iCHORDS is a community of practice established in 2020 in response to a need for social and behavioural science-based research to reach the WHO 2030 NTD Roadmap targets.
The primary target audience of iCHORDS is those working or interested in the intersection of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) and the social and behavioural sciences. The definition of the social and behvaioural sciences may cover many disciplines but generally refers to those based in anthropology, psychology, economics, sociology, implementation research, program delivery, community mobilization, and capacity strengthening.
iCHORDS at a glance:
- iCHORDS has over 445 members from more than 55 different countries.
- The iCHORDS Last Mile Podcast has had more than 1100 plays across 11 episodes.
- So far iCHORDS has held 12 knowledge exchange cafes with a combined attendance of 452 participants.
- The iCHORDS website has more than 30 blog posts that discuss research methods, iCHORDS events and community member highlights.
- iCHORDS has more than 820 followers on Twitter(X).
- 70+ members collaborate to develop cross-cutting, topical and high priority deliverables to support the effort towards NTD elimination.
- 2 separate rounds of mentor-mentee pairs have been launched.
iCHORDS continues to grow in size, and has demonstrated to be a valuable resource that connects individuals working in NTDs and the social sciences, particularly reaching those individuals who are in the early-mid stages of their career.
iCHORDS aims to increase collaboration across those working in NTDs and the social sciences, especially to further expand its reach in South-East Asian countries, and to develop goals that support WHO research and development in support of the 2030 roadmap.
Check out the full progress report below.
