CDOH workshop in Pune

CDOH workshop in Pune

Collaborative workshop to explore role of media and mental health

Institute of Public Health, Bengaluru in association with Centre for Mental Health Law and Policy (CMHLP) and Sangath organised a 2-day brainstorming session on the role of media, mental health and suicide, with media being problematised from a commercial determinants of health perspective. The session was hosted by CMHLP and was conducted at their office in Pune.

The key objectives of the session was to brainstorm on the ramifications of contemporary media on mental health and suicide related outcomes and to devise appropriate future strategies to engage with the media and develop effective strategies for mental health and suicide prevention. The session examined media from the lens of commercial determinants and hypothesised mechanisms through which the media (news and social) impacts mental health, suicide and self-harm behaviours.

The discussions were led by Soumithra Pathare, Director, CMHLP and was co led by Dr Upendra Bhojani, IPH and Dr Abhijit Nadkarni, Sangath. One day one, Dr Soumithra Pathare introduced the session and laid out the key objectives of the session on day one. This was followed by sessions by CMHLP team on the contemporary landscape of suicide and self-harm in India as well as on the key players who constituted modern media in India. Following this, Dr Upendra Bhojani introduced the Commercial Determinants of Health framework and the potential ways to examine media from a CDOH lens. Dr Abhijit presented a session on media and mental health and shared insights on how they could be framed through the lens of CDOH. 

The session wounded up on day two following the deliberations on possible outputs and next steps that could be developed from the brainstorming session. The team deliberated on developing opinion pieces as well as commentary articles on the dimension of media and CDOH. Three teams were formed comprising of members from all the organisations. This included one team that will engage in working on a commentary piece of possible ways to frame media from a CDOH lens. A second paper that examined the possible learnings that could be generated from efforts to curtail the tobacco and alcohol industry and its parallels with media. A third output involved one team working on a commentary piece on the idea of social media as a public good or not.

Commercial Determinants of Health (CDOH) workshop at Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE)

Commercial Determinants of Health (CDOH) workshop at Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE)

Institute of Public Health Bengaluru in association with Department of Commerce, Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) and Prasanna School of Public Health, Manipal conducted a half a day workshop on Commercial Determinants of Health (CDOH) to faculty and students on January 17, 2025. Dr. Cherian Varghese– Director, PSPH Dr. Sandeep Shenoy– HoD, Department of Commerce, MAHE and Dr. Upendra Bhojani, Senior Fellow, Institute of Public Health Bengaluru inaugurated the workshop. The workshop was attended by various senior faculties and students. 

Chief Guest Dr. Cherian Varghese, Director, PSPH addressed the workshop and explained briefly the influence that commercial entities have on public health. Dr. Sandeep Shenoy, HoD- Department of Commerce highlighted importance of collaborative work in addressing commercial determinants of health. 

Dr. Upendra Bhojani, Senior Fellow, IPH Bengaluru and Senior Fellow India Alliance DBT/Wellcome Trust introduced the CDOH concept to the participants. He explained that the definition of CDOH has evolved over time. The fact that commercial entities shaping public health, both positively and negatively, was stressed in particular during the course of workshop. 

The participants were engaged in group work after introduction on CDOH. In the group work teams were asked to come up with research questions pertaining to various public health issues and CDOH. 5 teams presented various research questions, that could potentially become used as research on CDOH.

Inside Implementation: REALISE Webinar Series, Episode-2

Inside Implementation: REALISE Webinar Series, Episode-2

Date

24th January 2025

Time

6:30 to 7:30 PM, IST

Where

Online on Zoom

 

Title: Panel Discussion on the Use of Implementation Research Methods.

Implementation Research (IR) methods are being increasingly used for evaluating public health interventions and to shape evidence-based policies. Join us for an engaging panel discussion with three renowned experts in the field of IR, Dr. Malabika Sarker, Dr. Brynne Gilmore, and Dr. Sonu Goel

The panel will delve into how IR methods have been successfully applied to address complex health and policy challenges and will highlight the unique strengths of IR in bridging the gap between research and real-world implementation. The panelists will share their experiences in applying IR frameworks across diverse contexts and discuss strategies for building research capacity for early career researchers. They will offer invaluable insights for policymakers, practitioners, and researchers alike.

Organised by Realist Evaluation Advancement Lab for Implementation Strategy Explanations, (REALISE)  Institute of Public Health Bengaluru.

Dr. Upendra Bhojani, Senior Fellow, Institute of Public Health Bengaluru. 

Speakers:

Dr. Malabika Sarker, Interim Chair and Professor of the Practice of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Brown University 
Dr. Brynne Gilmore, Head of Subject for Health Systems and Assistant Professor (Ad Astra Fellow) UCD School of Nursing, Midwifery and Health Systems University College Dublin
Dr. Sonu Goel, Professor of Health Management, School of Public Health, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, Director, e-Resource Centre for Tobacco Control

In Episode 1 of the ‘Inside Implementation: REALISE Webinar Series’, we hosted an engaging discussion on the use of Realist Methods with experts Dr. Bruno Marchal, Dr. Prashanth N. S and Dr. Sara Van Belle, moderated by Dr. Upendra Bhojani.

During this session, the speakers explored how realist research helps in navigating complexity and understanding causation. They shared insights on the merits and challenges of applying realist methods in Health Policy and Systems Research, along with recent methodological developments in the field. The conversation also highlighted how early-career researchers could engage with communities of practice to apply these techniques.

You can watch Episode 1 of this series on YouTube.

Inside Implementation: REALISE Webinar Series, Episode-1

Inside Implementation: REALISE Webinar Series, Episode-1

Date

15th October 2024

Time

4:00 to 5:00 PM, IST

Where

Online on Zoom

 

We’re thrilled to launch the Realist Evaluation Advancement Lab for Implementation Strategy Explanations (REALISE). Participate in this webinar where we will explore the power of realist methods in India and the region.

This episode features insights from experts:
They’ll engage in a thought-provoking conversation with Dr. Upendra Bhojani, diving deep into the impact of realist-driven research.
IPH Bengaluru team attend 6th NCTOH

IPH Bengaluru team attend 6th NCTOH

Faculty and staff from the Cluster on Chronic Health Conditions & Public Policy at the Institute of Public Health (IPH) Bengaluru attended the 6th National Conference on Tobacco or Health (NCTOH) organized by the International Institute of Health Management Research (IIHMR), Delhi. The conference witnessed participation from representatives of government agencies, academia, civil-society organizations, and individuals working on tobacco control and public health research.

Dr. Upendra Bhojani, Faculty IPH Bengaluru and DTB/Wellcome Trust India Alliance Senior Fellow presented a couple of paper and a poster in the conference. These presentations dealt with ‘gender and tobacco’ as well as findings from his DBT/Wellcome Trust India Alliance intermediate fellowship work: the “Deciphering Epidemic of Epic Proportion” (DEEP) project (2018-2023). Recognizing the unique approach and methods used in the DEEP project as well as the long-standing work in tobacco control, the conference organizers conferred a “champions award” to IPH Bengaluru for its significant contributions for tobacco control.

 Mr. Anand Kumar, a Research Officer at the IPH Bengaluru presented a paper based on the findings from the DEEP project that dealt with the role of tobacco businesses in public policy over time in Indian states. Dr. Lathadevi Chilgod of IPH Bengaluru presented about lessons from the Anusthana project – a DBT/Wellcome Trust India Alliance Early Career Fellowship awarded to Dr Pragati Hebbar (2018-2023) – about co-production of knowledge about tobacco control amongst diverse actors.  She also presented a poster based on the findings from the DEEP project on concerns of Indian parliamentarians about tobacco over 1990-2017 period.

 Dr. Ketki Shah, a doctoral student with the IPH Bengaluru and the Trans-Disciplinary University of Health Sciences and Technology presented a poster about an integrative review of literature about factors shaping livelihood choices of workers in tobacco sector.

The conference also featured an art exhibit “Tobacco & Society” featuring six pencil-on-paper drawings by Dr. Upendra Bhojani locating tobacco use within historical and socio-cultural contexts. The exhibit engaged several delegates on issues related to tobacco use and control and received appreciation.

IPH Bengaluru staff participated in several conference sessions and networked with delegates across various institutions and states. On the whole, they had a wonderful opportunity to learn, network and contribute to tobacco control through this conference. We acknowledge the DBT/Wellcome Trust India Alliance fellowships awarded to Dr Upendra Bhojani (No. IA/CPHS/22/1/506533) and Dr Pragati Hebbar (No. IA/CPHI/22/1/506537) for supporting travel and participation of IPH Bengaluru staff in this conference.

 

IPH faculty member Dr. Upendra Bhojani participated in ITM Colloquium in Katmandu, Nepal

IPH faculty member Dr. Upendra Bhojani participated in ITM Colloquium in Katmandu, Nepal

Dr. Upendra Bhojani, Faculty & DBT/Wellcome Trust India Alliance Senior fellow at the Institute of Public Health Bengaluru participated in the 64th ITM Colloquium 2023. The Colloquium, jointly organised by the Institute of Tropical Medicine (Antwerp) and the Nepal Health Research Council in Kathmandu (20-23 November 2023), focused on the theme of “Understanding the Global Landscape of Disease Burden in the Context of Climate Change”. Upendra presented on how tobacco impacts environment throughout its lifecycle (cultivation, curing, production, consumption, product waste) and how this signifies a wicked public policy problem requiring high-level inter-sectoral coordination.  On the first day, a meeting was organised of ITM alumni. Upendra (being a PhD alumnus 2010-2016) also participated in the meeting. Upendra also put up an art exhibit themed ‘Tobacco & Society’ comprising of six pencil-on-paper drawings with curated text locating tobacco within sociocultural and historical contexts. Upendra gave a talk as part of the ITM Alumni meeting using these drawings.