Reducing the Burden of Severe Stigmatising Skin Diseases (REDRESS)
REDRESS: Reducing the Burden of Severe Stigmatising Skin Diseases through equitable person-centred approaches to health systems strengthening.
(September 2019 – present)
Severe Stigmatising Skin Diseases (SSSDs) are the 4th leading cause of disability worldwide. Individuals with these skin diseases find it difficult to access health care, which can lead to physical, mental, social and economic hardship.
Researchers on the REDRESS project are working in Liberia to improve the management of SSSDs. Using an approach that focusses on the individual’s needs, REDRESS will compile a base of evidence to enable the development and testing of innovative health care interventions.
Interventions will address the impact of SSSDs on patients and their families and strengthen the wider health system.
QMU role in this project
At IGHD we are supporting REDRESS by looking specifically at the financial side of health care for Severe Stigmatising Skin Diseases (SSSDs) in Liberia.
We will talk to patients and providers to hear from them what the main financial barriers are to seeking health care. We will collect and review health system data from 5 counties in Liberia to determine the current costs of SSSD treatment to the provider and patient.
Finally, we will collect data on, and analyse the costs associated with, introducing a new healthcare intervention, developed by our REDRESS colleagues.
- About this project
- Partners
- Funding
- Project Objectives
As the 4th leading cause of disability worldwide, Severe Stigmatising Skin Diseases (SSSDs) cause individuals physical and mental health problems and social and economic hardship. This is exacerbated by the difficulties individuals experience when trying to access health care. In the REDRESS project we use a research approach that centres on the needs of an individual. Through this lens we will evaluate, develop and adapt health interventions for the management of SSSDs in Liberia.
There are four strands to the REDRESS project. These encompass looking at the clinical and lab-based systems; the financial costs and barriers; the management of health workers and other staff; and patient engagement. All of these strands are underpinned by principles of equality, collaborative working, and knowledge sharing.
At IGHD we are researching the financial aspects of health care of SSSDs. Our aim is to identify financial barriers affecting the affordability of SSSD services. This includes identifying costs that patients experience on their health care journeys, such as doctors fees and treatment costs. At this stage we will evaluate resource constraints experienced by health care providers.
Finally we will use data collected from key experts, databases and reports to estimate the costs involved in implementing the health intervention that will be developed by our REDRESS colleagues.
The REDRESS project is led by Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM). Alongside IGHD, partners include the University of Liberia Pacific Institute for Research & Evaluation (UL-PIRE Africa), Actions Transforming Lives, AIM Initiative and Effect Hope.
This research was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) (NIHR200129) using UK aid from the UK Government to support global health research. The views expressed in this webpage are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the NIHR or the UK Department of Health and Social Care.
The REDRESS project aims to evaluate, develop and adapt health interventions for the management of Severe Stigmatising Skin Diseases (SSSDs) in Liberia.
At IGHD we are focussing on the financial aspects of health care for SSSDs. Our aims include:
• To identify financial difficulties that affect SSSD patients trying to access health care.
• To identify financial constraints experienced by healthcare providers.
• To estimate the costs involved in implementing an intervention developed by our REDRESS colleagues for SSSD management.
