Sonja Merten
Dados Biográficos
| ID | 630088 |
|---|---|
| NOME | Sonja Merten |
| PRENOMES | Sonja |
| SOBRENOME | Merten |
| ASSINATURA | MERTEN S |
| AFILIAÇÕES | Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute |
| ORCID | 0000-0003-4115-106X |
| VERIFICADO | Sim |
| TOTAL DE OBRAS | 44 |
| TOTAL DE CITAÇÕES | 107 |
| TOTAL COMO AUTOR | 44 |
| TOTAL COMO EDITOR | 0 |
| PRIMEIRO ANO DE PUBLICAÇÃO | 2007 |
| ANO MAIS RECENTE DE PUBLICAÇÃO | 2026 |
| ÍNDICE H | 4 |
Analyzing freedom
Violence against health care workers in a post-conflict context
BACKGROUND: Violence against healthcare is a significant public health issue worldwide, yet it remains poorly documented in resource-limited countries, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. This study aims to explore the causes of such violence, types, perpetrators, consequences and mechanisms for its prevention within the post-conflict context of the South Kivu province in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). METHODS: This exploratory qua…
Moral contentions in the Covid-19 discourses
Moral Key Terms (MKTs) have been used in public discourses to challenge or support efforts to manage COVID-19. We developed four themes that illustrate this through a theory-driven qualitative content analysis of a dataset consisting of newspaper articles, social media posts, and responses from the online platform PubliCo. MKTs were used to contend how democratic decisions are legitimately formed, how to balance safety and freedom, how to foster …
The ‘Epidemic’ of violence against junior doctors in Baghdad
Violence against heath care workers in Iraq has reached an ‘epidemic’ level. It affects health care providers, receivers of care and the health system as a whole. This study aims to explore the reasons and impact of violence against junior doctors in Baghdad city. A sample of 223 junior doctors from 12 General and Teaching hospitals in Baghdad/Iraq were included in this survey. A semi-structured questionnaire was adopted that enquires about demog…
Asylum seekers and refugees’ access to oral health care services in Switzerland
The current findings point to the need for systemic reforms to improve coverage, communication, and preventive care, while promoting equitable, tooth-preserving treatment options for asylum seekers and refugees
Contextual challenges experienced by CHVs in the informal use of mobile phones within integrated community case management (ICCM) in Nyaguda sub-location, Western Kenya
Since the 1990s, Kenya has made substantial progress towards reducing child mortality. However, Kenya still lags behind regional and global averages in child mortality rates. Developing countries like Kenya face constraints in health system performance and access to services, especially in hard-to-reach areas such as Nyaguda sub-location calling for integrated care. Yet, it faces challenges that the everyday use of mobile phones could potentially…
Engaging men in women’s empowerment
Empowering women while sensitizing men on gender aspects improves financial well-being (income). Time, security, and strong politics of government recognizing and framing the approach are still needed to maximize the benefit of such projects on social factors such as women's participation in decision-making and social cohesion
Family planning in the Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has a low prevalence of family planning use. Recent studies have highlighted the significant role that socio-cultural factors play in the decision to use family planning or not. This qualitative study explored barriers to women's use of family planning methods in an ongoing conflict region, South-Kivu, DRC. Focus group discussions and individual in-depth interviews were conducted to understand perception…
From diversity to uniformity
Rapid changes in the social and economic environment in the last few decades have resulted in a nutrition transition observed in many African countries, revealing large shifts in diet. Central to this evolution is the concept of homogenization of diet reflecting a notable trend toward increased uniformity in present-day food choices. As food changes are fundamental during the last generations, it is essential to collect oral narratives on foodway…
Spiritual and religious aspects influence mental health and viral load
INTRODUCTION: The role of religion and spirituality as social determinants of health has been widely discussed. Studies among people living with HIV describe positive and negative influences of religion and spirituality on health outcomes. With a HIV prevalence of 14.8% for females and 8.6% for males, and 22 000 AIDS-related deaths in 2020, HIV infection remains a life-threatening condition in Zimbabwe, especially in young people. The aim of this…
Demand and supply of adolescent and young adult’s sexual and reproductive health services during Covid-19 in sub-Saharan Africa
The COVID-19 pandemic and its associated containment strategies have significantly impacted the logistics of supplying sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services to adolescents and young adults (AYA) in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Studies conducted in the region indicate an increase in sexual activity, particularly among young people, during the pandemic. However, the impact of these changes on their utilization of SRH services remains unclear. …
Violence against health care workers in a crisis context
In Eastern DRC, HCWs face multiple and severe forms of aggression from a variety of individuals. The effects of such levels violence on HCWs and the communities they served could be devastating on the already pressured health system. Policy framework that defines the roles and responsibilities for the protection of HCWs and for the development and implementation of preparedness measures such as training on management of violence are possible solu…
Climate Change and Health?”
Climate change has far-reaching impacts on human health, with low- and middle-income countries, including India, being particularly vulnerable. While there have been several advances in the policy space with the development of adaptation plans, little remains known about how stakeholders who are central to the strengthening and implementation of these plans perceive this topic. We conducted a qualitative study employing key interviews with 16 med…
The body is difficult’
The route from family planning intentions to practices is not linear, it is contingent on different social factors including the preferences of individuals and couples, their gendered positions and bargaining power, the wider political, economic and social context, and also physical and bodily circumstances. We used qualitative data collected in rural Burundi between 2013 and 2016 to explore how these diverse factors influence reproductive naviga…
Anti-Politics and Free Maternal Health Services in Kilifi County, Kenya
Maternal healthcare is a global agenda. Kenya introduced free maternity services (FMS) in 2013 to allow women to give birth for free in all government public health facilities. The introduction of FMS was timely due to the high maternal mortality rate in Kenya. FMS was also introduced to fulfil the Jubilee Party government’s elections campaign promises. It is, however, not known how primary beneficiaries and health providers perceived the FMS rol…
Exposure to job-related violence among young female sex workers in urban slums of Southwest Nigeria
Background In Nigeria, many young girls are engaged in commercial sex work as a means of livelihood and support of dependent relatives. Although studies have documented some of the violence related issues among commercial sex workers, the plight of adolescent and young sex workers particularly in urban slums may be different in context and depth. Objective This study explored the lived experiences of violence and health related harm among vulnera…
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…
Lived Experiences and Perceptions of Childbirth among Pastoralist Women in North-Eastern Ethiopia
Maternity should be a time of hope and joy. However, for women in pastoralist communities in Ethiopia, the reality of motherhood is often grim. This problem is creating striking disparities of skilled birth uptake among the agrarian and pastoral communities in Ethiopia. So far, the depth and effects of the problem are not well understood. This study is intended to fill this research gap by exploring mothers' lived experiences and perceptions duri…
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
Reproductive Governance in a Fragile and Population-Dense Context
This article describes the reproductive governance deployed in Burundi, which promotes fertility control through uptake of modern contraceptives as a solution to the economic hardship and land pressure of individuals and communities. Using a qualitative approach, we explore how women and couples in rural Burundi set their preferences, choices and practices of family planning, and how they relate with the government discourse. We describe how repr…
Impact of a complex gender-transformative intervention on maternal and child health outcomes in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo
Women's empowerment has long been identified as being able to bring about progress in various areas, including health. It has been shown that men's commitment to transforming gender norms is a sinequanone factor for greater equity and better health, especially in terms of reproductive health and child nutrition. This study is one of the first in this genre in DRC and results will serve as a guide for policies aimed at improving the involvement of…
Communities and Clinical Trials
When clinical trials enter human communities, two complex systems merge-creating challenges for the clinical trial team and the local human community. This is of particular relevance for clinical trials in low-resource settings where the resource scarcity can intensify existing inequities. Here we present a case study of a phase III malaria vaccine clinical trial. Through qualitative interviews with researchers and caregivers of pediatric partici…
Navigating fertility, reproduction and modern contraception in the fragile context of South Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo
Modern contraception has created new possibilities for reimagining reproductive norms and has generated new socio-cultural uncertainties in South Kivu province, Democratic Republic of Congo. Using inductive analysis of women's reproductive narratives, this paper explores how women in a high fertility context encounter and integrate recently introduced family planning and modern contraceptive education and services into their lives. As foundationa…
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…
So that's why I'm scared of these methods
Women and Fish-for-Sex
Property rights, food security and child growth
So that's why I'm scared of these methods
Vaginal practices as women's agency in Sub-Saharan Africa
"We are Zambians-Don't Tell Us How to Fish!" Institutional Change, Power Relations and Conflicts in the Kafue Flats Fisheries in Zambia
From diversity to uniformity
Rapid changes in the social and economic environment in the last few decades have resulted in a nutrition transition observed in many African countries, revealing large shifts in diet. Central to this evolution is the concept of homogenization of diet reflecting a notable trend toward increased uniformity in present-day food choices. As food changes are fundamental during the last generations, it is essential to collect oral narratives on foodway…
Reproductive Governance in a Fragile and Population-Dense Context
This article describes the reproductive governance deployed in Burundi, which promotes fertility control through uptake of modern contraceptives as a solution to the economic hardship and land pressure of individuals and communities. Using a qualitative approach, we explore how women and couples in rural Burundi set their preferences, choices and practices of family planning, and how they relate with the government discourse. We describe how repr…
Communities and Clinical Trials
When clinical trials enter human communities, two complex systems merge-creating challenges for the clinical trial team and the local human community. This is of particular relevance for clinical trials in low-resource settings where the resource scarcity can intensify existing inequities. Here we present a case study of a phase III malaria vaccine clinical trial. Through qualitative interviews with researchers and caregivers of pediatric partici…
Culture, changing livelihoods, and HIV/Aids discourse
Discussions about the cultural dimensions of the spread of HIV/AIDS in Africa persist. Drawing on data on fish-for-sex deals between local Ila or Tonga women and immigrant fishermen in the Zambian Kafue Flats, we argue against the notion that traditional institutions governing extra-marital sexual relationships are responsible for the spread of HIV/AIDS. We argue that fish-for-sex exchanges are based not on tradition, but on the economic opportun…
Property rights, food security and child growth
Women and Fish-for-Sex
"We are Zambians-Don't Tell Us How to Fish!" Institutional Change, Power Relations and Conflicts in the Kafue Flats Fisheries in Zambia
Whose Logic? The Local Redistribution of Food Aid Targeting Old and Chronically Sick People in Zambia
In 2002-2003, the agro-pastoralist groups in the Kafue Flats of the Southern Province of Zambia were severely affected by famine. Livelihood changes due to an economic crisis decreased the ability of many families to support dependants, and those who were old or chronically ill were often regarded as a mere burden by their relatives. These developments were taken into account by aid agencies that set up criteria to identify the most vulnerable ho…
Vaginal practices as women's agency in Sub-Saharan Africa
A systematic review of qualitative findings on factors enabling and deterring uptake of HIV testing in Sub-Saharan Africa
Local perceptions of cholera and anticipated vaccine acceptance in Katanga province, Democratic Republic of Congo
Results suggest a high motivation to use an OCV as long as it seems affordable. The needs of socially marginalized groups such as fishermen may have to be explicitly addressed when preparing for a mass vaccination campaign
Sex differentials in the uptake of antiretroviral treatment in Zambia
This study explores socio-structural factors that influence uptake of antiretroviral treatment (ART) in Zambia and assess differences between men and women. We conducted a case-control study nested in a community- and health facility-based survey, between September 2010 and February 2011. Cases were defined as HIV-positive individuals who, while eligible, never started ART and controls were HIV-positive individuals who were on ART. Cases and cont…
Prevalence and social drivers of HIV among married and cohabitating heterosexual adults in south-eastern Tanzania
BACKGROUND: In sub-Saharan Africa, the prevalence of HIV among married and cohabiting couples is substantial. Information about the underlying social drivers of HIV transmission in couples is critical for the development of structural approaches to HIV prevention, but not readily available. We explored the association between social drivers, practices, and HIV status among stable couples in Ifakara, Tanzania. DESIGN: Using a cross-sectional desig…
Sociocultural determinants of anticipated oral cholera vaccine acceptance in three African settings
These cholera-endemic African communities are especially interested in no-cost OCVs. Health education and attention to local social and cultural features of cholera and vaccines would likely increase vaccine coverage. High demand and absence of insurmountable sociocultural barriers to vaccination with OCVs indicate potential for mass vaccination in planning for comprehensive control or elimination
I know it has worked for millions of years’
In the context of emerging trends towards natural lifestyles and ideas of holistic health in Switzerland and Europe, where many well-informed parents express concerns towards vaccinating their children, public vaccination strategies require reconsideration. Public immunization schedules need to acknowledge parents' wish for more flexibility and demand for an individualized patient-centered approach to immunization
‘It is not expected for married couples’
BACKGROUND: Behavioral change approaches for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevention in Tanzania encourage married partners to observe safe sex practices (condom use, avoidance of, or safe sex with multiple partners). To implement this advice, partners need to communicate with each other about safer sex, which is often challenging. Although social-structural factors are crucial in understanding sexual behavior, only a few studies focus on u…
Ambiguous care
While kinship used to be considered a backbone of the creation of mutual obligations for care in pre-industrial societies, economic and social change has altered how care is provided. Notwithstanding changing kinship obligations, relatives continue to provide much of the care for those in need. In this article, I consider the active production of relationships among siblings through individual biographies, to understand how mutual obligations are…
Why do marital partners of people living with HIV not test for HIV? A qualitative study in Lusaka, Zambia
Improving uptake of HIV testing requires a multi-pronged approach that addresses self-stigma, lay risk perceptions, negative treatment and health beliefs and the perceived psychological burden of living with HIV. Strengthening couple HIV testing services, including addressing conflict and addressing gendered power relationships are also warranted to facilitate joint knowledge, acceptance and management of HIV status in marital relationships
Personal support and expressions of care for pregnant women in Soweto, South Africa
BACKGROUND: Pregnancy is life changing, making great demands on women to adapt physically, psychologically, and socially. Social relationships and the support that flow from these provide a critical role in managing health problems in pregnancy. Isolation and lack of care, in contrast, may lead women to experience increased distress during this time. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore South African women's perception and experience of care an…
Baby‐Friendly Hospital designation has a sustained impact on continued breastfeeding
The Baby-Friendly Hospital (BFH) Initiative has led to an increase in breastfeeding rates and duration worldwide. But little is known about whether the beneficial effects persist beyond a facility's designation as a BFH. To investigate the association of BFH designation (current, former, and never) and compliance with Baby-Friendly (BF) practices on breastfeeding in Switzerland, this study combined nationwide survey data on breastfeeding with BFH…
Crafting Our Own Rules
This paper details the process of bottom-up crafting of by-laws to the state fishery laws in Zambia, the initial empirical case informing the development of the constitutionality concept. It explores the historical, political as well as environmental and economic conditions on which the process of sense of ownership of the institution building process came to be. The role of the researchers as well as the process of crafting new rules in a situat…
Talking about sex in pregnancy
Qualitative research with close engagement in the field allows researchers and participants to build relationships and establish trust, enabling researchers to collect meaningful and sensitive information. Drawing on findings from a study conducted in an urban setting in South Africa, we discuss the challenges faced when interviewing pregnant women with HIV infection, retaining them in the study, and extending the study to include their partners.…
Navigating fertility, reproduction and modern contraception in the fragile context of South Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo
Modern contraception has created new possibilities for reimagining reproductive norms and has generated new socio-cultural uncertainties in South Kivu province, Democratic Republic of Congo. Using inductive analysis of women's reproductive narratives, this paper explores how women in a high fertility context encounter and integrate recently introduced family planning and modern contraceptive education and services into their lives. As foundationa…
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…
So that's why I'm scared of these methods
Impact of a complex gender-transformative intervention on maternal and child health outcomes in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo
Women's empowerment has long been identified as being able to bring about progress in various areas, including health. It has been shown that men's commitment to transforming gender norms is a sinequanone factor for greater equity and better health, especially in terms of reproductive health and child nutrition. This study is one of the first in this genre in DRC and results will serve as a guide for policies aimed at improving the involvement of…
Communities and Clinical Trials
When clinical trials enter human communities, two complex systems merge-creating challenges for the clinical trial team and the local human community. This is of particular relevance for clinical trials in low-resource settings where the resource scarcity can intensify existing inequities. Here we present a case study of a phase III malaria vaccine clinical trial. Through qualitative interviews with researchers and caregivers of pediatric partici…
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…
Sociology (28 obras) · Medicine (27 obras) · Political science (19 obras) · Geography (18 obras) · Environmental health (16 obras) · Qualitative research (15 obras) · Psychology (14 obras) · Public health (14 obras) · Nursing (13 obras) · Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health (12 obras)