HOPE Network x SESH Workshop on

Participatory Approaches in Sexual Health: A Participatory Workshop and Launch of the WHO/TDR Practical Guide

Our HOPE Network from Australia, Japan, Singapore, and China collaborated with SESH to conduct a workshop on “Participatory Approaches in Sexual Health: A Participatory Workshop and Launch of the WHO/TDR Practical Guide” at the IUSTI 2024 Conference in Sydney, Australia, on September 18, 2024.

This cutting-edge designathon workshop on health and health research brought together a diverse group of researchers and community members to explore how designathons can be used to tackle health challenges. Organized by the HOPE Network and SESH, the workshop included contributions from PhD candidate Warittha from Monash University, Dr Chunyan Li from the University of Tokyo, Dr Rayner Tan Kay Jin from the National University of Singapore, Prof. Jason J. Ong from Monash University, and Dr. Gifty Marley from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Project China. The event demonstrated how designathons can drive rapid, user-centred health innovations. Attendees included healthcare professionals, researchers, and community members from various sectors, who participated in an ideation activity that showcased how designathons work.

The workshop not only highlighted the benefits of collaborative problem-solving through designathons but also marked the launch of the much-anticipated WHO/TDR Practical Guide. The guide provides a framework for applying participatory research to the development of health solutions and offers a step-by-step approach to fostering cross-disciplinary collaboration – a key factor in addressing health challenges in resource-limited settings. The development of this guide was also discussed during the workshop.

Links:

Download the WHO/TDR Practical Guide on Designathons in Health Research

https://iris.who.int/handle/10665/376628

Download the systematic review on designathons in health research

https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjgh-2023-013961