Study title: Multimorbidity and Knowledge Architectures: An Interdisciplinary Global Health Collaboration

Lead Researcher(s)

Justin Dixon

Funder(s)

Wellcome Trust

Partner(s)

London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and the Organization for Public Health Interventions and Development, Ministry of Health and Child Care

Background

The KnowM study was an interdisciplinary global health collaboration that focused on multimorbidity, which refers to the coexistence of multiple chronic conditions in one individual. While multimorbidity has long been recognized as a health challenge in the global north, it is increasingly acknowledged as an important issue in the global south. The current scientific, healthcare, and disease classification systems are primarily organized around single-disease and single-organ perspectives, which may not adequately address the complexities of multimorbidity.

Study aim(s)

The KnowM study aimed to develop an interdisciplinary conceptual framework and research agenda to effectively respond to multimorbidity in sub-Saharan Africa.

Study design

The KnowM study combined ethnographic fieldwork in research and care settings in Zimbabwe with a series of collaborative and participatory research activities. This included ethnographic fieldwork, audio-visual diaries, participatory workshops and multi-country symposia – all of which progressively worked towards co-producing research outputs. These methods were designed to cut across disciplinary and disease siloes and move beyond entrenched binaries such as ‘communicable’ and ‘noncommunicable’, ‘acute’ and ‘chronic’ and ‘biological’ and ‘social’ that persistently work against more effective and equitable health work.

Study dates

2021 -2024