2024 Highlights: Further Engagement with Youth in Research at OUCRU

As we reflect on 2024, let’s look at our public and community engagement achievements. One particular highlight is our continuing partnership with young people to nurture a strong connection between research and the younger generation.
56.8% of Young People Lost Concentration or Interest in Living in 2021 (*)

Global and National Mental Health Statistics Among Youth According to UNICEF, at least 30% of school-age children experienced stress, anxiety, or depression due to health-related social restrictions during and after the pandemic. Poverty, violence, gender social norms, high-pressure learning environments, and stressful life events all contribute to emotional and psychological distress among young people.(1) Another UNICEF […]
The Important Role of Young People in Tackling AMR

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a growing global health and socioeconomic crisis. Regardless of its impact on human and animal health, food production, and the environment that could happen to everyone, everywhere, there’s still much to be done to raise public and stakeholder awareness. A global online survey of nearly 200 stakeholders from human, animal, plant, […]
Bioethics Grant Awardees Webinar: Highlighting the Importance of Bioethics in Research

Recognising that bioethics is an essential part of research, particularly in biology and medicine, the Southeast Asia (SEA) Bioethics Network was established with support from the Wellcome Trust Research Development Award. The network is dedicated to publicise the bioethics approaches across Southeast Asia by promoting a deeper understanding and application of ethical principles in biological […]
Applying genetic technology for early TBM diagnosis helps to enhance patients’ quality of life

Vietnam remains a country with a high tuberculosis burden, with tuberculous meningitis (TBM) being particularly challenging to detect early, often leading to severe neurological sequelae in patients. TBM has a mortality rate of 20%–50%, and neuro-disability occurs in up to 50% of survivors(1). One of the biggest challenges in diagnosing TBM is that its clinical symptoms […]
Dengue: Are Baby Mosquitoes a Hidden Threat?

Did you know that dengue fever cases have witnessed a ten-fold surge in the past two decades?(1) This tropical disease continues to be a global health situation. The fight against dengue has become increasingly complicated due to drastic changes in mosquito behavior and geographical distribution. Traditionally, we’ve focused on preventing mosquito bites. But now, researchers are […]
Forum Theatre: Exploring Community’s Power and Raising Awareness

Forum Theatre, a branch of the so-called Theatre of the Oppressed, is an interactive and participatory form of theatre developed by Brazilian theatre practitioner Augusto Boal in the 1970s. This unique approach has the potential to explore a community’s voice and raise awareness by empowering people with a tool that encourages them to change reality […]
It’s time to prioritise mental health at workplace

10th October is World Mental Health Day. This year’s official theme, “It’s Time to Prioritise Mental Health in the Workplace,” once again emphasised the importance of mental health in professional settings. The global campaign aimed to advocate for improved mental healthcare systems and procedures in workplaces, ensuring employees feel their mental health is prioritised, protected, […]
Webinar Supporting Mental Health for Healthcare Workers in Times of Crisis

In honour of World Mental Health Day, OUCRU’s Public and Community Engagement group, in partnership with the Hospital for Tropical Diseases (HTD), Vietnam Psychotherapy Association (VnPA), and Medisetter, will host a webinar on “Mental Health in the Workplace.” The webinar will focus on providing psychological first aid, raising awareness about mental health during and after […]
Youth Ambassadors Aim to Raise Tetanus Awareness Through Public and Community Engagement Activities

The Youth Science Ambassadors (YSA) project, launched in 2021, has become a key youth engagement activities of OUCRU’s Public and Community Engagement Group. Becoming part of the project, young participants are empowered to lead, propose, plan, and execute their own initiatives addressing specific issues they identify themselves. During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021, YSAs produced […]
Community Engagement and Involvement: Enhancing Research Impact

At OUCRU, we have integrated public and community engagement projects into our research program since 2011. But what exactly is community engagement (and involvement), and why is it important to global health research? Let’s take a look at the summary of a new free course on MESH, a community engagement knowledge and professional support hub […]
Stress Management, an essential skill for healthcare workers

In the high-pressure, high-stakes field of healthcare, effective stress management is critical. It’s essential for maintaining the health and wellbeing of healthcare workers, as well as ensuring high-quality patient care. According to the statistics of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health, in 2021, the number of healthcare workers who quit was 968 people. […]
OUCRU presented our community mobilisation efforts in One Health at the launch event of Media for One Health project

On 20 May in Hanoi, Dr Mary Chambers and Associate Professor Sonia Lewycka presented on One Health activities at OUCRU, highlighting the essential role of public engagement and communication with various communities in raising awareness as well as how to integrate One Health approach and climate change into infectious diseases research. This event was part […]
OUCRU welcomed ASEAN Social Impact Program students for a Science Visit

On 31st May, the Public and Community Engagement Group at OUCRU re-launched the Science Visit project. This event saw 25 enthusiastic students from Vietnam, Brunei, Singapore, the Phillipines, and Cambodia. This student group is a part of the ASEAN Social Impact Program (ASIP), visit OUCRU. They joined a lab tour and participated in several group games centered around […]
Nurturing Future Generations’ Passion for Science through Engagement with Children and Teachers

At OUCRU, we believe that science can excite and inspire children, contribute to their understanding of the world, and present opportunities for life skill development. The better children understand and appreciate science, the better-informed decisions they can make throughout their lives. To make science more approachable and engaging, OUCRU’s Public and Community Engagement group conducts […]
Public and Community Engagement to Support Vaccine Research

The Public and Community Engagement group at OUCRU has a strong commitment to community engagement, particularly in the field of vaccine research. Let’s look at some featured projects in all OUCRU’s local offices, spreading out from typhoid in Nepal to TB in Vietnam. Nepal: Tackling Typhoid Typhoid is a public health problem in Nepal(1). With […]
Supporting Vaccine Uptake and Raising Vaccine Awareness through Public and Community Engagement
Awareness is a critical factor affecting vaccine uptake(1), especially in rural communities with limited access to vaccine information , such as ethnic minority communities in rural areas (Binh Phuoc, our research province for example), or due to several different challenges like health crises like COVID-19. After assessing vaccine uptake, and exploring attitudes and perceptions of […]
Celebrating Earth Day: Reflecting on OUCRU Green Day

22th April is Earth Day. As important as clinical research, at OUCRU, we are also committed to promoting environmental activities and encouraging a culture of sustainability. Our initiatives include a dedicated Green Team and several activities, one of which is the Green Day event. The OUCRU Green Team is a group of passionate volunteers who […]
New publication: Social cohesion among healthcare workers during COVID-19: Qualitative research in Indonesia, Nepal, and Vietnam

Several published research studies have shown that healthcare workers (HCWs) were significantly affected during the COVID-19 pandemic. Being on the front line of the pandemic response, they faced increased risks including pathogen exposure, a shortage of protective equipment, heavy workloads, long working hours, and significant mental distress. However, many of these studies focused on individual […]
World Health Worker Day 2024: Honour our daily heroes together

In the 1st week of April each year, the global community comes together to celebrate health workers, the backbone of the health industry and society. This year, the theme is #SafeSupportedHealthWorkers. The Frontline Health Workers Coalition and its partners are leading the effort. The goal is to unite advocates, health workers, leaders, and communities worldwide […]