On - Going Projects
1. The practice of obstetric care in Mumbai: an ethical analysis
This study explores the inter-linkage of gender, bioethics and reproductive health. This is an exploratory, qualitative study to understand what are the varios ethical dilemmas related to everyday experiences of professional hospital staff working in the obstetric ward. This study will be conducted across selected hospitals in Mumbai and Navi Mumbai.
2. The effects of capacity building of professionals working in the field of health in evidence-based practice in community health.
CSER has been involved with monitoring and evaluation studies sinec its inception in 2005. Monitoring and evaluation have now been recognised as important components of any health intervention programme. There is an increasing awareness about the significance of evidence based practice and the need for obtaining scientific evidence from the programme.
This study is an attempt to explore the influence of monitoring and evaluation training programmes on young professionals and also to document the practical difficulties and hindrances towards implementing well structured M & E.
3. Improving health sector response to violence against women
Prevention of violence and rehabilitation of survivors of voilence is an important aspect of justice. Professionals who are involved at the different stages of the rehabilitation programme are key stakeholders in the success of the programme. A grounding in ethics will enable these professionals to become aware of and conscientious about respecting the individual's right to autonomy, respect and freedom. The objective of this project, which is a joint collaboration between CEHAT and CSER, is to educate and train health professionals and professional students in ethics and human rights through the development of learning material, training programmes, research internships and public awareness programmes.
4. Casebook on ethics
Medical ethics is often viewed as an armchair discourse, despite the fact that healthcare professionals are constantly confronted by ethical nd legal issues. The issues being challenging and complex, decision making is also difficult in many situations. We are developing a caebook on bioethics with cases ranging from health care practice and public health to health research in an Indian context. The objective of the casebook is to expand and promote indigenous understanding of medical ethics through research and publication.
5. Biomedical and health experimentation in South Asia: critical perspectives on collaboration, governance and competition
This project is a joint collaboration of the University of Durham, the University of Edinburgh and CSER. The main aims of this research are: to understand the relationships that link experimental scientific enquiry in the field of medicine and public health, the pharmaceutical industry, and developmental programmes, and to assess the developmental impact of these activities in South Asia. With colleagues in two other South Asian countries (Nepal and Sri Lanka) we shall gather data to help us understand the different stakeholders and their very different patterns of involvement in these activities.
6. Clinical Trial Watch
India is a fast emerging global clinical trials destination and is seen as the hub of the growing outsourced clinical trials industry. The launch of the Clinical Trials Registry-India (CTR-I) provides an opportunity for one-point registration and tracking of clinical research activity in India. At CSER, we are collating data on clinical trials that has been made available through the websites and is maintaining an updated database on the information on clinical trials in India. Based on selected indicators from this database, we are bringing out a column- Clinical Trials Watch- in the Indian Journal of Medical Ethics, for regular monitoring of the clinical research industry in India.
Recently Completed Projects
- Building evidence in productive health through scientific programme management:supporting capacity building of NGOs.
- Capacity building in monitoring and evaluation of reproductive health programes among NGOs in Jharkhand.
- Making TB control programme gender sensitive- a case study of Mumbai.
- An exploratory study of the Contract Research Organisation sector in India.
- Life skills and empowerment: a qualitative study of programmes for adolescents.
- Exploring the social context of material health service delivery: a study of Sewa Rural's comprehensive maternal and newborn health programme.
- Ethical issues in research on pharmaceuticals in India : a study on the conduct of clinical trials in India.
All the research proposals from CSER are reviewed by the Institutional Ethics Commitee, which is a multidisciplinary body with a representation of diverse persectives on research and ethics, appointed by the Anusandhan Trust.