Research Projects
Dr. Ruth Gibson
Research funded by Stanford Center for Innovation in Global Health, Maternal and Child Research Institute, and the Government of Canada.
Active Projects
Lancet Series on Foreign Engagement and Global Health
Co-led with Professor Gary Darmstadt • Stanford University
A multi-disciplinary international effort to reimagine the future of foreign aid. This series examines all facets of foreign assistance spanning military aid, development aid, and humanitarian assistance, recognizing the mid-2020s as a turning point for foreign assistance globally.
Series Focus
- Comprehensive analysis of foreign aid effectiveness across sectors
- Evidence-based recommendations for aid reform
- Framework for minimizing humanitarian harm in aid transitions
- Policy guidance for donor countries and international organizations
Sanctions to Punish Russia's Kidnapping of Ukrainian Children
International Working Group on Russian Sanctions • Stanford & Yale HRL
Leading research on sanction recommendations to respond to war crimes being committed by Russia, specifically focused on sectoral sanctions related to the deportation of Ukrainian children. Targeting the 'middle tier' of sanctions including civil society groups and industries involved.
Focus Areas
- Civil society groups involved in identification, transport, and re-education
- Sectoral sanctions on industries targeting children near age of majority
- Oil, gas, potash, and nuclear facilities employing displaced youth
- Novel sanctions approach targeting child deportation infrastructure
Toward a Peace Plan
- Unconditional return of all deported Ukrainian children as ceasefire condition
- All for all prisoner exchange principle implementation
- Identification of sectors and companies targeting older children for work
- Ensuring every child under 18 in 2022 is returned to Ukraine
Past Project
The impact of aid sanctions on maternal and child mortality, 1990–2019: a panel analysis
Background
Aid sanctions are a type of financial punishment imposed on a country by other countries or international organisations in response to a political coup, armed conflict, or human rights abuses. Humanitarian catastrophes in Burkina Faso, Sudan, and Myanmar have brought aid sanctions to the centre of the foreign affairs strategy debate because of their inadvertent negative effects on human health. Our analysis investigates the effects of aid sanctions from 1990 to 2019 on maternal and child mortality.
Methods
Data were drawn from a broad set of sources, including population health metrics databases, established sanctions databases, and a novel global dataset on aid sanctions created for this study. We assessed the prevalence of the use of aid sanctions worldwide during 1990–2019 and estimated their impact on official development assistance (ODA) and development assistance for health (DAH).
Findings
During our study period, 67 low-income or middle-income countries (LMICs) and sovereign territories were targeted by 88 unique aid sanction episodes. Aid sanctions reduced ODA by an estimated US$213.07 million per year for the average target country and reduced DAH by $16.42 million - a 17% reduction in DAH.
Interpretation
Over the period 1990–2019, infant, under-5, and maternal mortality rates among LMICs declined at average annualised rates of 2.6%, 3.2%, and 2.0%, respectively. Aid sanction episodes lasting 5 years would thus negate nearly 30% of the overall improvements in infant and under-5 mortality.
Funding
Center for Innovation in Global Health and the Maternal and Child Health Research Institute, Stanford University.
Policy Advocacy & Implementation
UN/International Organizations
- Advisor on humanitarian clauses for sanctions regimes
- Consultant for World Bank health-security initiatives
- Policy briefs informing G7 health diplomacy
Think Tank Collaborations
- Freeman Spogli Institute policy recommendations
- CISAC security-health integration frameworks
- Maternal and Child Health Research Program partnerships
Research Translation
- Evidence-based policy frameworks for humanitarian protection
- Real-time monitoring systems for sanctioned regions
- Academic-policy integration for better outcomes
"My research aims to bridge the critical gap between foreign policy decisions and their humanitarian consequences, providing evidence-based frameworks that protect vulnerable populations while maintaining effective governance structures."