Elena Schmidt
Biographic Data
| ID | 6159142 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Elena Schmidt |
| GIVEN NAMES | Elena |
| FAMILY NAME | Schmidt |
| SIGNATURE | SCHMIDT E |
| AFFILIATIONS | Sightsavers |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-5450-6144 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 24 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 16 |
| WORKS AS AUTHOR | 24 |
| WORKS AS EDITOR | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2009 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 3 |
Understanding school-related gender-based violence from the perspectives of children with disabilities and community stakeholders in Sierra Leone
Disability, entrepreneurship, and inclusive finance
Entrepreneurship is frequently promoted as a pathway to economic participation for young people with disabilities in Sub-Saharan Africa. Yet many continue to experience fragile livelihoods shaped by inaccessible financial systems, social stigma, and exclusion from education and asset building opportunities. A viable entrepreneurial life for disabled youth requires not only access to appropriately designed financial services but also broader socia…
Patient narratives on the lived experiences of physical, psychosocial and economic changes after cataract surgery
While cataract surgery is known to restore sight and improve patients’ daily functioning, its broader social impacts remain underexplored, particularly in rural, low-resource settings. This paper examines how cataract-related impairment and cataract surgery shape the health and social dimensions of people’s lives in rural Mozambique. We conducted a qualitative, longitudinal study with 30 purposively selected participants (13 women, 17 men) from J…
Intervention effectiveness reducing disability stigma in sub-Saharan Africa
This study highlights the need for and provides the rationale for increased methodological rigour and theoretical grounding in the evaluation of stigma-reduction interventions, and full and transparent reporting of all results
Navigating the journey into formal employment for youth with disabilities in Bangladesh
In this article, we examine how youth with disabilities are transitioning into formal employment, and the effects of this transition on their lives and livelihoods. • Young people’s hope for better livelihoods is often mixed with uncertainty, based on the realization that opportunities to earn a decent salary and have a true career path are not guaranteed. • In our study, an ongoing process of adjustment is evident, beginning with young people se…
Inclusive education for children with visual impairments in sub-Saharan Africa
According to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, children with disabilities are entitled to an education that is longitudinally, locationally, pedagogically, environmentally, and consequentially inclusive. The evidence base shows children with visual impairments in various sub-Saharan African contexts are not yet able to access such provision. To improve this situation, development actors need to appreciate the multi-layere…
Task-shifting eye care to ophthalmic community health officers (Ocho) in Sierra Leone
BACKGROUND: Preventing visual impairment due to avoidable causes has been a long-standing global priority. Of all blindness in Sierra Leone, 91.5% is estimated to be avoidable and 58.2% treatable, however there are only 6 ophthalmologists for the whole country. Task-shifting has been suggested as a strategy to address this issue and a training intervention was developed to create a cadre of community-based staff known as Ophthalmic Community Heal…
School-based vision screening in Quetta, Pakistan
School-based vision screening by teachers is a cost-effective strategy to detect and treat children's vision impairment early on. In the programme reviewed here however, a significant number of teachers over referred children to ophthalmic services, overwhelming their capacity and undermining the efficiency of the approach. To maximise the effectiveness and efficiency of school-based screening, future initiatives should give sufficient attention …
How Do Legal and Policy Frameworks Support Employment of People With Disabilities in Uganda? Findings From a Qualitative Policy Analysis Study
This policy analysis reviewed the current legislation and policies on the economic empowerment of people with disabilities in Uganda and explored the views of national stakeholders on the implementation of these policies in practice. The analysis was conducted through a document review and in‐depth stakeholder interviews. The study found that anti‐discrimination policies can only do so much for disability inclusive recruitment. Questions about po…
Integrating Geospatial Data and Measures of Disability and Wealth to Assess Inequalities in an Eye Health Survey
The Sunderbans are a group of delta islands that straddle the border between India and Bangladesh. For people living on the Indian side, health services are scarce and the terrain makes access to what is available difficult. In 2018, the international non-governmental organisation Sightsavers and their partners conducted a population-based survey of visual impairment and coverage of cataract and spectacle services, supplemented with tools to meas…
Disability inclusive elections in Africa
I have learnt to love the child and give opportunities to play with peers’
This is a first mixed-methods study, which created, adapted and tested the feasibility of a training programme targeted at parents, community professionals, specialist teachers and volunteers to provide advice on developmental stimulation for children with visual impairment in their homes in rural and urban settings of Malawi. The study followed guidance from the Medical Research Council Framework for Developing and Evaluating Complex Interventio…
Employment Supports for Adults With Disabilities in Low- and Middle-Income Countries
Objective: To identify, appraise, and synthesize studies of interventions to improve labor market outcomes of adults in developing countries with physical and/or sensory disabilities. Method: Systematic review methods, following Campbell Collaboration guidelines, were utilized. A comprehensive search was used to identify relevant studies published between 1990 and 2013, which were graded for study quality and a narrative approach used to synthesi…
Well London Phase-1
BACKGROUND: We report the main results, among adults, of a cluster-randomised-trial of Well London, a community-engagement programme promoting healthy eating, physical activity and mental well-being in deprived neighbourhoods. The hypothesis was that benefits would be neighbourhood-wide, and not restricted to intervention participants. The trial was part of a multicomponent process/outcome evaluation which included non-experimental components (se…
Measures of exposure to the Well London Phase-1 intervention and their association with health well-being and social outcomes
In this paper, we describe the measures of intervention exposure used in the cluster randomised trial of the Well London programme, a public health intervention using community engagement and community-based projects to increase physical activity, healthy eating and mental health and well-being in 20 of the most deprived neighbourhoods in London.10 No earmarked resources to support the development of these measures and associated data collection …
Sex education targeting African communities in the United Kingdom
This study addresses the issue of the sexual needs of ethnic minority groups in the UK. Using focus group discussions with health service users and third-sector providers, it explores the perception of sex education by Black African communities living in a culturally diverse area in East London, focusing specifically on participants' understanding of safe sex, personal experiences in receiving health information, and the relevance of health-promo…
OP06 Well London
Background Few public health interventions combining modification of the social and built environment with individual-level health promotion have been robustly evaluated in the UK. Well London is an assets-based community development programme designed to improve physical activity, healthy eating and mental wellbeing in highly deprived inner-city communities. The programme, delivered between 2007 and 2011, comprised a mix of projects delivering t…
Does Russia need sex education? The views of stakeholders in three Russian regions
Objective To investigate the attitudes of the main stakeholders towards the introduction of sex education in schools in Russia. Design Qualitative semi-structured interview study. Setting Altai Krai, Volgograd Oblast, Moscow, Russian Federation. Participants One hundred and fifty-three interviews with Intersectoral HIV/AIDS Committee members, government officials responsible for HIV policies and interventions, non-governmental organisation and pr…
Sex, drugs and economic behaviour in Russia
A multilevel analysis of the association between social networks and support on leisure time physical activity
Determinants of physical activity in deprived communities in London
Background The benefits of regular physical activity are well known. Few adults in the UK meet the recommended levels. There is growing evidence suggesting that neighbourhood characteristics interact with individual characteristics to determine physical activity levels. Objective Examine relationships between neighbourhood-level and individual-level characteristics and physical activity. Setting 40 of the most deprived neighbourhoods in London (c…
Determinants of mental health and wellbeing in low income communities
Background Poor mental health is more common in deprived communities in the UK. Individual characteristics (employment, financial security, significant life events, social networks) are key proximal determinants of mental health. It is important to examine the upstream effects of the neighbourhood environment on mental health because it may be easier to modify in the context of public health interventions that aim to reduce health inequalities. O…
The impact of ART scale upon health workers
This study explores the effects of antiretroviral treatment (ART) programmes on health-care human resources in South Africa. The study included two parts, a questionnaire-based survey of 269 health workers published earlier and a qualitative study of 21 purposively selected health practitioners involved in ART scale up. Contrary to what has been presented in literature, our survey showed that health workers in ART programmes experienced higher le…
Evaluation of community level interventions to address social and structural determinants of health
Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN68175121
Measures of exposure to the Well London Phase-1 intervention and their association with health well-being and social outcomes
In this paper, we describe the measures of intervention exposure used in the cluster randomised trial of the Well London programme, a public health intervention using community engagement and community-based projects to increase physical activity, healthy eating and mental health and well-being in 20 of the most deprived neighbourhoods in London.10 No earmarked resources to support the development of these measures and associated data collection …
Well London Phase-1
BACKGROUND: We report the main results, among adults, of a cluster-randomised-trial of Well London, a community-engagement programme promoting healthy eating, physical activity and mental well-being in deprived neighbourhoods. The hypothesis was that benefits would be neighbourhood-wide, and not restricted to intervention participants. The trial was part of a multicomponent process/outcome evaluation which included non-experimental components (se…
A multilevel analysis of the association between social networks and support on leisure time physical activity
Evaluation of community level interventions to address social and structural determinants of health
Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN68175121
The impact of ART scale upon health workers
This study explores the effects of antiretroviral treatment (ART) programmes on health-care human resources in South Africa. The study included two parts, a questionnaire-based survey of 269 health workers published earlier and a qualitative study of 21 purposively selected health practitioners involved in ART scale up. Contrary to what has been presented in literature, our survey showed that health workers in ART programmes experienced higher le…
Does Russia need sex education? The views of stakeholders in three Russian regions
Objective To investigate the attitudes of the main stakeholders towards the introduction of sex education in schools in Russia. Design Qualitative semi-structured interview study. Setting Altai Krai, Volgograd Oblast, Moscow, Russian Federation. Participants One hundred and fifty-three interviews with Intersectoral HIV/AIDS Committee members, government officials responsible for HIV policies and interventions, non-governmental organisation and pr…
Sex, drugs and economic behaviour in Russia
A multilevel analysis of the association between social networks and support on leisure time physical activity
Determinants of physical activity in deprived communities in London
Background The benefits of regular physical activity are well known. Few adults in the UK meet the recommended levels. There is growing evidence suggesting that neighbourhood characteristics interact with individual characteristics to determine physical activity levels. Objective Examine relationships between neighbourhood-level and individual-level characteristics and physical activity. Setting 40 of the most deprived neighbourhoods in London (c…
Determinants of mental health and wellbeing in low income communities
Background Poor mental health is more common in deprived communities in the UK. Individual characteristics (employment, financial security, significant life events, social networks) are key proximal determinants of mental health. It is important to examine the upstream effects of the neighbourhood environment on mental health because it may be easier to modify in the context of public health interventions that aim to reduce health inequalities. O…
Sex education targeting African communities in the United Kingdom
This study addresses the issue of the sexual needs of ethnic minority groups in the UK. Using focus group discussions with health service users and third-sector providers, it explores the perception of sex education by Black African communities living in a culturally diverse area in East London, focusing specifically on participants' understanding of safe sex, personal experiences in receiving health information, and the relevance of health-promo…
OP06 Well London
Background Few public health interventions combining modification of the social and built environment with individual-level health promotion have been robustly evaluated in the UK. Well London is an assets-based community development programme designed to improve physical activity, healthy eating and mental wellbeing in highly deprived inner-city communities. The programme, delivered between 2007 and 2011, comprised a mix of projects delivering t…
Well London Phase-1
BACKGROUND: We report the main results, among adults, of a cluster-randomised-trial of Well London, a community-engagement programme promoting healthy eating, physical activity and mental well-being in deprived neighbourhoods. The hypothesis was that benefits would be neighbourhood-wide, and not restricted to intervention participants. The trial was part of a multicomponent process/outcome evaluation which included non-experimental components (se…
Measures of exposure to the Well London Phase-1 intervention and their association with health well-being and social outcomes
In this paper, we describe the measures of intervention exposure used in the cluster randomised trial of the Well London programme, a public health intervention using community engagement and community-based projects to increase physical activity, healthy eating and mental health and well-being in 20 of the most deprived neighbourhoods in London.10 No earmarked resources to support the development of these measures and associated data collection …
Employment Supports for Adults With Disabilities in Low- and Middle-Income Countries
Objective: To identify, appraise, and synthesize studies of interventions to improve labor market outcomes of adults in developing countries with physical and/or sensory disabilities. Method: Systematic review methods, following Campbell Collaboration guidelines, were utilized. A comprehensive search was used to identify relevant studies published between 1990 and 2013, which were graded for study quality and a narrative approach used to synthesi…
Disability inclusive elections in Africa
I have learnt to love the child and give opportunities to play with peers’
This is a first mixed-methods study, which created, adapted and tested the feasibility of a training programme targeted at parents, community professionals, specialist teachers and volunteers to provide advice on developmental stimulation for children with visual impairment in their homes in rural and urban settings of Malawi. The study followed guidance from the Medical Research Council Framework for Developing and Evaluating Complex Interventio…
Integrating Geospatial Data and Measures of Disability and Wealth to Assess Inequalities in an Eye Health Survey
The Sunderbans are a group of delta islands that straddle the border between India and Bangladesh. For people living on the Indian side, health services are scarce and the terrain makes access to what is available difficult. In 2018, the international non-governmental organisation Sightsavers and their partners conducted a population-based survey of visual impairment and coverage of cataract and spectacle services, supplemented with tools to meas…
How Do Legal and Policy Frameworks Support Employment of People With Disabilities in Uganda? Findings From a Qualitative Policy Analysis Study
This policy analysis reviewed the current legislation and policies on the economic empowerment of people with disabilities in Uganda and explored the views of national stakeholders on the implementation of these policies in practice. The analysis was conducted through a document review and in‐depth stakeholder interviews. The study found that anti‐discrimination policies can only do so much for disability inclusive recruitment. Questions about po…
Task-shifting eye care to ophthalmic community health officers (Ocho) in Sierra Leone
BACKGROUND: Preventing visual impairment due to avoidable causes has been a long-standing global priority. Of all blindness in Sierra Leone, 91.5% is estimated to be avoidable and 58.2% treatable, however there are only 6 ophthalmologists for the whole country. Task-shifting has been suggested as a strategy to address this issue and a training intervention was developed to create a cadre of community-based staff known as Ophthalmic Community Heal…
School-based vision screening in Quetta, Pakistan
School-based vision screening by teachers is a cost-effective strategy to detect and treat children's vision impairment early on. In the programme reviewed here however, a significant number of teachers over referred children to ophthalmic services, overwhelming their capacity and undermining the efficiency of the approach. To maximise the effectiveness and efficiency of school-based screening, future initiatives should give sufficient attention …
Inclusive education for children with visual impairments in sub-Saharan Africa
According to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, children with disabilities are entitled to an education that is longitudinally, locationally, pedagogically, environmentally, and consequentially inclusive. The evidence base shows children with visual impairments in various sub-Saharan African contexts are not yet able to access such provision. To improve this situation, development actors need to appreciate the multi-layere…
Navigating the journey into formal employment for youth with disabilities in Bangladesh
In this article, we examine how youth with disabilities are transitioning into formal employment, and the effects of this transition on their lives and livelihoods. • Young people’s hope for better livelihoods is often mixed with uncertainty, based on the realization that opportunities to earn a decent salary and have a true career path are not guaranteed. • In our study, an ongoing process of adjustment is evident, beginning with young people se…
Understanding school-related gender-based violence from the perspectives of children with disabilities and community stakeholders in Sierra Leone
Disability, entrepreneurship, and inclusive finance
Entrepreneurship is frequently promoted as a pathway to economic participation for young people with disabilities in Sub-Saharan Africa. Yet many continue to experience fragile livelihoods shaped by inaccessible financial systems, social stigma, and exclusion from education and asset building opportunities. A viable entrepreneurial life for disabled youth requires not only access to appropriately designed financial services but also broader socia…
Patient narratives on the lived experiences of physical, psychosocial and economic changes after cataract surgery
While cataract surgery is known to restore sight and improve patients’ daily functioning, its broader social impacts remain underexplored, particularly in rural, low-resource settings. This paper examines how cataract-related impairment and cataract surgery shape the health and social dimensions of people’s lives in rural Mozambique. We conducted a qualitative, longitudinal study with 30 purposively selected participants (13 women, 17 men) from J…
Intervention effectiveness reducing disability stigma in sub-Saharan Africa
This study highlights the need for and provides the rationale for increased methodological rigour and theoretical grounding in the evaluation of stigma-reduction interventions, and full and transparent reporting of all results
Medicine (15 works) · Psychology (10 works) · Economic growth (9 works) · Nursing (9 works) · Gerontology (8 works) · Psychological intervention (8 works) · Sociology (8 works) · Environmental health (7 works) · Health disparities and outcomes (7 works) · Psychiatry (7 works)