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Astrid Blystad

Astrid Blystad

Position

Professor

Affiliation

E-mail
astrid.blystad@uib.no
Phone number
+47 55586161
Visitor address
At ISF: Kalfarveien 31 / At CIH: Overlege Danielsens Hus, Årstadvn. 21
Bergen
Postal address
P.O. Box 7804
NO-5020 Bergen
Norway

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Astrid Blystad

Position

Professor

Affiliation

Research

Astrid Blystad, nurse and social anthropologist, is Professor at the Centre for International Health, Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care, University of Bergen. Her research interests lie at the intersection between global and national health policy and the local politics of reproduction.

Her work springs out of some 35 years of research in eastern and southern Africa. Methodologically the research is based in the ethnographic tradition, - in recent years in combination with other qualitative methods and mixed methods designs. Theoretical interests are located within socio-cultural theory, critical theory, gender theory, phenomenology and institutional ethnography.

She has been the principle investigator for a series of externally funded multidisciplinary research initiatives, the most recent being the Research Council of Norway funded projects Competing discourses impacting girls’ and women’s rights: Fertility control and safe abortion in Ethiopia, Tanzania and Zambia (2016-19) and Reporting in context: An interdisciplinary initiative to strengthen maternal health services and surveillance in Ethiopia and Tanzania (2021-2026). 

She has published extensively within global reproductive health and has supervised 17 PhD candidates and more than 70 master students till completion. She presently supervises 6 PhD candidates, four master candidates and one research track candidate. She is deputy leader of the research group Global Health Anthropology, CIH, IGS.

Teaching

 

Blystad teaches in the master program in Global Health at the Centre for International Health (CIH) and in the master program in Health and Society at the Department of Global Public Health and Primary Health Care (IGS), Faculty of Medicine, University of Bergen.

The prime topics taught include social science perspectives on health, illness and suffering; qualitative research methodology and the philosophy of science. She co-coordinates the MA/PhD course ‘Introduction to anthropology in global health’ with Professor Karen Marie Moland, CIH.  

Supervision:
Blystad has supervised a total of 17 PhD candidates (8 as main supervisor, 9 as co-supervisor). PhD projects completed: name, short title, year, main supervisor (MS), co-supervisor (CS):

 

Marte Bygstad Landro: Experiences of shame among depressed, Norway, 2016-22 (CS)

Gloria Abena Ampim: Male involvement in maternal health initiatives, Ghana, 2018-22 (CS)

Marte ES Haaland: Negotiating the abortion law, Zambia, 2017- 21 (MS)

Janne Gjerde: Living with pelvic floor disorders, Ethiopia, 2013-18 (MS)

Bodil B Våga: Nursing care in a cultural perspective, Tanzania, 2009-15 (MS)

Elizabeth Shayo: Participation in health-related decision making, Tanzania, 2009-15 (MS) 

Huda Sharfi: Obstetric fistula and the challenge of reintegration, Sudan, 2008-13 (CS)

Getaneh Mehari: The Gamo gome institution and women’s sexual rights, 2009-13 (CS)

Marit Østebø: The export of gender policies in Norwegian foreign aid, 2009-13 (MS)

Karine Jansen: Politicisation of the 2005-07 Chikungunya epidemic, Reunion, 2008-13 (CS)

Nils G Songstad: Human resources for health, Tanzania, 2007-12 (MS)

Marte Jurgensen: Voluntary testing and counselling for HIV in Zambia, 2007-12 (CS)

Tine Eri:  Experiences of labour onset and early labour, 2008-11 (MS)

Mercy Njeru: Challenges of equity and adherence in HIV interventions, Kenya, 2007-11 (CS)

Torhild S Terkelsen: Gendered touch: experiences from physiotherapy, 2003-08 (CS)

Sebalda Leshabari: Infant feeding among HIV positive mothers, Tanzania, 2004-07 (CS)

Christopher Oleke: Local dynamics of the orphan challenge in Uganda, 2001-05 (MS)

Current PhD candidates (6): Nega Jibat 2017-2022 (CS); Emily McClean 2021-2024 (CS), Ane Straume 2014-2022 (MS), Asabneh Molla 2022-2025 (CS), Kaja Skoftedalen 2022-2026 (CS), Tezera Berheto 2023-2026 (CS).  

Blystad has supervised more than 70 master projects and three (3) medical research track candidates. Present MA students: 4. Present research track students:1

Publications
Master’s thesis
Editorial/Leader article
Letter to the editor
Academic article
Academic book chapter
Media feature article
Conference poster
Conference lecture
Media interview
Lecture
Conference abstract
Non-fiction monograph
Visual arts
Doctoral thesis (PhD)
Book anthology
Working paper
Academic literature review
Radio or TV participation
Textbook

See a complete overview of publications in Cristin.

Publications in PubMed

Projects

Blystad has been PI for a number of externally funded research projects:  

PI for the project: Reporting in context: An interdisciplinary initiative to strengthen maternal health services and surveillance in Ethiopia and Tanzania (MATRISET). Research Council of Norway, 2021-26.  Brief description: The objective of the project is to improve the quality of maternal mortality reporting and reviewing to strengthen the knowledge on which to base remedial action to reduce maternal deaths.

PI for the project:  Competing discourses impacting girls' and women's rights: Fertility control and safe abortion in Ethiopia, Tanzania and Zambia (SAFEZT). Research Council of Norway, 2016-18. Brief description:  This comparative, inter disciplinary project investigated the articulation between national abortion laws and women and girl’s access to safe abortion services in Ethiopia, Tanzania and Zambia.

Co-PI for the project: Gender in poverty reduction: Critical explorations of Norwegian aid policy on gender equality and women’s rights.  Research Council of Norway, 2012-16. PI: Professor H. Haukanes, UoB. Brief description: The project explored the concepts of ‘gender equality’ and ‘women’s rights’ in Ethiopia through a focus on the gender paradigms that have characterized Norwegian development aid since the mid-1990s. A collaborative venture between the University of Bergen, Chr. Michelsen Institute and Haraldsplass Deaconess University College, Norway and Addis Ababa University.

PI for the project: Gender, generation and social mobilisation: Challenges of reproductive health and rights among vulnerable groups in Sudan, Tanzania and Ethiopia’ (GESOMO NUFU). Norwegian Centre for International Cooperation in Higher Education (NUFU), 2007-12. Brief description: This interdisciplinary and multi-country competence-building project had a research focus on a series of particularly challenging reproductive health challenges; female genital mutilation, infertility, mother to child transmission of HIV, obstetric fistulae and women’s sexual rights in Sudan, Tanzania and Ethiopia.

PI for the project: Strengthening Human Resources for Health: A study of health worker availability and performance in Tanzania.  Research Council of Norway, 2006-12. Brief description: The project was a strategic initiative to address the what has been coined the problem of ‘shortage of health personnel and poor health worker performance’. It was a collaborative effort between Centre for International Health and Department of Economics, UoB, Chr. Michelsen Institute, Norwegian School of Economics and Business Administration and Bergen University College.

PI for the project: ‘Gender, Generation and Communication in Times of AIDS: The Potential of ’Modern’ and ’Traditional’ Institutions’ (GEACA). Norwegian Centre for International Cooperation in Higher Education (NUFU), 2002-07. Brief description: The dramatic HIV/AIDS situation in Tanzania.

Coordinator for work package V and all qualitative project components: Health Related Priority Setting in Tanzania, Zambia and Kenya’ (REACT). EU funding, 2005-10. PI: Dr. J. Byskov. Brief description: With deliberative public involvement as a starting point the project explored decision making- and priority setting processes with a particular focus on the District health systems in Kenya, Tanzania and Zambia.

Coordinator for work package III: ‘Searching for effective HIV-prevention and care in sub-Saharan Africa: focusing on local contexts’. Norwegian Research Council, 2004-10. PI: Professor K. Fylkesnes. Brief description: A key research focus was on the dynamics between global WHO so-called PMTCT guidelines, calling for breast milk substitutes as first choice for mothers in contexts where a limited segment of the population can afford breast milk substitutes.