Bulletins

Partnership to strengthen health research in 15 West African Countries

Countries develop regional action plans

COHRED and the West African Health Organization (WAHO) have signed a cooperation agreement to support the region's 15 countries to increase the capacity of their research organisations to produce evidence that meets these populations' priority health needs.

The partnership kicked-off in January with a regional consultation between policy and research teams from countries in the region.

New PAHO-COHRED partnership

Texto en español abajo

New PAHO-COHRED partnership -- health research system support to countries

Geneva-Washington DC, October 22, 2009. Latin American countries will get support and useful information to improve health research and share knowledge and evidence; through an agreement signed this month by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and the Council Health Research for Development (COHRED).

Tanzania - alignment + harmonization

The most recent report in the ‘AHA’ series on Alignment and Harmonization of Health Research looks at the health research system in Tanzania.

This is a joint study by COHRED and the National Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) in Tanzania. It provides an overview of governance and management in the country’s health research system.

The report pays special attention to alignment and harmonization as a pathway to strengthen health research in the country and to sharpen the focus on national priorities.

Health Research in Latin America

An opinion article by Adolfo Martinez Palomo, general coordinator of the Science Council and Dr. Francisco Becerra Posada, Senior Consultant of COHRED for Latin America, was recently published in La Cronica de Hoy in Mexico. The article reviews important milestones in international health research and their impact on Latin America health research systems development.

Published in: La Crónica de Hoy, Mexico, 22 April, 2009. Year 13, Number 4591, Section Opinión, and Consulting Council on Sciences to the Presidency of Mexico

New COHRED Board Chair: Cheikh Mbacké

Senegalese population health researcher and past senior member of the Rockefeller Foundation's management will guide COHRED’s drive in national health research system development.

Call to Action G-20

Letter to the editor: Financial Times

G20 must invest in research for the health of the poorest

Sir,

Further to your editorial G20 must not forget the poorest, the Foundation Council of the Global Forum for Health Research, currently in session in Montevideo, Uruguay, urges the G20 to invest in research to improve the health of the poorest.

In the context of the current financial crisis, the Global Forum emphasises that:

Cameroon-COHRED Agreement

Cameroon and COHRED work supports better evidence for the health sector and better donor alignment with national priorities

World Health Assembly – Geneva, May 16, 2007. The importance of strong national systems in making health research more effective for improved population health has been confirmed today, with the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement between Ministry of Public Health the Republic of the Cameroon and the Council on Health Research for Development (COHRED), the international non-governmental organisation.

COHRED sessions Forum-11, Beijing – high-level meeting - research policy; equity; communication; Western Pacific country assessments.

DEVELOPING A POLICY FRAMEWORK

Discussion on best practices in health research policy development and implementation, with senior policy makers leading efforts in their countries.

COHRED hosts Global Forum on Bioethics in Research

The secretariat coordinates activities aimed at increasing learning and raising awareness on bioethics issues worldwide. It also manages an international fellowship programme with three fellows, from China, Australia and Canada.

A health research perspective on the African Regional Health Report

COHRED Research for Health Briefing 5 looks at the African Regional Health Report of the World Health Organization from a health research perspective. A synthesis of the key messages of the report and comment from a health research perspective.

COHRED welcomes seven new Board members

Welcome to:

Aissatou Toure Balde
Senegal
Institut Pasteur, Dakar

Annalize Fourie
South Africa/Ireland
Irish Aid, South Africa

Don de Savigny
Canada
Swiss Tropical Institute

Donald Simeon
Trinidad & Tobago
Caribbean Health Research Council

From Brain Drain to Brain Gain – practical approaches to building research talent in Africa

The debate on Human Resources for Health (HRH) is growing in importance in the international development community and is the theme of the WHO 2006 World Health Report. HRH has attracted much attention due to the large numbers of health care workers, medical staff and qualified doctors, trained in developing countries and hired to worked in health care systems in the North America and Europe.

African Health Ministers Communique on Health Research

COHRED and Global Forum consultancy to develop partnership and joint ventures - Call for Proposals

Consultancy to develop partnership and joint ventures

The Council on Health Research for Development (COHRED) and the Global Forum for Health Research ('Global Forum') are two independent foundations with headquarters in Geneva. The two organizations share common goals in encouraging, promoting and facilitating more research that focuses on the health needs of people in developing countries and contributes to improving the health status of poor, disadvantaged and marginalized people everywhere.

We're moving offices - new address

c/o Ecumenical Centre/Centre Oecuménique
1-5 Route des Morillons
1211 Geneva
Switzerland

Telephone and fax numbers are unchanged

Tel + 41 22 591 89 00
Fax + 41 22 591 89 10

HR-HR - Human Resources for Health Research: An African Perspective Expert consultation

‘HR-HR’ Human Resources for Health Research: an African Perspective The HR-HR Africa process aims to provide an action-oriented and holistic look at human resources needs in a health research context. The HR-HR expert meeting (Nairobi, July 2-5, 2006) will consider important facets of human resources that are generally not considered. Four multi-country teams will generate new thinking around four core themes:

By Carel Ijsselmuiden

Last month Uganda held its maiden President's Science Awards ceremony as a significant effort in recognising the often unsung heroes in the sciences.

President Museveni pledged that the country's scientists would receive higher remuneration compared to other public servants, partly to discourage them from seeking a higher salary abroad.

Like Uganda, many African and Asian countries have suffered the loss of health care workers such as nurses to northern labour markets in the past decade. The health research sector faces the same realities.

Debate on Health Research at the 59th World Health Assembly Research for Health Briefing 3, June 2006.

The 59th World Health Assembly (WHA) took place in Geneva from 22 to 27 May 2006. Following up from the Executive Board discussions of last January, health research was addressed in two points of the WHA agenda: “Intellectual Property Rights” (agenda item 11.11) and “WHO’s Role and Responsibilities in Health Research” (11.13).

NEPAD-COHRED partnership - more health research in Africa by African institutes.

More funding must go directly to African countries for research on their health priorities, done by African organizations and their researchers! This is the goal of the partnership between NEPAD – the New Partnership for Africa’s Development, and COHRED – the Council on Health Research for Development. The two organizations are intensifying efforts with African countries to significantly improve their capacity and systems for doing health research over the coming five years. The ultimate goal of this effort is the generation of more African-based health research.

COHRED and the Global Forum for Health Research

The Council on Health Research for Development (COHRED) and the Global Forum for Health Research have taken a further step in building their partnership, with the agreement by the management of both organizations to further integrate their activities and programmes of work.

Call for partners