Projects per year
Personal profile
Research expertise
Health systems, governance, accountability, sexual and reproductive health and rights, realist evaluation, health policy analysis
I have more than 20 years of experience working in research and programme management related to health governance and sexual and reproductive health and rights in LMIC. My research interests include health systems, health governance & accountability, health policy analyis, and the development of new research methodologies for health policy and systems research (realist evaluation, different types of reviews, process tracing,...).
Teaching expertise
I have been the course leader and lecturer of the advanced MscPH course on health policy analysis and governance at ITM. My other teaching assignments included:
-Course leader and lecturer of health policy and systems research methdologies at ITM (Msc Public Health, 2015-2019)
-Lecturer of MPH course modules "qualitative methods" and "social sciences in health" at ITM (MPH, 2008-2011)
-Course coordinator and lecturer "strategies, governance and policy-making in global health" at Sciences Po Paris, School of International Affairs and "International Cooperation in Health" (24h); Fall semester 2015, Spring 2017, 2018 and 2019.
I am coaching several PhD students on health system -health governance and sexual and reproductive health policy issues such as local health system governance, intersectoral coordination, realist evaluation and accountability in SRHR. I am interested in taking on new students related to these subjects.
Services expertise
Programme evaluation, realist evaluation, governance analysis, health policy analysis
I conducted workshops and lectures on evaluation (including realist evaluation). I led programme formulation, implementation and evaluation assignments and research on health governance and sexual and reproductive health policy for organizations (WHO, Enabel, GIZ, ICRC,...) I am currently member of the Reference Group for the realist evaluation of the Min NL funded Right Here Right Now Programme of Rutgers.
Education/Academic qualification
Public health, PhD, Accountability in sexual and reproductive health.How relations between INGOs and state actors shape public accountability – a study of two local health systems in Ghana, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
2009 → 2014
Award Date: 1-Jun-2014
Public Health, Postgraduate DLSHTM, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
Award Date: 1-Jun-2009
Political Science / International Relations, MA, Ghent University
Award Date: 1-Sept-2000
Cultural Anthropology, MA, Ghent University
Award Date: 1-Sept-1998
Political and Social Sciences, BA, University of Antwerp
Award Date: 1-Jul-1995
External positions
Honorary Assistant Professor, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
1-Sept-2018 → 30-Dec-2021
Adjunct Faculty, Institute of Public Health
1-Jul-2017 → …
Visiting researcher, University of Antwerp
1-Sept-2015 → 1-Sept-2018
Lecturer, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
1-Jul-2012 → 1-Feb-2013
Senior advisor Governance - institutional strengthening, Belgian Development Agency
1-Apr-2011 → 1-Apr-2012
Programme Manager Ghana -Sierra Leone, Africa and Latin America Team, Marie Stopes International
1-Oct-2007 → 1-Jun-2008
M&E Officer, SRH ACP/EU/UNFPA programme, UNFPA regional office Dakar
1-Dec-2005 → 1-Oct-2007
Policy Officer, European Parliament
1-Aug-2001 → 1-Mar-2004
Member, Research Advisory Board, Institute of Public Health
1-Jan-2001 → …
Research fellow, Faculty Political Science, Ghent University
31-Mar-0001 → 31-Dec-0001
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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
Recent external collaboration on country/territory level. Dive into details by clicking on the dots or
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YoPAAPE: A Youth-centred Preventive Action Approach towards co-created implementation of socially and Physicall activating Environmental interventions ITM develop an intervention theory for the selected interventions + realist evaluation of the whole study.
Van Belle, S., Van Belle, S., Martens, M., Chin A Paw, M. J. M., Altenburg, T., Klaufus, L., Palmeira, A. L., Nunez Silva, M., Draper, C. E., Pawslowski, C. K., Schipperijn, J. & Oyeyemi, A. L.
1/01/23 → 31/12/27
Project: Research Project
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Accountability and Collective Action in Urban India: How are Socially Marginalized Adolescent Girls and Young Women organized to Negotiate Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR)?
Contractor, S. Q., Marchal, B., Van Belle, S., Nambiar, D. & Ruano, A. L.
1/01/22 → …
Project: PhD-project
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Saving mothers lives using Responsible AI
Van Belle, S., Belrhiti, Z., Assarag, B. & El Basisy, I.
1/01/24 → 1/01/25
Project: Research Project
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SCaling Up an integrated care package for diaBetes and hYpertension for vulnerable people (SCUBY): policy analysis and strategy development.
Martens, M., Van Damme, W., Van Belle, S., van Olmen, J., Remmen, R. & Wouters, E.
27/04/22 → 14/01/25
Project: PhD-project
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JPPP research project: A pilot project to prepare for the Urban health systems, shocks and resilience: what can we learn from COVID-19? project
Marchal, B., Polman, K., Van Belle, S., Verdonck, T., Michielsen, J., Nieto Sanchez, C., Everaert, R., van Olmen, J. & Otero, L.
Flemish Government - Department of Economy, Science & Innovation
1/04/22 → 31/03/23
Project: Research Project
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Barriers and facilitators to international universal health coverage reforms: a realist review
Farsaci, L., Fleming, P., Caffrey, L., van Belle, S., O'Donoghue, C., Almirall-Sanchez, A., Mockler, D. & Thomas, S., 2025, In: International Journal of Health Policy and Management. 14, 14 p., 8709.Research output: Contribution to journal › Review › peer-review
Open Access -
Stakeholder involvement in realist evaluation: A scoping review and best fit framework synthesis
Malengreaux, S., Martens, M., Pleguezuelo, VC., Olujuwon, I., Van Belle, S., Renmans, D. & Belrhiti, Z., 2025, In: Evaluation. 31, 1, p. 22-48 27 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › A1: Web of Science-article › peer-review
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A realist evaluation of the implementation of a national tobacco control programme and policy in India
Hebbar, PB., Dsouza, V., Nagelhout, GE., van Belle, S., Prashanth, N. S., van Schayck, OCP., Babu, GR. & Bhojani, U., 2024, In: Health Policy and Planning. 40, 2, p. 140-152 14 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › A1: Web of Science-article › peer-review
Open Access -
Behavioral change interventions, theories, and techniques to reduce physical inactivity and sedentary behavior in the general population: a scoping review
El Kirat, H., van Belle, S., Khattabi, A. & Belrhiti, Z., 2024, In: BMC Public Health. 24, 1, 36 p., 2099.Research output: Contribution to journal › A1: Web of Science-article › peer-review
Open Access -
Building health policy and systems research (HPSR) capacity in India: reflections from the India HPSR fellowship program (2020-2023)
John, S., Ramani, S., Abbas, SM., Kane, S., Lall, D., Srinivas, P. N., Nambiar, D., Marchal, B., Van Belle, S., Sadanandan, R. & Devadasan, N., 2024, In: Health Research Policy and Systems. 22, 14 p., 129.Research output: Contribution to journal › A1: Web of Science-article › peer-review
Open Access