Crisis & Conflict Epidemiology Lab
In crisis and conflict settings, health systems face a double dilemma: the need for relevant and timely data increases — while available data becomes unreliable and outdated. In these contexts, actionable evidence is critical to allocate resources and ensure health service delivery.
In the crisis and conflict settings, information needs shift rapidly, stakeholders pull in different directions, access to affected areas is constrained, and costs must be contained to protect resources for lifesaving work.
In such settings, applied epidemiology can provide the tools to generate evidence, navigate uncertainty, and support decision-making in the most challenging environments.
The epidemiologists in the Crisis & Conflict Epidemiology Lab are dedicated to developing, testing and applying innovative research methodologies in challenging settings, such as humanitarian, post-disaster, or conflict-affected states.
Our focus is on applied methodologies and ensuring decision-makers obtain timely and useful data to serve impacted populations more effectively and efficiently. We have ample experience working in politically complex settings and strive for context-specific and sensitive approaches that recognise the needs and interests of the various stakeholders involved.
Aims and approach
Drawing on the combined strengths of the FCAS Centre and the Epidemiology Team, the Crisis & Conflict Epidemiology Lab aims to:
- Apply and refine epidemiological methods to generate timely, decision-ready evidence in fragile, crisis-affected and humanitarian settings.
- Develop and test lean and agile epidemiological methods that are feasible, adaptable and robust in highly challenging environments.
- Work in close partnership with local and international actors to ensure approaches are context-sensitive and evidence directly informs operational and policy decisions.
