Doctoral Dissertation Research: Program Scale-up and Political Worlds in Lesotho

Doctoral Dissertation Research: Program Scale-up and Political Worlds in Lesotho

The global 'scale up' of externally-funded public health programs has precipitated dramatic political and legal changes in host countries. This project will examine the impacts of institutional changes triggered by program scale up on policymaking processes, political culture, and citizenship in Lesotho. The research involves twelve months of ethnographic research--including participant observation and interviews with policymakers, community leaders, patients, and health providers -- will be carried out in communities surrounding two different treatment sites. The two sites operate under contrasting policies, interests and governance systems: one is a government-run primary care clinic; the second is a multinational partnership.

The research will provide crucial insight into an under-researched aspect of global health policy, African political development, and transnational legal systems. A broader objective of the project is that its findings can begin to inform communities, institutions and organizations about the changing political realms in which public health programming continues to operate, and suggest strategies for increased representation of local populations.