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Rosengarten's work during the past fourteen years has provided the HIV field with new ways of rethinking otherwise seemingly intractable problems of more effective prevention. Despite over 30 years of biomedical and social research, and policy and programme implementation, the HIV epidemic continues to grow. The efficacies of repurposing potentially toxic and partially effective antiretroviral drugs for prevention in those perceived at risk of infection has thus come under scrutiny. It is in this context that Rosengarten's work has intervened and introduced an alternative approach to prevention that directly scrutinises the social contexts in which people live and work with HIV. Through this approach and her active engagement with clinicians, policy makers, scientists and advocacy groups she has contributed critical insights that have been incorporated into approaches to HIV prevention in practice.
Research at Oxford University directly influenced Indian Government policy through its projections of the population of HIV/AIDS sufferers in India under several possible strategic interventions. It formed a central part of the policy documents and presentations of the Indian National AIDS Control Programme (NACP) Planning Team, and was presented to Indian Government officials in 2006 in order to plan the third phase of the control programme, NACP III (2006-2011). The projected HIV/AIDS populations then served as a reference for mid-term evaluations of NACP III in 2009. The study was used to measure the impact of the intervention programs, and acted as a source of reference during the planning of the next phase, NACP IV (2012-17).
Since 2005, a pioneering set of Oxford University studies has actively informed the development of vidence-based policy, practice, and programming for AIDS-affected children in Sub-Saharan Africa (totalling an estimated 85 million children, orphaned by HIV/AIDS or living with AIDS-ill caregivers). Key impacts include new policies: on psychosocial support; on `young carers' of AIDS-sick parents as well as orphans; and on child abuse prevention for AIDS-affected families. These are based on Oxford findings that revealed major effects of parental AIDS on children's psychological, educational and sexual health. Crucially, the research has also identified modifiable pathways of risk and resilience that have been used to guide interventions. As a result, studies are extensively cited in policy documents of the South African government, US President's Emergency Fund for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR-USAID), UNICEF and Save the Children, and have been used to train over 10,000 health and community staff and to develop programmes reaching millions of children throughout the region.
LSE research has helped shape children's internet literacy and safety policy. In the UK, the research informed the establishment of the UK Council for Child Internet Safety (UKCCIS) and the creation by the Council of the UK's first Child Internet Safety Strategy. Based on the research, the Council tasked industry to improve safety tools, and raised awareness among parents and teachers. This has enhanced children's online opportunities, digital literacy and ability to cope with online risks, thereby reducing the probability of harm. In Europe, the research informed the European Commission's Safer Internet Programme's work on industry guidance, safety tools and awareness campaigns, shifting the emphasis from protecting children to empowering them to use the internet safely and with confidence. Policy and practical initiatives around the world draw on the methodology and findings of the research.
Interdisciplinary research conducted in the School of International Development (2003-4) demonstrated for the first time high HIV prevalence and AIDS incidence among 0.5 billion people in fishing-dependent communities across the world. Subsequent research analysed the causes and suggested new strategies for development assistance and health service delivery. Dissemination of these insights to stakeholders generated significant post-2008 impacts on national government, international agency and NGO policies and programmes, contributing to improved access to prevention, treatment and care for hundreds of thousands of people. The research improved HIV/AIDS mainstreaming in natural resource sector governance and development programmes via training manuals, toolkits and policy briefs.
Research carried out by LSHTM into the effects of male circumcision on HIV prevention has led to important policy recommendations by WHO and UNAIDS, the joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS. The research showed a strongly reduced risk of HIV infection among circumcised men, and modelling studies estimated that male circumcision programmes in 13 priority countries in Africa could avert 4m HIV infections by 2025. Members of the research team serve on key international advisory groups, and these results have been widely used to underpin international policy guidelines.
The research into the main socio-cultural causes, consequences and management of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in South Africa (undertaken by Dr Liz Walker, in collaboration with colleagues in South Africa) has had significant impact in South Africa on the development of the education and training of health and social care professionals working in the context of, and specializing in, HIV/AIDS. The programme of research has resulted in the production of an educational and training resource that is used in HEIs and other professional training settings. The educational resource is unique as it foregrounds HIV/AIDS as the context within which all health and social care practice is undertaken in Southern Africa.
Impact is demonstrated through the ways in which research findings have been utilised by schools and Alternative Provision (AP) providers, to evaluate and remodel educational policies and practices. Evidence is presented to support the assertion that by seeking out the perspectives of children and young people, schools can become more critically aware of the complex educational, social, cultural and economic factors that serve to increase pupil exclusion, vulnerability and exposure to risk. An increase in professional understanding and awareness is demonstrated with reference to examples of personalised pastoral interventions, which respond directly to the needs of alienated and disaffected pupils.