Institutions
Qualifications and capacity for the Centre’s role: The Centre is currently coordinating the 6th Framework INCO-project SUPPORT, which aims to improve evidence-informed decision-making in maternal and child health in LMIC. The Centre coordinated the EC projects PRACTIHC and ReBEQI, and was a partner in CPP, AFROIMPLEMENT and EUR-Assess. It hosts the Norwegian branch of the international Cochrane Collaboration and a satellite of the Cochrane Collaboration’s Effective Practice and Organisation of Care Group that is responsible for providing support to LMIC.
Experience and knowledge of the Centre: The work of the Centre includes research into how evidence is used in health policy development, how to help policymakers to use evidence, systematic reviews, health technology assessment, clinical practice guidelines, policy briefs, health systems research using quantitative methods (including cluster randomised trials, and interrupted time series analyses) and qualitative methods, evidence-informed health policy and evidence-based healthcare workshops, training and support, consumer involvement, research methodology, and software development
Qualifications, capacity and experience. The Health Policy and Information Technology Research Institute is part of the Sichuan Medical Science Academy. As a comprehensive institute for medical science research, the Sichuan Medical Science Academy keeps close contact and has extensive cooperation with many national and provincial academic institutes. It develops joint programs with Sichuan University, Luzhou Medical College and Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. It also keeps close cooperation with the Chinese Institute of Health Economics, National Natural Science Foundation of China and many provincial scientific and research institutes to carry out researches on clinical medical, health policy and health economics. Every year, it publishes more than 400 research papers on domestic and foreign medical journals. During recent ten years, it has been granted 64 scientific and technological achievements awards at national and provincial level.
The Health Policy and Information Technology Research Institute is the specialized research institute for Sichuan province’s health policy and health information. It has long and rich experience in health policy research. Research achievements have been transformed to health decision-making and health policy. In 2000, achievements of Research on Health Resources Density Index were used to formulate the Health Resources Allocation Standard of Sichuan and Sichuan provincial government has adopted the standard. In March 2001, under the subsidy of UNICEF, it coordinated a project of the Quantitative Analysis on Documents of Rural Medical Security System of China. Achievements of the project played a positive role in promoting the establishment of a new cooperative medical system in China. Other achievements include Sichuan Provincial Government subsidized project 'Study of Rapid Respond Directing Information System of Public Health Emergency' and 'Study of New Urban Health Service System ', etc. All these achievements and experiences make the Institute own strong background to conduct even more ambitious research program and capacity to take the task of coordination of multiple participants involved programs.
In its efforts to transform research results into policy, the Institute works with the Health Department of Sichuan. It works directly with health systems decision-makers, this ensures the Institute understands the policymakers’ needs quite well and thus could find out the very priority areas concerned by provincial policymakers and promote the relevance of the research synthesis and policymakers’ use of such evidence. The institute organizes various experts as Sichuan Health Policy Expert Panel to provide knowledge support and policy recommendations on Sichuan regional health planning. Provincial experts and information resources are integrated by these expert panels to form an embryonic evidence-based network. Network members meet policymakers periodically and submit research synthesis reports timely to ensure the availability and timeliness of the research evidence. Thus combine health policy research with policy decision-making and help spread research achievements. The institute has long history cooperation with Chinese Cochrane Center and the two institutes have strong relationship in conducting studies, especially health policy related areas, using systematic review method.
The Institute owns excellent IT infrastructure and IT professionals and is devoted in developing Hospital Information Management System and provides technical support to Provincial Health Information Platform of Sichuan. In May 2003, the Institute organized and developed the Control Information System of Handling the Public Health Emergencies of Sichuan Province under the circumstances of controlling SARS.
The Institute has 17 research fellows among which 2 professors, 4 associate professors, thus form a mature discipline team covering area of Economics, Health Administration, Social Medicine, Information Technology and Health Statistics, etc. Via contacting relevant experts from universities, colleges and research institutions, Health Policy and Information Technology Research Institute possess perfect capacity to conduct health policy studies.
Qualifications, capacity and experience. The National Institute of Public Health (NIOPH) was established in 1999 as a national focal point for coordinating and implementing research and training activities in the health sector in Lao PDR. It is the advisory bureau of the Ministry of Health. Professor Boupha, its Director, was principal investigator of the first National Health Survey of 6600 households in 2000.
The NIOPH, in collaboration with Karolinska Institute of Sweden, have developed several health systems research projects to promote an evidence based National Drug Policy in Lao PDR. The collaboration with KI (Division of International Health) has been ongoing for about ten years and has resulted in a number of research reports and several internationally published articles. The NIOPH has a collaboration agreement for research and capacity building with the School of Public Health of Vietnam.
The NIOPH, in collaboration with the Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Laos conducted several capacity building initiatives, such as the Training Need Assessment (TNA) for long term training course of Master degree in Public Health in Lao language, for short-term training for district health personnel, capacity building for provincial health managers in strategic health management, as well as research to inform the first phase of Health Development Projects in Lahanam zone, Songkhone district, Savannakhet province in Lao PDR.
Qualifications and capacity: Makerere University represents REACH in the project, as well as bringing to the project the medical faculty's strengths as a regional academic centre of excellence and research centre. All five countries in the EAC (Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi) will be actively involved in the project. The Faculty of Medicine at Makerere University is renown as a regional center of academic excellence in research and health professional education inn sub-Saharan Africa with capacity to provide leadership and coordination. It was instrumental in coordinating and leading the planning process resulting in REACH and its eventual implementation. There is a strong commitment and interest in moving this process further through SURE, capitalizing on the expertise that exists not only in the schools of Medicine and Public Health at Makerere University, but also in the Ministry of Health and its research institutes and other university departments. The proposed work will be supported by the REACH-Policy regional hub in Arusha, Tanzania and the country hubs located in KEMRI in Kenya, NIMR in Tanzania, and UNHRO in Uganda, including their senior policy and research analysts. In addition to its involvement in REACH, the Faculty of Medicine at Makerere has collaborated on many multi-country projects involving institutions across Africa, in Europe and North America. It has also been the home of groundbreaking research of public health importance and has actively participated in translating such important research results into health policy.
Experience and knowledge: Since 2004 Makerere University, Faculty of Medicine has been a driving force and at the forefront of the formation of the REACH-Policy initiative of the East African Community. Different players at Makerere have played critical roles at different times in this process. The key players have been Prof Nelson Sewankambo and Mrs Harriet Batuma. Makerere University has been the location of studies of major public health importance which have impacted on health policies. Recent examples include the use of Nevirapine in the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, the change from chloroquine as the first line drug for the treatment of malaria due to the emergence of resistance, and currently the movement towards implementation of circumcision as a preventive measure for HIV acquisition among HIV negative males. On the same campus the School of Public Health at Makerere is the recipient of a grant from the Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research (AHPSR) to establish a centre for systematic reviews of health policy and systems research. This centre will compliment the efforts of the Faculty of Medicine through sharing of expertise.
Qualifications, capacity and experience: The Division of Health Operations Research is one of the 12 Departments in the Ministry of Public Health with the responsibility to coordinate, promote and conduct health research as well as knowledge translation within the health sector in Cameroon. It has led or has been actively involved in several disease control policy drafting exercises and health operations research projects such as Contracting Health Workers Performance at the District Level 2004-2005 (supported by the EU through EPOS), introducing HIV voluntary counselling and testing within TB clinics in Cameroon 2005-2006 (supported by the Global Fund), evaluating the acceptability and feasibility of mobile HIV voluntary counselling and testing Units 2005-2006, and creating synergies between HIV AIDS control activities and TB control activities in rural health districts. The Division leads the drafting of health research policy papers and is the main facilitator of the interaction between the Ministry of Public Health and Researchers in Cameroon. The Division has successfully conducted the mapping of the national health research system and the setting of national health research priorities. The Division is managing platforms that bring together stakeholders in the field of HIV/AIDS research, mycobacterial infections research, and reproductive health.
Ministère de la Santé, Burkina Faso (MS-BF)
Qualifications, capacity and experience: The Departmentof Studies andPlanning, is directly connected with the Secretary General of the Ministry of Health of Burkina Faso. It has among other responsibilities: planning of activities of the Ministry, research coordination, coordination of Ministerial cooperation, sanitary information of the Ministry, and documentation. It has 50 agents, including eight doctors, three economists, three jurists, health, and several health attachés. It has a health research service, which has responsibility for coordination and promotion of health research. The Department has a great deal of experience in the organisation of research activities, a documentary review on health research in Burkina Faso, implementation of dialogue among health research centres, managing a health research ethics committee, and development and implementation of a follow-up mechanism for recommendations based on research results
Qualifications, capacity and experience: The Departmentof Studies andPlanning, is directly connected with the Secretary General of the Ministry of Health of Burkina Faso. It has among other responsibilities: planning of activities of the Ministry, research coordination, coordination of Ministerial cooperation, sanitary information of the Ministry, and documentation. It has 50 agents, including eight doctors, three economists, three jurists, health, and several health attachés. It has a health research service, which has responsibility for coordination and promotion of health research. The Department has a great deal of experience in the organisation of research activities, a documentary review on health research in Burkina Faso, implementation of dialogue among health research centres, managing a health research ethics committee, and development and implementation of a follow-up mechanism for recommendations based on research results
Ethiopian Health & Nutrition Research Institute, Ethiopia (EHNRI)
Qualifications, capacity and experience: EHNRI is the research arm of the Ministry of Health of Ethiopia. Currently the Institute is facilitating and playing a leading role in the implementation of the Five Year Health Impact Evaluation of the overall combined impact that the Global Fund, domestic investments and other investors have achieved in reducing the burden of HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria. The Institute is also responsible for coordinating and strengthening the National Laboratory System in the country in response to the enormous effort being applied to ARV scale up, care and support of HIV/AIDS patients in the country. EHNRI is one of the major partners of the African Regional Capacity Building Network for HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and care project (ARCAN), sponsored by the World Bank. EHNRI has long standing research collaboration with many international organizations. The Ethio-Nezerlands AIDS Research Project (ENARP) is one of the best examples, which lasted for over a decade and studied the natural history of HIV and its epidemiology.
Qualifications, capacity and experience: EHNRI is the research arm of the Ministry of Health of Ethiopia. Currently the Institute is facilitating and playing a leading role in the implementation of the Five Year Health Impact Evaluation of the overall combined impact that the Global Fund, domestic investments and other investors have achieved in reducing the burden of HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria. The Institute is also responsible for coordinating and strengthening the National Laboratory System in the country in response to the enormous effort being applied to ARV scale up, care and support of HIV/AIDS patients in the country. EHNRI is one of the major partners of the African Regional Capacity Building Network for HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and care project (ARCAN), sponsored by the World Bank. EHNRI has long standing research collaboration with many international organizations. The Ethio-Nezerlands AIDS Research Project (ENARP) is one of the best examples, which lasted for over a decade and studied the natural history of HIV and its epidemiology.
Zambia Forum for Health Research (ZAMFOHR)
Qualifications, capacity and experience: The mission of ZAMFOHR is to harvest knowledge generated through health research and facilitate its translation and utilization in health policy formulation and practice. ZAMFOHR supported and participated in the Zambia National Health Research Conference in January 2007, with the theme of translating research into action. ZAMFOHR also organised a three-day workshop of some 30 participants on knowledge translation that covered systematic reviews and preparation of policy briefs. Currently the organization is preparing to facilitate a workshop on priority setting and project development for research on human resources for health
Ministéro da Saúde, Mozambique (MISAU)
Qualifications and capacity: MISAU leads the policy-making process in Mozambique and is responsible for the dissemination of research results in Mozambique. It hosts the National Directorate of Planning and Cooperation and the National Institute of Health. The former is responsible for the healthcare decision-making process while the National Institute of Health is responsible for public health research in Mozambique. The National Institute of Health collaborates with African Cochrane Collaboration Center in Cape Town, South Africa and researchers from the Ministry are working on Cochrane systematic reviews. MISAU is also involved with the EC FP6 SUPPORT project, is actively involved in production of evidence and its translation into policy and practice and has created a web-based knowledge-sharing resource and also publishes a regular newsletter and bulletin on health research and issues of importance to Mozambique
Qualifications and capacity: MISAU leads the policy-making process in Mozambique and is responsible for the dissemination of research results in Mozambique. It hosts the National Directorate of Planning and Cooperation and the National Institute of Health. The former is responsible for the healthcare decision-making process while the National Institute of Health is responsible for public health research in Mozambique. The National Institute of Health collaborates with African Cochrane Collaboration Center in Cape Town, South Africa and researchers from the Ministry are working on Cochrane systematic reviews. MISAU is also involved with the EC FP6 SUPPORT project, is actively involved in production of evidence and its translation into policy and practice and has created a web-based knowledge-sharing resource and also publishes a regular newsletter and bulletin on health research and issues of importance to Mozambique
Faculté des Sciences de la Santé, Centrafique (FACSS-RCA)
Qualifications, capacity and experience: FACSS, the faculty of health sciences, is the School of Medicine at the University of Bangui. The main objective of FACSS is toensuretraining of health workers (physicians, nurses, mid-wives, lab technicians) and to make them available for the Ministry of Public Health. In addition, FACSS participates in the elaboration of national health policy and promotes health research in the Central African Republic. The Faculty has a strong collaboration with the Ministry of Public Health, mainly in the area of ongoing training of health workers and in the area of health research. The Faculty is currently coordinating EVIPNEt-RCA, the national branch of the EVIPNet initiative in Africa, which aims to help policymakers to use evidence, systematic reviews and health technology assessments. Most of the members of EVIPNet-RCA (60%) come from academic staff of FACSS. They are experienced scientists who have been involved for many years in many health science studies. They will contribute to improving the quality of health decisions based on evidence
Qualifications, capacity and experience: IFR is a collection of collaborative units that gather research, laboratories or wards, while respecting their autonomy, around a single geographical site. The IFR 'Social sciences Economic and social of the Health' of Aix-Marseilles (SHESSAM-IFR 134) was created in 2004. The active units at IFR include Epidemiology and social sciences applied to the medical innovations, Regional Observatory of Health and the Institute of Research for the Development, Socio-anthropology of health. IFR carries out research on the problems of the systems of health in the developing countries, the economic and social inequalities in the health context, public policy regarding risk management in health care and program evaluation in healthcare. IFR works with national partners and international organisations such as the EC, WHO, ONUSIDA and the World Bank.
Qualifications, capacity and experience: KI is Sweden’s largest medical university with more than 600 research units comprising some 2800 research staff, and about 2500 postgraduate students. KI was rated among the top 10 European universities in 2004 by the Institute of Higher Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University. KI has around 400 contracts within EC Framework Programmes of which about 100 are or have been coordinated from KI.
The Division of International Health (IHCAR) is a well-recognized setting for international health research in Sweden. Some 30 researchers and 90 research students from 15 countries are divided into several research groups with competitively acquired independently financed projects. IHCAR’s professional diversity enables cross-cultural and interdisciplinary research. IHCAR has long experience of research projects in the health sector in low- and middle-income countries in Africa and Asia, providing policy recommendations for partners such as the WHO, UNDP, World bank, UNICEF and the EC. Qualitative and quantitative research methods are combined for studies in policy, gender aspects of access to care and health seeking behaviour for TB, maternal mortality, child care especially IMCI and evaluation of home-based treatment for malaria.
Qualifications, capacity and experience: MU is Canada’s most research-intensive university with the country’s highest proportion of research funding relative to its operating budget. The university's Faculty of Health Sciences’ reputation started with the foundation of its medical school -- with non-traditional small-group, problem-based learning tutorials since adopted by other programs around the world -- in the 1960s. The faculty’s Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics has a well established reputation in clinical epidemiology, health economics, and health policy analysis, among other fields. Department members pioneered the concept of evidence-based medicine, which was nominated in January 2007 by the readers of the BMJ as one of the top 15 most important medical breakthroughs. Since then department members have expanded the concept to evidence-informed health systems and, through the university’s Collaborations for Health initiative (and specifically the Knowledge Translation them), they have engaged collaborators from many other faculties on campus, including the Faculty of Social Sciences and the School of Business. Centres located within the department, such as the Centre for Health Economics and Policy Analysis (CHEPA), provide centres of excellence for both scholars and trainees with shared interests. CHEPA is a frequent contributor to many national and international health policy debates
Qualifications, capacity and experience: IHSR is one of seven research institution within the National Institutes of Health (NIH) under the MOH. It has a unique close link to health policy makers & managers, providing the opportunity of a seamless continuum from the planning & conduct of research, to the utilization of research findings. IHSR is a WHO Collaborating Centre for Health Systems Research and Quality Improvement.
IHSR has much experience in carrying out large research projects at national level that address health systems research needs of MOH, either independently or in collaboration with other international agencies such as the WHO, ASEM Trust Fund, Nihon University Population Research Institute, Japan and others. IHSR has contributed in the development, pilot-testing & implementation of international & regional studies such as the Strengthening of Structure & Functioning of Essential Public Health Functions in 3 countries in WPRO; WHO World Health Survey, WHO Health Research Systems Analysis, and presently with the WHO initiated Evidence-informed Policy Network in Asia (EVIPNet Asia) & with the World Bank on a comparative study to evaluate health system in Malaysia, Hong Kong & Sri Lanka.
With the broad experience in health research, IHSR was twice entrusted to plan and organize the health research priority setting exercises for two of the 5-year rolling health plans. The most recent experience was in 2006. IHSR supported the NIH Secretariat in organizing the prioritization process, documenting & publishing the results in the NIH website ( www.nih.gov.my ), organizing the calls for letters of intent & research proposal, managing peer review process & awarding research grants to successful bidders.
Qualifications, capacity and experience. Shandong University (SDU) is one of the oldest and prestigious universities in China. It was founded in 1901 and is the second national university established soon after Jingshi University (the Metropolitan University) in the country. In 2001, it was listed among the 21 national key construction first-class universities by the Ministry of Education. Founded in 1952, School of Public Health is one of 30 academic schools of SDU, it consists of 7 departments, 3 teaching labs, and 3 centres. The Epidemiology and Health Statistics program is selected as a Key Academic Discipline by the Ministry of Education for its academic strength and research outcomes. The Centre for Health Management and Policy is one of the lead institutions in China focusing on research and training programmes of health economics, health policy analysis, and development of health management instruments. The centre hosts the National Centre for Health Economics and Policy, and Centre for Health Care Cost Accounting and Analysis (Ministry of Health). Over the past decade, School of Public Health, SDU has conducted over 100 research projects, among them 40% are international collaborative projects. Though their efforts, abounding research fruits have been achieved and some of their activities have been internationally acknowledged through the collaboration with WHO and other international organization. The School has been involved with the WHO projects “Development of Evidence-informed Policy Network in Shandong, China” more than 3 years. The work includes research into how evidence is used in healthcare policymaking, effects of healthcare interventions, with emphasis on randomized controlled trials; trial methodology; barriers to rational decisions about healthcare and so on. Recently, the Centre for Health Management and Policy has become one of the 3 systematic review centres worldwide supported by Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research (HPSR) and WHO. Partner 4 has well established relation with partner 1, the Karolinska Institute.