-year period (2011-2014). Climatic data (i.e., daily temperature, night temperature and rainfall) for the same four-year period were obtained. We performed a negati…
Health impact assessment in Latin American countries
Flood governance for resilience in cities
Health in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
The clock is ticking and just a little more than 10 years remain to meet the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Enhanced political and public awareness, inter- and transdisciplinary engagement, new partnerships, and multisectoral collaborations are required to foster knowledge-and-action societies in order to tackle the complex issues that are inherent to sustainable development. A one-day symposium held in Basel, Switzerland, in November 2…
Leveraging research partnerships to achieve the 2030 Agenda
Creating an interconnected, transnational knowledge society that provides equal opportunities for everyone could prove a powerful way of moving towards sustainable development. Having experienced decades of North-South cooperation, the authors believe that with more transdisciplinary research and support from funders, governments, the private sector and civil society, research partnerships can help forge a path towards a more balanced production …
Health impact assessment and health equity in sub-Saharan Africa
Natural resource extraction projects can have positive but also negative effects on the health of affected communities, governed by demographic, economic, environmental, physical and social changes. Negative effects often prevail and these might widen existing health inequities. Health impact assessment (HIA) is a decision-support tool that aims at maximizing benefits and minimizing negative impacts on people's health. A core value of HIA is equi…
Utilization of research knowledge in sustainable development pathways
Health impact assessment for promoting sustainable development
Health is central to sustainable development, and thus a cross-cutting issue of the SustainableDevelopment Goal (SDG) 2030 agenda. Natural resource extraction projects in Africa haveconsiderable potential to impact on health-related targets of the SDGs. This paper introducesthe rationale and organization of the HIA4SD Project; a 6-year research for development (r4d)project that aims to inform and facilitate a policy dialogue at the national and i…
Current Global Health Impact Assessment Practice
Health impact assessment (HIA) practice has expanded across the world, since it was established more than two decades ago. This paper presents a snapshot of current global HIA practice based on the findings of an online questionnaire survey. HIA practitioners from all world regions were invited to participate. A total of 122 HIA practitioners from 29 countries completed the survey, following a broad international outreach effort. The large variet…
Community Health Impacts of the Trident Copper Mine Project in Northwestern Zambia
The application of a health impact assessment (HIA) for a large-scale copper mining project in rural Zambia triggered the long-term monitoring and evaluation of determinants of health and health outcomes in communities living in proximity to the mine. Three consecutive cross-sectional surveys were conducted at intervals of four years; thus, at baseline (2011), four (2015) and eight (2019) years into the project's development. Using the same field…
Perceived Health Impacts of Watershed Development Projects in Southern India
Watershed development (WSD) projects-planned for over 100 million ha in semi-arid areas of India-should enhance soil and water conservation, agricultural productivity and local livelihood, and contribute to better nutrition and health. Yet, little is known about the health impacts of WSD projects, especially on nutrition, vector breeding, water quality and the distribution of impacts. We conducted a qualitative study to deepen the understanding o…
Health impact assessment of a watershed development project in southern India
A “Health in All” approach has been encouraged by India’s National Health Policy to address cross-sectoral health concerns. To illustrate how health concerns can be systematised in food system planning, we pursued a health impact assessment (HIA) of a watershed development (WSD) project in semi-arid Kolar district, India. The planned WSD project included measures for soil and water conservation, improving agricultural productivity, and enhancing …
Scoping review of the inclusion of economic analysis in impact studies of natural resource extraction projects
The extraction of natural resources, such as minerals, oil, and gas, can have profound economic effects. The application of economic analysis methods in impact studies of resource extraction projects holds potential to inform decision-making in order to optimise gains and minimise negative externalities. This paper aims to identify and characterise peer-reviewed publications that report on economic studies implemented as part of impact assessment…
Gendered health impacts of industrial gold mining in northwestern Tanzania
Mining projects affect the health of surrounding communities by inducing environmental, economic, social and cultural changes in different population groups. Health impact assessment (HIA) offers an opportunity to manage these impacts. This paper aims to explore gender differences of impacts on the wider determinants of health as described by communities impacted by industrial gold mining and consider the implications for impact assessment. We co…
Estimating the mortality burden of large scale mining projects—Evidence from a prospective mortality surveillance study in Tanzania
We set up a mortality surveillance system around two of the largest gold mines in Tanzania between February 2019 and February 2020 to estimate the mortality impact of gold mines. Death circumstances were collected using a standardized verbal autopsy tool, and causes of death were assigned using the InSilicoVA algorithm. We compared cause-specific mortality fractions in mining communities with other subnational data as well as national estimates. …
Impact of mining projects on water and sanitation infrastructures and associated child health outcomes
BACKGROUND: Access to improved water and sanitation infrastructures are key determinants of health. The sub-Saharan African region in particular is lagging behind the ambitious goal of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development to ensure universal access to improved and reliable water and sanitation for all (Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6). Large mining projects can promote economic growth and hence investments in water and sanitation infr…
Geography (34 works) · Medicine (32 works) · Environmental health (26 works) · Political science (25 works) · Public health (21 works) · Business (20 works) · Environmental and Social Impact Assessments (20 works) · Mining and Resource Management (20 works) · Environmental planning (19 works) · Child Nutrition and Water Access (15 works)