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Health

The SHD works on urbanising the social determinants of health via interactions between urban and public health systems, informal work, and maternal and childcare practices; health-seeking behaviour of the urban poor; and the effects of climate change, housing, infrastructure, and built environment on health.

 

This work focuses on:

  • Creating knowledge on non-communicable diseases, climate change, and health.
  • Design, functioning, and governance of urban public health systems.
  • Community behaviour in non-communicable disease care-seeking and treatment.
  • Evaluating interactions between informal work, maternal and childcare practices, nutritional security, and employment outcomes.

Featured Projects

  • Children in All Policies (CAP) 2030 (2021-2022)IIHS partnered with CAP 2030 to identify opportunities to scale efforts improving health and well-being of children of women workers in the informal sector. IIHS developed models for establishing and scaling crèche facilities providing care and services for children of construction workers, domestic workers, street vendors, waste pickers, and others. The project was conducted in partnership with the Institute for Global Health (IGH)–University College London (UCL), and funded by the World Health Organization (WHO).
  • Informality and childcare (2023-2026)Through this project, IIHS is working to improve access to childcare resources and infrastructure for women involved in informal work. The project aims to create an ecosystem centred on the building and management of childcare facilities by empowering stakeholders. It is supported by the Julius Baer Foundation.
  • Livelihood and Nurturing Care (LiNC) (2018-2020)This project designed and implemented experimental interventions to support working mothers in the informal economy to manage paid work and childcare. It drew on insights from nearly 200 working mothers in domestic work, street vending, pheri/bartering, and home-based work. The project was collectively implemented with a membership-based union of domestic workers, Rajasthan Mahila Kamgar Union (RMKU), and funded by the World Health Organization (WHO).
  • Mindscapes: Mental health at the margins (2022-2023)As part of the Mindscapes project, IIHS undertook exploratory research at the intersection between (hyper-)marginality and mental well-being by focusing on the sex worker community in Bengaluru. It involved workshops, interviews, storytelling, and photovoice, culminating in a co-created exhibition developed by IIHS and the community, with support from Sangama, an NGO for sex workers’ rights. The project was conducted in partnership with Unbox Cultural Futures Society, and funded by Wellcome Trust.
  • PEAK Urban: Urban health in the Indian metropolis: systems, intersections and emergent concerns (2018-2022)This research stream of the PEAK Urban project informed urban decision-making through research on the design and efficacy of health systems in urban areas. Focusing on primary care, social protection and informal employment, particularly for women, it examined noncommunicable and infectious disease patterns among low-income households. It was conducted in partnership with universities in UK, China, Colombia and South Africa, and funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)–Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF).
  • Study exploring childcare and feeding practices among working women in the informal sector (2017-2018)This project examined the link between work environments and childcare for working mothers in the informal sector in India and South Africa. IIHS conducted a literature review, and designed, implemented, and carried out surveys and group discussions in New Delhi. The research analysed daily life patterns, childcare practices, and male partners’ attitudes to inform interventions on informal work and health, laying groundwork for future intervention trials. IIHS partnered with the Self Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) Delhi and received support from World Health Organization (WHO)
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