Maarten Voors is specialised in economic research in areas of former conflict in, among others, Sierra Leone, Burundi, Liberia and Congo. ‘From a scientific perspective, I am particularly interested in how people, organisations and governments make choices. For governments, development organisations and businesses interested in setting up projects or policies, it is critical to know how people deal with certain issues, to predict the outcome of their efforts. Our research on impact can contribute significantly to the development of robust strategies to improve the living circumstances of people.’
It is more difficult to mitigate an outbreak of a contagious disease if the government and health care system is distrusted. Wageningen development economists studied the effects of deploying community leaders and local clinics in Sierra Leone during the ebola epidemic. They noted that investing in a good relationship with…