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Dr Claudia Hanson

Professor of Implementation Science

United Kingdom

I am a Professor of Implementation Science and Perinatal Epidemiology also hold a senior lectureship at Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden where I work 90% of my time. I am a medical doctor with a specialisation in gynaecology and obstetrics, and higher degrees in epidemiology (LSHTM) and in international health (Charité, Germany TropEd) 
My main interest lies in health systems research, implementation science as well as understanding the etiology of perinatal morbidity and mortality. I have led large-scale evaluations such as cluster-randomised trials and data collection based on household surveys and facility-based records. I lead and co-lead 10 larger research projects in Africa (Tanzania, Uganda, Malawi, Benin, Burkina Faso) and Asia (India, Laos, Vietnam, and Thailand). The projects focus on evaluating quality improvement approaches and other health system strengthening strategies. My overall aim is to advance knowledge on how to develop, implement, and evaluate strategies to improve access to quality of care and reduce perinatal morbidity and mortality. I also work on improving routine health data collection for maternal and newborn health care, including measurement issues, health planning and care organisation.

Affiliations

Department of Disease Control
Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases

Centres

Malaria Centre
Antimicrobial Resistance Centre
Global Health Economics Centre

Teaching

I teach approximately 20% of my full-time employment.

At Karolinska Institute I manage at present a 2-week course on “Research management” and PhD courses on "Concepts in Global Health and Global Burden of Disease" and "quality assurance in research".

I have previously managed for several years the MSc module “Epidemiology and Control of Infectious Diseases” (2019-2023).

I have several PhD students from Tanzania, Malawi, Uganda, Argentina, Lebanon and Somalia.

Research

Under the overall theme of health system research and implementation science my interests are:

  • Evaluating public health interventions to improve quality of care
  • Understanding the etiology and dynamic conditions and factors
  • Develop targeted intervention using co-design
  • Implementation science to understand what works for whom and under what conditions 
  • Metrics and measurement with a focus on facility data including improving the quality of facility data

Key subjects are:

  • Causes and determinants of maternal, stillbirth and newborn health
  • Intrapartum care, stillbirth and newborn health
  • Reproductive health
  • Health care organization, urban health
Research Area
Adolescent health
Electronic health records
Evaluation
Global Health
Health care policy
Health inequalities
Health services research
Health status measurement
Health systems
Maternal health
Neonatal health
Perinatal health
Quality improvement
Reproductive health
Epidemiology
Operational research
Implementation science
Capacity development
Randomised controlled trials
GIS/Spatial analysis
Disease and Health Conditions
HIV/AIDS
Region
East Asia & Pacific (developing only)
Latin America & Caribbean (all income levels)
Sub-Saharan Africa (developing only)

Selected Publications

National policies and care provision in pregnancy and childbirth for twins in Eastern and Southern Africa: A mixed-methods multi-country study.
HANSON, C; Munjanja, S; Binagwaho, A; Vwalika, B; Pembe, AB; Jacinto, E; Chilinda, GK; Donahoe, KB; Wanyonyi, SZ; Waiswa, P; Gidiri, MF; BENOVA, L;
2019
PLoS medicine
Trends in caesarean section rates between 2007 and 2013 in obstetric risk groups inspired by the Robson classification: results from population-based surveys in a low-resource setting.
HANSON, C; Betrán, AP; OPONDO, C; Mkumbo, E; Manzi, F; Mbaruku, G; SCHELLENBERG, J;
2018
BJOG : an international journal of obstetrics and gynaecology
"It's easier to deal with the vaccines you know than the ones you don't know": A qualitative study on healthcare workers' vaccine confidence in Nigeria.
Bakare, AA; Gobbo, E; Akinsola, KO; King, C; Salako, J; Bakare, D; Usman, H; HANSON, C; Falade, AG; Van Wees, SH;
2025
Vaccine
Measuring responsiveness and respectful treatment in maternity care in sub-Saharan Africa: a questionnaire validation and development of a score.
Morris, Z; Halabi, SE; HANSON, C; Kandeya, B; Ayebare, E; Houngbo, G; Månsson, A; Al-Beity, FA; Annerstedt, KS;
2025
BMC pregnancy and childbirth
The influence of heat exposure on birth and neonatal outcomes in Mombasa, Kenya: A pooled time series analysis
BRIMICOMBE, C; JACKSON, D; Mungatia, A; Sulaiman, Z; Monthaler, T; Wieser, K; Otto, IM; Luchters, S; Chersich, M; Maimela, G; Madondo, C; Sawry, S; Beksinska, M; Radebe, L; Solarin, I; Munyewende, P; Gao, C; Eggeling, J; Alce, G; Heil, C; Roos, N; Stephansson, O; HANSON, C; De Bont, J; Tirado, V; ... Nobile, F.
2025
The Journal of Climate Change and Health
Mixed vulnerabilities: the biological risk of high parity is aggravated by emergency referral in Benin, Malawi, Tanzania and Uganda.
Straneo, M; Beňová, L; Van den Akker, T; Abeid, MS; Ayebare, E; Dossou, J-P; Handing, G; Kandeya, B; Pembe, AB; HANSON, C;
2025
International journal for equity in health
Evaluating predictive values of umbilical cord arterial lactate for adverse newborn outcomes among term-births in northern Uganda: A cross sectional analytical study.
Ayebare, E; Tumwine, JK; Nankunda, J; Hjelmstedt, A; Jonas, W; Ndeezi, G; Orsini, N; HANSON, C;
2024
International journal of gynaecology and obstetrics: the official organ of the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics
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