Health policy and systems research strategy launched
The first global strategy on health policy and systems research was launched by the World Health Organization at the Second Global Symposium on Health Systems Research in Beijing 1 November. The document is designed to unify the worlds of research and decision-making, contribute to a broader understanding of the field, and call for a more prominent role for this type of research.
WHO Assistant Director General in charge of Health Systems and Innovation, Marie-Paule Kieny, told the more than 1800 Symposium participants, “We are at an important turning point in the field of global health and the first step towards achieving the goals of universal health coverage must be a change in mindsets. We must re-evaluate how research is generated and used to inform decision making and we must as a community ̶ of researchers, decision makers, civil society ̶ work together to embed research, and evidence, into decision-making. We must do this together in order for our actions to make a difference.”
The strategy calls for embedding the research into the domains of policy-making and implementation, encouraging active engagement among the various stakeholders and ultimately improving national health systems.
The document offers 9 case studies and 6 options for actions, which include:
- Embed research within decision-making processes.
- Support demand-driven research.
- Strengthen capacity for research and use of evidence.
- Establish repositories of knowledge.
- Improve the efficiency of investments in research.
- Increase accountability for actions.
For more information, please contact:
Jamie Guth
TDR Communications Manager
Telephone: +41 79 441 2289
E-mail: guthj@who.int