Dr Alison Krentel

Alison's research interests include how to best facilitate community engagement in the execution of public health programmes, conducting implementation research so as to support health systems in infectious disease control programmes and understanding how best to translate research results into programmatic action. She is also interested in how to mobilise, motivate and support community health volunteers. Specific disease areas include: lymphatic filariasis, leishmaniasis and other NTDs, malaria, HIV/AIDS. 

In collaboration with Universitas Indonesia and Reflecting Society Pty Ltd she conducted research into testing the use of a health survey using micronarratives (stories) as a means of capturing experiences with health programmes from the perspective of the community member as well as the health worker. Guidelines for use of micronarratives in health research can be found through the NTD Support Center website.  

Alison was part of a larger community based safety trial coordinated by Washington University in St Louis and the NTD Support Center at the Task Force for Global Health and funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Together with national research institutions the research ascertained levels of acceptability of a new treatment regimen for lymphatic filariasis in Haiti, India, Indonesia, Fiji and Papua New Guinea amongst community members, community drug distributors and frontline health workers.