Humanitarian Health Research Partnership 2019 with French Red Cross Foundation

Since 2016, the AXA Research Fund has partnered with the French Red Cross Foundation, which supports francophone research in the area of humanitarian action. Through this partnership, AXA and the French Red Cross Foundation have supported eight young researchers working to advance action in service of the most vulnerable.

The goal of the French Red Cross Foundation is to mobilize the scientific community to work with suffering populations in both the North and South of Africa, in order to develop concrete, sustainable responses. Within these parameters, it funds and assists independent francophone researchers, prioritizing those originating from the areas involved, by providing postdoctoral grants. These one-year grants are awarded to researchers from different social science disciplines, such as sociology and anthropology, to study common social and humanitarian action issues.

The support of the AXA Research Fund makes it possible to fund grants for work related to “Risks, Health and Humanitarianism” each year. The grants are intended to improve our understanding of effective humanitarian action in response to the health needs of vulnerable populations in crisis situations such as epidemics and natural disasters, or when facing global and systemic risks such as climate change, migration and malnutrition.

Researchers supported by the AXA Research Fund in 2019 are working on the following projects:

Communication, education and behavior in combatting the plague in Madagascar. Dr. Alexandra Razafindrabe, Doctor of Economics (Université de la Réunion) – Class of 2019

Dr. Razafindrabe’s research focuses on improving the impact of public measures for preventing plague outbreaks in Madagascar in great part by raising awareness so that populations in areas at risk make changes in behavior. She is building on an analysis of plague prevention activity conducted in Madagascar in 2017 that raised many questions among both citizens and stakeholders in health, education and the environment. This research into the efficacy of measures taken to raise awareness, along with their long-term effects on the behavior of local populations, takes into account the socio-cultural, economic and environmental contexts that, to date, have not been adequately considered.

Socio-ecological resilience in vulnerable communities of the Senegal River delta in the face of climate change. Dr. Djiby Sambou, Doctor of Geography (Université Abomey Calavi, Bénin) – Class of 2019

The purpose of Dr. Sambou’s research is to study the socio-ecological vulnerability of the Senegal River delta to natural disasters and climate change, including the coastal Saint Louis communities’ perceptions of vulnerability, their means of adaptation and the likely scenarios of change.

Strengthening the socio-economic health subsystem at the local level and combatting health insecurity and difficulties accessing childcare and health services in the Central African refugee reception areas of Cameroon. 

Dr. Joséphine Lemouogue, Doctor of Geography (Université de Dschang, Cameroun) Class of 2019

The purpose of Dr. Lemouogue’s research is to study how public and humanitarian stakeholders approach the local integration of Central African refugees and manage the delivery of basic services in refugee reception areas in order to improve their capacities. She is specifically studying how the needs of children ages 0-5 are met.