RECENT PROJECTS

COVID-19 CRISIS AND THE INFORMAL ECONOMY STUDY

The study conducted by WIEGO and funded by IDRC captures changes in the lives of informal workers across the different stages of the crisis. I contributed to the survey design, data management and analysis for the two rounds of surveys done in 2020 and 2021.

OPTIMISING CORONAVIRUS TESTING SYSTEMS (OCTS)

The project aims to understand how these systems were established, their functioning, and lessons for the future, in order to enable policy that could reduce mortality rates, improve healthcare resources, and reduce the impact of the current pandemic and future epidemics. I conducted quantitative analysis using secondary data to explore the impact of testing systems on excess mortality (work in progress).

BELLHAVEN HARM REDUCTION CENTRE

The BHRC has its roots in COVID-19 lockdown and now runs seven days a week providing services to roughly 200 homeless people with an opioid use disorder, a successful collaboration between Urban Futures Centre at Durban University of Technology and eThekwini Municipality, Advance Access and Delivery, TB HIV Care, South African Network of People Who Use Drugs. I contributed to the project by analysing the programme's retention rates, designed a survey to explore the impact on life quality and performed the statistical analysis of the survey data (work in progress).

Projects: List

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

See more here

Martha Alter Chen, E., 2022. WIDER Working Paper 2022/45-COVID-19 and informal work: Degrees and pathways of impact in 11 cities around the world, United Nations University World Institute for Development Economics Research. Retrieved from https://policycommons.net/artifacts/2391158/wider-working-paper-202245-covid-19-and-informal-work/3412587/ on 07 Aug 2022. CID: 20.500.12592/jj4j4z.

Alter Chen, M. et al (2022) 'COVID-19 and informal work: Evidence From 11 cities', Internal Labour Review, DOI: 10.1111/ilr.12221

Posel D., Casale D. and Grapsa E. (2020) Household variation and inequality: the implications of equivalence scales in South Africa. African Review of Economics and Finance 12 (1): 102-122.

Grapsa E., Mncwango B. and Rogan M. (2019) Education and skills mismatch in the South African labour market. In: Rogan M. (Ed.) Post-school education and the labour market in South Africa. HSRC Press, Cape Town.

Grapsa E. and Ghio D. (2018) Future demographic trends in sub-Saharan Africa. In: Lutz W., Goujon A., Stonawski M., Stilianakis N. (Eds.) Demographic and Human Capital Scenarios for the 21st Century: 2018 assessment for 201 countries. Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg, doi:10.2760/41776.

Posel D., Grapsa E. (2017) Time to learn? Time allocations among children in South Africa. International Journal of Educational Development 56: 1-10.

Grapsa, E. (2017) How well matched are South African workers? A comprehensive analysis of education and skills mismatch, LMIP Publication, Human Sciences Research Council, Pretoria. www.lmip.org.za

Posel D., Casale D., Grapsa E. (2016) Re-estimating gender differences in income in South Africa: The implications of equivalence scales. Development Southern Africa 33 (4): 425-441.

Tanser F., Bärnighausen T., Grapsa E., Newell M.L. (2013) High coverage of ART associated with decline in risk of HIV acquisition in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Science 339: 966-971.

Projects: List