Case 8 : Reaching the Hard-to-Reach: Conducting Research on Elder Abuse in Toronto\u27s Arab Community

A number of factors common to the post-migration context have been shown to negatively impact the lives of new immigrants to Canada. Within the Arab community in Ashcroft, certain factors such as sponsorship requirements, intergenerational cohabitation practices, financial dependence, language barriers, and cultural stigmas often act as risk factors, increasing the vulnerability of older adults to abuse. Caroline Rochester has recently accepted the research coordinator position for the Elder Abuse Project at Rudyard University. The goal of the study is to identify the key factors that increase the risk of abuse of elders in the Arab community. Once these factors are better understood, it will be possible to develop culturally relevant strategies to address the risks that are amenable to change. Caroline’s team wants to collect qualitative data by organizing focus group interviews with community members; however, she is running into numerous difficulties conducting research with this hard-to-reach population. Mistrust of the research process and the absence of mutually beneficial relationships with the community have brought participant recruitment to a standstill. Moreover, the team’s failure to consider the cultural context of the population being studied has directly inhibited the progress of the project. It is clear that the current research methodology is not working and that a new approach is required. Caroline wonders what actions she should take to improve the research process. The goal of this case is to introduce readers to a number of commonly encountered concerns when conducting research with hard-to-reach and vulnerable populations. Through the development of solutions to the problems faced by the protagonist, readers will become more familiar with the principles of community-based participatory research and gain an understanding of the importance of cultural competence in research practice

Case 2 : Understanding and Developing Conceptual Frameworks and Causal Models in Maternal and Child Health Programming

This case attempts to help students understand the various terminologies (“frameworks”, “pathways”, “models”, etc.) used by organizations in planning, implementing, and evaluating programs and interventions. It is based on the work done by the Center for Global Health at The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto on the Knowledge Management Initiative (KMI) of the Muskoka Initiative Consortium (MIC). The case starts by reprising the Muskoka I and II Initiatives, and then focuses on the global context before narrowing down to programs and interventions for maternal health in Mali

Case 6 : Safe Needles Save Lives

Harm reduction practices have been identified as effective and promising approaches to drug use. Instead of focusing on drug users giving up using drugs, the principles of harm reduction aim to reduce the harms associated with drug addiction (Ontario Harm Reduction Distribution Program, n.d.). Providing clean needles and syringes without a limit on the amount, harm reduction practices encourage drug users to access the supplies needed to ensure they are injecting drugs safely and prevent the spread of blood-borne diseases (Ontario Harm Reduction Distribution Program, n.d.). In response to the increasing incidences of intravenous drug use and disease transmission, the Counterpoint needle exchange program began in London, Ontario in 1992. In collaboration with the Regional HIV/AIDS Connection, the Middlesex-London Health Unit has operated the needle exchange service through the sexual health clinic (Regional HIV/AIDS Connection, n.d.). In 2008, fully supported by the City of London through the London Homeless Prevention System, London CAReS was established, and one of its roles was to keep public areas free of discarded needles (Regional HIV/AIDS Connection, n.d.). In 2014, a six-year-old boy got a needle stick injury in a public toilet. This accident immediately created public panic, engendering a public discussion on how to manage needles safely and educating needle users on safe needle disposal. To improve the needle exchange program in London, it is important to understand project details and review the landscape of community programs, policies, and activities related to needle/syringe disposal. By comparing different programs, similarities and differences will be identified

Case 11 : Improving Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights: A Key Step in Achieving Gender Equality in Pakistan

The Pakistani Maternal Newborn Health Initiative (PAMNHI) project needs to shift its focus from providing solely maternal, neonatal, and child (MNCH) services in Pakistan to incorporating sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services in order to be approved by Global Affairs Canada (GAC). Aamir Khan, senior program manager at Daud Foundation Canada (DFA), and his team must weave SRH services into this project, which is being implemented in Pakistan, where sexual and reproductive health rights are a very sensitive issue. Aamir knows that achieving gender equality in Pakistan is a very complex issue due to many competing factors, such as the predominantly patriarchal structure of society and the lack of support from governing bodies. Aamir knew that, moving forward, the involvement of key stakeholders would be crucial in addressing gaps in gender disparities and responding to the local needs of the population. Key stakeholders have the ability to support and promote the integration of SRH services throughout PAMNHI in order to address gendered barriers and advance equitable outcomes and benefits from project interventions for women in Northern Pakistan. The goal is to identify key stakeholders who have the potential to influence the perceptions of communities in order to successfully promote SRH in Pakistan and align the project’s focus with GAC’s mandate of addressing sexual and reproductive health rights (SRHR). Also, Aamir and his team must discuss the roles, interest, and influence of each potential stakeholder (i.e., religious leaders and community partners) in helping to strengthen the project’s focus and achieve the underlying goal of decreasing gender disparities in Pakistan