DevelopmentOxford Matters Issue 2 | 2016 DevelopmentOxford Matters THE MAGAZINE OF THE OXFORD DEPARTMENT OF INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AT QUEEN ELIZABETH HOUSE Inside this issue: CHILDREN AGAINST CORRUPTION TEXTING FOR HEALTHIER PREGNANCIES ON WINNING A GENIUS GRANT SOCIAL SCIENCES AT THE ASHMOLEAN MONGOLIA’S EAGLE HUNTERS Welcome Welcome to the 2016 issue of Oxford Development Matters, the magazine of the Oxford Department of International Development at Queen Elizabeth House. We hope it gives you an interesting glimpse of life at – and after – ODID. We were delighted to take part last May in the Social Sciences’ very successful LiveFriday event at the Ashmolean, which put research from across the Danny du Feu division on display in a way that encouraged active participation and involvement by the public – DPhil Shannon Philip was among the visitors (pp10–11). We were also privileged to host novelist Amitav Ghosh, who delivered the 2015 Olof Palme Lecture, asking whether a failure of creative Table of imagination may be contributing to climate change – you can read some Contents audience reactions on p9. The 2015 Tour de France offered an opportunity for Junior Research Fellow Georgia Cole to draw on her research to reflect on cycling culture in Eritrea Getting the Message Across (p5), after two cyclists from the small East African nation participated for the How texts are helping ensure healthier first time. Other research highlighted in this issue includes a study pregnancies in Tanzania...........................3 by Young Lives exploring the link between corporal punishment and test A Humbling Vote of Confidence scores in low- and middle-income countries (p8), and DPhil Daniel Agbiboa, On winning a ‘genius grant’.....................4 who is researching corruption for his doctoral work, taking a fresh look Moving up a Gear at the issue via a children’s book by new International Migration Institute Exploring Eritrea’s cycling culture...........5 researcher Robtel Neajai Pailey that is contributing to a national conversation A Child’s Eye View of Corruption about corruption in Liberia (pp6–7). Taking the anti-corruption message to Liberia’s next generation..........................6 We are looking forward to hosting the Development Studies Association How Corporal Punishment Links to conference in September this year, and you can read about that as well as Test Scores more news from the department on pp14–15. On a more personal note, Examining the relationship between we were very sorry to say goodbye to Denise Watt, who retired in 2015 hitting and academic performance...........8 after 30 years at ODID, serving as personal assistant to the last five Heads The Great Derangement of Department (centre, above). ODID’s 2015 Olof Palme Lecture with Amitav Ghosh.........................................9 Turning to life after ODID – we are very pleased to be able to feature some A Night at the Museum of the interesting work being carried out by our alumni in this edition of When the Social Sciences took over the ODM. Heidi Williams was the winner of a MacArthur Foundation ‘genius Ashmolean.............................................10 grant’ in 2015 for her work on healthcare innovation – you can find out more In Mongolia’s Wild West about how it felt on p4. And on p3 you can read how Tayeb Noorbhai is A visit to the country’s Kazakh eagle hunters..................................................12 putting healthcare innovation into practice, with a new initiative to use text messaging to combat high maternal and infant mortality rates in Tanzania. News.....................................................14 Finally, Faraz Shibli, who now lives and works in Mongolia, describes a spectacular visit to the country’s Kazakh eagle hunters on p12–13. We hope you enjoy reading the magazine – and do please continue to send us Edited by: Jo Boyce Produced by: The Design Studio, Design and your stories and keep in touch. Publications Office, University of Oxford. Nandini Gooptu Thank you to the students, academics and alumni who have contributed to this magazine. Head of Department ALUMNI Getting the Message Across A new healthcare initiative run by a former ODID MPhil is using SMS messaging as part of a package of measures to help address high maternal and child mortality rates in Tanzania. By Jo Boyce. udden swollen hands/face, take into account regional and district The texts are just part of a package of measures headaches, excessive vomiting/ variations, for example in dietary habits or that Totohealth offers. In addition, it supplies ‘ nausea, stomach pain may be cultural beliefs and practices. Parents can also clinics with Clean Delivery Kits (CDK), which eclampsia. Go to the doctor since send individual questions directly to Totohealth’s provide clinicians with supplies to use during this is a risk for you and the baby’ experts via an SMS helpline, and there will be labour to ensure a safe and hygienic delivery and S… ‘Delivery is approaching. Have a birth a voice messaging option for subscribers who a ‘Totokitbox’ of essentials for the mother and plan ready, where to deliver, transport, who is cannot read. baby after delivery. The CDK and Totokitbox joining you as well as sanitary pads, clothes are available only via healthcare facilities – and diapers for the baby.’ As well as reducing mortality, the service – during delivery or at the postnatal care visits – so which is free to users – aims to ensure early act as a ‘pull factor’ to encourage parents to opt These are just a couple of the text messages detection of developmental delays or disabilities for a clinic-based delivery and attend the four expectant and new parents can sign up to receive in babies, conditions such as club foot, autism, recommended check-ups after the birth. as part of Totohealth, an SMS-based healthcare epilepsy, or hearing and visual impairments. initiative being rolled out in Tanzania under the Some of the texts require a ‘yes/no’ response Totohealth was originally established in Kenya leadership of ODID alumnus Tayeb Noorbhai from parents regarding the baby’s progress that in 2014 by entrepreneur Felix Kimaru, where and colleagues in a bid to reduce deaths and can trigger a suggestion to seek further help, some 18,000 parents are currently signed up. complications among pregnant mothers depending on the answer. The service has already produced remarkable and children under the age of five. results there, with infant mortality falling from The system is useful not just for those who have 31 per 1,000 live births to 18 over the course of Every year in Tanzania, 7,900 women die of difficulty accessing existing healthcare facilities, a year in one of its first counties, Machakos, just pregnancy-related complications and 98,000 but also because it provides an alternative, more south of Nairobi. In addition, of a sub-sample children under five lose their lives. Part of the relaxed way of interacting with health experts. of Totohealth users, 87.5% reported delivering problem is that only 50% of mothers in the in a health facility with a skilled birth attendant, country deliver in healthcare facilities with the ‘Culturally, people treat healthcare providers compared to a national rate of 62% in 2014. assistance of a skilled birth attendant, due to the with great respect and this barrier often does not distances involved and the uplanned out-of- give clients the freedom to feel comfortable and Tanzania is the first country into which the pocket costs often encountered upon reaching restricts questions during the brief time they have service has expanded, and Tayeb, who completed the facility, as well as widespread distrust of the together,’ Tayeb explains. ‘In small communities his MPhil at ODID in 2009, became involved healthcare system. Poor general health awareness it is also difficult to ask sensitive questions in via his relationship with the Unreasonable and misconceptions about healthy behaviour fear of being judged by healthcare providers who Institute East Africa, which provides support and also contribute to the problem. typically live in and are an important part of mentorship to early-stage companies working on the community.’ solving social and environmental challenges. This is where Totohealth comes in. It provides parents with twice-weekly text messages As well as permitting parents to ask questions ‘As a Tanzanian, I’m passionate about finding tailored to the mother’s pregnancy stage or privately and anonymously, the service enables innovative solutions that allow systemic the age of her new baby, offering professional them to refer back to messages multiple times, shifts in the ways things are being done in the advice on everything from how to ensure a rather than relying on advice delivered orally development sector, and work to grow and healthy pregnancy and mental health issues, during sometimes rushed clinic visits, and scale existing and proven methods to improve to vaccinations, feeding and development provides a source of information that is different development outcomes and impact,’ Tayeb says. milestones to watch out for once the child from that traditionally passed down by elders is born. in their communities. It also allows for greater Now his aim is to bring Totohealth Tanzania to involvement of fathers, who are generally 100,000 subscribers by 2019. The texts, which are personalised with the baby’s excluded from maternal health discourses, both name and written so as to fit into one message at home and at health facilities