Elijah Bisung
Assistant Professor
PhD (Health Geography), University of Waterloo
KINE 301H
Queen's University
School of Kinesiology and Health Studies
The Centre for Environmental Health Equity works closely with communities, advocacy groups, policymakers, and citizens to nurture the development of research partnerships to address the conditions that promote healthy environments for all. Within CEHE, I do research on:
- Water insecurity and well being
- Environmental determinants of health
- Role of trust in health promotion
- Collective action in environmental health promotion
- Colonialism and global health research
I am a health geographer whose primary area of research focuses on social and environmental production of health and well being. I draw on social theory and employ mixed-method approaches in my research projects. My published research contributions include studies on collective action for environmental health promotion, environmental stress and psychosocial health, community based participatory research, health systems resilience to climate change, disparities in urban health outcomes, and water insecurity and safe sanitation in Sub-Saharan Africa. I collaborate with researchers, policy makers, community groups, and development agencies on research projects in Canada, Kenya, Mexico, Ghana, and Burkina Faso.
CEHE is an ideal training environment for students who are interested in gaining research skills in the areas of urban justice, water security, human rights, health inequities, food sovereignty, environmental governance, and citizen engagement. I welcome students who are interested in research projects that broadly align with my broad research areas outlined above. Students who are interested in community-engaged research, health inequities and environmental health promotion in Africa sub of the Sahara are encouraged to contact me.
I am currently accepting applications from prospective graduate students. Successful applicants will be encouraged to apply to the Ontario Graduate Scholarship Program and to the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council and IDRC if eligible. If you are interested in learning more about graduate opportunities, please feel free to contact me.
Appointed to the School of Kinesiology and Health Studies.
Cross Appointed to the Department of Global Development Studies
For a full list of academic publications, see my Google Scholar Page.
Dickin, S., Bisung, E. & Charles, K. (2020) Empowerment in Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Index. World Development. 137
Achore, M, Bisung, E., Kuusaana, E (2020) A review and meta-ethnographic synthesis to understand water insecurity coping strategies. International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health (In press)
Kangmennang, J., Bisung, E. , Elliott, S.J (2020) ‘We Are Drinking Diseases’: Perception of Water Insecurity and Emotional Distress in Urban Slums in Accra, Ghana. International Journal of Public Health and Environmental Research
Cadwell, F., Bisung, E., Elliott, S.J. and Clarke, A Hacking Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE): Outcomes of the Waterlupus Hackathon. Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention in Canada: Research, Policy and Practice.
Bisung, E. and Dickin, S. (2019) Concept mapping: Engaging stakeholders to identify factors that contribute to empowerment in the water and sanitation sector in West Africa.SSM Population Health.
Plamondon, K & Bisung, E. (2019) The CCGHR Principles for Global Health Research: Centering equity in research, knowledge translation, and practice. Social Science and Medicine
Kuuire, V., Bisung, E., & Were, J. (2018) Understanding the connection between residential histories and obesity among Ghanaians: evidence from a national survey. Journal of Public Health. Doi:
Bisung, E., & Elliott, S. J. (2018). Improvement in access to safe water, household water insecurity, and time savings: A cross-sectional retrospective study in Kenya. Social Science and Medicine, 200: 1 – 8.
Bisung, E., Kangmenaan, J. & Luginaah, I. (2018) Neighbourhood structural differences, social capital and women’s health in Accra, Ghana. Quality of Life Research, 27(3):661-671.
Bisung, E., Elliott, S. J., Schuster-Wallace C. J., Karanja, D. M. & Abudho, B. (2015) “Dreaming of toilets”: Using photovoice to explore knowledge, attitudes and practices around water-health linkages in rural Kenya. Health and Place, 31, 208-215.
Bisung, E., Elliott, S. J., Schuster-Wallace C. J., Karanja, D. M. & Abudho, B. (2015) Using photovoice as a community based participatory research (CBPR) tool for changing water, sanitation and hygiene behaviours in Usoma, Kenya. BioMed Research International. Doi:
Bisung, E., Elliott, S. J., Schuster-Wallace C. J., Karanja, D. M. & Abudho, B. (2014) Social capital, collective action and access to water in rural Kenya. Social Science and Medicine,119: 147-4.