Southern African Social Policy Research Insights

Policy Relevance and Impact It is part of SASPRI’s objectives to conduct research which is of direct relevance to policy. Indeed, it is hoped that our research will form part of the evidence base for evidence informed policy-making. To this end we aim to keep a record of how our research has been used by government, civil society and academia. The following list gives some examples. We would be grateful to hear of any other ways our research has been useful to researchers, policymakers, academics or civil society. The South African Index of Multiple Deprivation 2011 (SAIMD 2011) and ward level poverty data for 2011 Health Systems Trust have used the SAIMD 2011 in the District Health Barometer and South African Health Review at district and local municipality level. The SAIMD 2011 was used by Prof Francis Wilson in a seminar on Mining and Migration presented to the Marikana Commission of Inquiry on 9th April 2014 Click here for a copy of the presentation. The Human Sciences Research Council have used the SAIMD 2011 to examine the relationship between deprivation and homicides. Ward level poverty data were used in the estimation of small area take up estimates of Child Support Grant by EPRI for the national Department of Social Development. KZN Department of Health have used the poverty data to examine the relationship between poverty and trauma. A charity which provides nutritional support to school children in deprived areas have used the SAIMD 2011 as one of the data sources used to target areas for support. The SAIMD 2011 has been used by the Medical Research Council in a study looking at the relationship between multiple deprivation and low birth weight. National Treasury – contributing to work examining the basis of the equitable share. The SAIMD 2011 has been used by researchers at the University of Cape Town (UCT) to examine the relationship between mining activity and poverty/deprivation. The SAIMD 2011 has been used by the Rural Health Advocacy Project as regards their advocacy work in the former homelands. The SAIMD 2011 has been used in a case relating to tribal levies supporting the Legal Resources Centre. The SAIMD 2011 has been used by the UCT Health Economics Unit to explore the relationship between deprivation and obesity. The UCT Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health has used the SAIMD 2011 to explore the relationship between deprivation and depression. The SAIMD 2011 has been used by the University of Virginia, Department of Politics in their research on the determinants of health outcomes in South Africa. Utrecht University Department of Sociology have used the SAIMD 2011 in research to examine and explain patterns of vigilantism across South Africa. The Western Cape Department of Health have used the SAIMD 2011 for their Annual District Health Expenditure Review reports and in their Annual Perfomance Plan.