Sussex academic to be part of Public Health England advisory group
By: Tom Walters
Last updated: Friday, 9 April 2021
Sussex academic, Maya Unnithan, a Professor of Social & Medical Anthropology in the School of Global has been invited by Public Health England (PHE) to join their advisory group on Reproductive Health.
Professor Unnithan’s invitation was based on work undertaken in 2020 as a member of the Inequalities in Sexual Health and Inclusion Populations Network (ISHIN) which was brought together in response to the Covid-19 crisis to develop a strategic approach to ensure the protection of those most poorly served in terms of having the worst Sexual Reproductive Health outcomes and those struggling to access services.
The network, set up by Public Health England, has focused on topics such as BAME inequalities, inclusion health case studies, voluntary sector organisation reflections and measurement.
Professor Unnithan said of the invitation:
“The Reproductive Health Systems Leadership Forum (RHSLF) which I have joined is the accountable body for the collective programme of work on reproductive health as a public health issue.
“The Forum is an advisory group which provides a platform for member representatives from across PHE, DHSC, NHSE, commissioners, voluntary sector organisations, service providers and academia to align priorities and work collaboratively to provide system leadership for reproductive health, focussing on the major areas of pregnancy planning and prevention, early identification and hidden issues.
“The connection with the network was developed through contact with the Reproductive Health lead at Public Health England, facilitated through a Sussex Impact Acceleration grant received in 2018. The ESRC Impact Acceleration grant enabled us to discuss the preliminary research findings of our qualitative, ethnographic research on family-decision making and access to reproductive health care among British Pakistani, Indian and Bangladeshi families in England with leading policy-makers, healthcare professionals, advocacy and activist groups.
“We were subsequently invited to a consultation at PHE to discuss our findings and to contribute to the Reproductive Health Guidelines and Report prepared by Public Health England. It is the first time that the significance of reproductive health has been highlighted as a key issue within public health in the UK.”