Staff Profile

Associate Professor Jo Vearey

Urban health, migration, informal settlements, HIV, local government, sex work

J o Vearey is an urban public health researcher with an interest in migration and health, social determinants of health, HIV, sex work, and local level responses. She is a Senior Researcher with the African Centre for Migration & Society, University of the Witwatersrand, where she is involved in designing and coordinating research programmes, teaching and supervising graduate students. Jo holds a Senior Fellowship at the Center for Peace, Democracy and Development, McCormack Graduate School of Policy and Global Studies, University of Massachusetts, Boston. In 2012, Jo was rated by the National Research Foundation and in 2014 was awarded a Friedel Sellschop Award from the University of the Witwatersrand, and elected to the South African Young Academy of Science.

GRAD4042/5087/7052: The Psychosocial and Health Consequences of Forced Migration

Publications

Peer-reviewed journal articles

• Vearey, J. (2014) Healthy migration: A public health and development imperative for south(ern) Africa South African Medical Journal 104(10) 663-664
• Myroniuk, T. W and Vearey, J. (2014) Social Capital and Livelihoods in Johannesburg: Differential Advantages and Unexpected Outcomes among Internal Migrants, Foreign-Born Migrants, and Long-Term South African Residents.  International Migration Review 48(1) 243-273
• Kamndaya, M.,Thomas, L., Vearey, J., Sartorius, B. and Kazembe, L. (2014) Material Deprivation affects High Sexual Risk Behavior among Young People in Urban Slums, South Africa.  Journal of Urban: Health Bulletin of the New York Academy of Medicine 91(3):581-91. doi: 10.1007/s11524-013-9856-1.
• Vearey, J. (2013) HIV, population mobility, and the post-conflict nexus: unpacking complexity International Peacekeeping (20)4  439-449 DOI:10.1080/13533312.2013.846135
• Drimie, S., Faber, M., Vearey, J. and Nunez, L. (2012)  Dietary diversity of formal and informal residents in Johannesburg, South Africa  BMC Public Health  13:911  doi:10.1186/1471-2458-13-911
• El-Khatib, Z., Scales, D., Vearey, J. and Forsberg, B. (2013) Syrian Refugees: between rocky crisis in Syria and hard inaccessibility to healthcare services in Lebanon and Jordan. Conflict and Health 7(18) DOI: 10.1186/1752-1505-7-18
• Richter, M., Chersich, M., Vearey, J., Sartorius, B., Temmerman, M. and Luchters, S. (2012) Migration Status, Work Conditions and Health Utilization of Female Sex Workers in Three South African Cities. J Immig Minor Health DOI 10.1007/s10903-012-9758-4
• Vearey, J. (2012) Sampling in an Urban Environment:  Overcoming Complexities and Capturing Differences Journal of Refugee Studies doi: 10.1093/jrs/fes032
• Vearey, J., Nunez, L., Richter, M. and Moyo, K. (2011) HIV prevention in the workplace and beyond: the importance of engaging with migration, urban livelihoods and the informal economy in South Africa. African Journal of AIDS Research 10 (supplement): 381-391 
• Vearey, J. (2011) Challenging urban health: towards an improved local government response to migration, informal settlements and HIV in Johannesburg, South Africa Global Health Action 4: 5898 - DOI: 10.3402/gha.v4i0.5898 
• Vearey, J. (2011) Learning from HIV: exploring migration and health in South Africa Global Public Health DOI: 10.1080/17441692.2010.549494 
• Nunez, L., Vearey, J. and Drimie, S. (2011) Who cares? The impact of HIV-related sickness on migration patterns in South Africa Gender and Development 19 (1) 105 - 114 
• Vearey, J., Palmary, I., Thomas, L., Nunez L. and Drimie, S. (2010) Urban health in Johannesburg: the importance of place in understanding intra-urban inequalities in a context of migration and HIV Health and Place 16 694 - 702 
• Vearey, J. (2010) Hidden spaces and urban health: exploring the tactics of rural migrants navigating the City of Gold Urban Forum 21 37-53 
• McCarthy, K., Chersich, M. F., Vearey, J., Meyer-Rath, G., Jaffer, A. Simpwalo, S. and Venter, W.D.F. (2009) Good treatment outcomes among foreigners receiving antiretroviral therapy in Johannesburg, South Africa International Journal of STD and AIDS 20 858-862 
• Vearey, J. (2008) Migration, access to ART and survivalist livelihood strategies in Johannesburg African Journal of AIDS Research 7(3) 361-374 

 

Book chapters

• Vearey, J. and Richter, M. (in press) A World Class African host for whom? Implications of hosting the 2010 Soccer World Cup on the lived experiences of migrant sex workers in Johannesburg, South Africa.  In: Bonini Lessing, E. (ed) Design practices for urban safety and security.  Il Poligrafo:  Padova
• Oliveira, E. and Vearey, J. (in press) ‘Know me! But, remember that this is only part of who I am’: a participatory photo research project with migrant women sex workers in inner-city Johannesburg, South Africa.  In: Arnold, M. and Meskimmon, M.  (eds) Homeland:  Migration, Women, Citizenship. Liverpool University Press: Liverpool
• Vearey, J. (2013) Migration, urban health and inequality in Johannesburg.  In:  Migration and Inequality.  Bastia, T. (ed).  Routledge: London
• Vearey, J., Richter, M. and Oliveira, E.  (2012) Legal Aspects of Palliative Care: Chapter 10 - Marginalised Groups (including migrants, refugees, asylum seekers, sex workers, prison populations, LGBT people, access to ART).  In:  Boucher, S., Cameron, S., Colgan, D. and Nieuwmeyer, S. Legal Aspects of Palliative Care.  Hospice Palliative Care Association of South Africa & Open Society Foundation South Africa:  Cape Town
• Vearey, J. (2011) Chapter 5: Migration and health in South Africa: implications for development. In: Segatti, A. and Landau, L. (eds) Contemporary Migration to South Africa: A Regional Development Issue. World Bank and AFD. The World Bank: Washington DC 

 

Working papers and additional publications

• African Centre for Migration & Society, Lawyers for Human Rights, SECTION27 and PASSOP (2014)  Report on the conditions in the Lindela Detention Centre.  South African Human Rights Commission: Johannesburg.
• Vearey, J., Oliveira, E., Madzimure, T. and Ntini, B.  (2011) Working the City:  experiences of migrant women in inner-city Johannesburg  African Media and Diversity Journal 9 228 – 233
• Vearey, J. and Nunez, L. (2011) Towards improving forced migrant access to health and psychosocial rights in urban South Africa - a focus on Johannesburg. Migration Issue Brief #8. African Centre for Migration & Society, University of the Witwatersrand. 
• Vearey, J. and Wilhelm-Solomon, M. (2011) Deportation and Public Health: Concerns around the ending of the Zimbabwean Documentation Process. Migration Issue Brief #9. African Centre for Migration & Society, University of the Witwatersrand. 
• Vearey, J., Oliveira, E., Madzimure, T. and Ntini, B. (2011) Working the City: experiences of migrant women in inner-city Johannesburg African Media and Diversity Journal 9 228 - 233 
• Vearey, J., Wheeler, B. and Jurgens-Bleeker, S. (2011) Migration and Health in SADC - A review of the literature. International Organization for Migration, Pretoria, South Africa. 
• Vearey, J. (2010) Migration and Health Delivery Systems in Southern Africa OPENSPACE (Journal of the Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa) 3 (3) 
• Vearey, J. and Nunez, L. (2010) Migration and health in South Africa: A review of the current situation and recommendations for achieving the World Health Assembly Resolution on the Health of Migrants. International Organization for Migration, Pretoria and FMSP, Wits. 
• Collinson, M., Vearey, J., Bocquier, P., Drimie, S. and Quinlan, T. (2010) Reaching the invisible: hidden links of ill health between South Africa's cities and rural areas. Paper presented at the conference Overcoming inequality and structural poverty in South Africa: Towards inclusive growth and development, Johannesburg, September 2010 
• Vearey, J. (2010) Input paper for the Halogen Learning Event on Local Government Responses to HIV and AIDS in Southern and East Africa, Centurion, September 2010 
• Vearey, J. and Nunez, L. (2010) Migration and health in South Africa. Background paper produced for IOM/FMSP/UNAIDS/NDOH National Consultation on Migration and Health, Centurion, April 2010 
• Nunez, L., Vearey, J. and Drimie, S. (2010) Who cares? The impact of HIV-related sickness on migration patterns in South Africa. Urban Health in sub-Saharan Africa, Mali, 13th - 16th January 2010. 
• Vearey, J. (2009) Urban health, migration, HIV and access to treatment: a cross-sectional study assessing non-citizen access to ART in Johannesburg, South Africa. Forced Migration Studies Programme, Wits. 
•  Vearey, J. (2008) Displacement of non-nationals: the need to ensure continued access to ART Southern African Clinicians Society Newsletter - Transcript June 2008. 
• Vearey, J. (2008) The responsibility to protect and the need to affect change: undocumented migrants, research ethics and methodology Presented at the In Search of Solutions: Methods, Movements and Undocumented Migrants in Africa, 3rd - 4th July 2008.
• Vearey, J. (2008) The right to health: assessing non-citizen access to antiretroviral treatment in inner-city Johannesburg. AAAO Newsletter: May 2008. 
• Vearey, J., Thomas, L. and Mahlangu, P. (2008) Vulnerability in the context of HIV: the role of local government, Background paper presented for discussion at the Local Government and HIV Research Network Meeting, 16th July 2008, MRC HIV and Development, Centre for Health Policy, WITS. Research reports 
• Vearey, J., Nunez, L. and Lakika, D. (2011) CSVR. Exploring the psychosocial and health rights of forced migrants in Johannesburg. Research report. CSVR & ACMS. 
• Vearey, J., Oliveira, E., Wilhelm-Solomon, M., and Mahati, S. (2011) A review of migrant and mobile populations within border areas of SADC: Implications for HIV prevention programming. Soul City & ACMS. 
• (2010, 2009, 2008, 2007) Contributed to: Protecting Refugees, Asylum Seekers and Immigrants in South Africa, Consortium for Refugees and Migrants in South Africa, Johannesburg. 
• Vearey, J. , Nunez, L. and Palmary, I. (2009) HIV, migration and urban food security: exploring the linkages. Regional Network on AIDS, Livelihoods and Food Security (RENEWAL). South Africa Report. Forced Migration Studies Programme, University of the Witwatersrand and RENEWAL/IFPRI. 
• Vearey, J., Thomas, L. and Mporetji, S. (2008) Joburg Connections: an integrated community approach to addressing HIV/AIDS. Evaluation Report. 
• Vearey, J. and Richter, M. (2008) Challenges to the successful implementation of policy to protect the right of access to health for all in South Africa. Report to Dr Patrick Maduna Chief of Services: Gauteng Department of Health 3 June 2008. (2008) Contributed to: Protecting refugees and asylum seekers in South Africa, Consortium for Refugees and Migrants in South Africa, Johannesburg. 
• Vearey, J. and Palmary, I. (2007) Assessing non-citizen access to antiretroviral therapy in Johannesburg. FMSP, University of the Witwatersrand.