https://www.ids.ac.uk/news/ids-to-lead-new-research-network-for-crisis-p...
Why this matters
Hazards are becoming more interconnected spanning extreme weather, climate-related shocks and infectious disease outbreaks and their impacts can cascade rapidly through health systems, economies and communities. The MHRN is designed as a coordinated network providing access to research, tools and expertise, combining natural, social and behavioural science research with rapid response capacity to deliver improved forecasting and tools, alongside timely, practical advice for those working to address emergencies in complex and data-limited settings.
Professor Hayley MacGregor, Director of the new MHRN and IDS researcher, said:
“This is an exciting opportunity to help improve people’s engagement in responses to health emergencies and natural hazards and strengthen interdisciplinary perspectives in research and rapid response related to these key emergency areas.
“The orientation towards building an expanding network of hazard expertise also provides a timely opportunity to learn through the implementation of an approach that foregrounds regional expertise in collaboration with UK-based academic partners.”
UK Foreign Secretary, Yvette Cooper, said:
“The UK is a science superpower – home to world leading researchers, scientists and institutions. We’re harnessing that expertise, bringing together expert research, vital skills and regional knowledge to improve how the world responds to this outbreak and better prepares for others in the future.”
“We know that early action is vital to save lives. Deadly diseases like Ebola do not stop at borders, so we must work to stop these outbreaks at source.”
Jenny Chapman, Minister for Africa and International Development, said:
“I’ve recently returned from Kinshasa and the wider region, meeting and hearing from our partners on the ground, and the Government of DRC. They are operating in incredibly difficult circumstances.”
“The situation is deeply concerning. It demands urgent, coordinated action, in support of the African-led response. We are working with partners across the region and beyond to drive a faster, more effective response. Acting now is the best way to save lives and prevent further spread.”
A focus on infectious disease and natural hazards
The MHRN focus will be on infectious diseases of epidemic potential and on natural hazards, specifically flooding and atmospheric hazards. Cross-cutting the two hazard areas will be a focus on People-centred approaches and cascading and compounding hazards, thus embedding interdisciplinarity as a core principle. Expansion of the network aims to foreground equitable partnership and regional expertise in responding to emergencies. For instance, an outbreak of Ebola in Uganda could draw on longer term research on community-level preparedness and trust, alongside modelling expertise and the application of rapid assessment tools for capturing biosocial vulnerabilities.
Responses to floods can likewise build on improvements in the understanding of local impacts of floods, including possible cascading impacts like landslides. Significant improvements have also been made in understanding how forecast information is perceived and acted upon at local levels, how it can be combined with local understandings and knowledge, and how best to mobilise communities to reduce losses to lives and livelihoods while improving longer term resilience to future events.
At the heart of the network is an integrated programme of work with aligned objectives around prediction, preparedness and emergency response research and the deployment of tools and expert advice.
Rapid support during emergencies
A core pillar of delivery will be a dedicated Rapid Response Unit (RRU), designed to ensure that cutting‑edge evidence and expertise can be mobilised at pace where appropriate, to support decision‑making when crises unfold. The RRU will act as the network’s front line, translating complex science into timely, actionable advice and tools for FCDO and other partners involved in emergency response. It will convene the right mix of expertise across hazards, disciplines and geographies to support urgent decision‑making in fast‑moving, high‑risk situations.
A global partnership
The MHRN consortium brings together a strong set of academic, operational and network partners, including universities and specialist institutions across the UK and internationally, alongside organisations with on-the-ground reach such as humanitarian and communications partners. The network also connects to UK government science capability, including the Met Office, UK Health Security Agency, Animal and Plant Health Agency and the British Geological Survey.
Alongside a diverse partnership which brings a depth of knowledge and experience, the MHRN is grounded in principles and practices that will promote equity, inclusion and trust across the network. This is very much in line with the UK government’s commitment to global partnerships as the basis for future development cooperation.
Facilitating learning and sharing knowledge openly
The MHRN is built as a learning system, designed to navigate the complexity and uncertainty inherent in multi-hazard emergencies by continuously testing what works, adapting in real-time, and strengthening the connections between evidence production and its use in crisis response. A dedicated Learning, Impact, Networking, and Knowledge function, co-led by Southern Voice, will facilitate network building, and learning to curate knowledge-sharing across priority regions, including Africa, the Caribbean, and South and Southeast Asia. The programme also includes plans for an open-access MHRN Portal to support access to tools, expertise and knowledge products.
