Brazzaville, 6 December 2012 - The World Health Organization (WHO) has called upon countries of the WHO African Region to use research to promote knowledge and strengthen health action in order to improve human health.

The call was made by Dr Bocar TOURE, the Director of the Cluster Health Systems and Services Strengthening of the WHO Regional Office for Africa, at the opening of a two-day meeting of EVIPNET, a leading and innovative WHO initiative on knowledge translation. Dr TOURE stressed the need to support the translation of research results into policy and action by establishing appropriate mechanisms and structures for evidence-based public health action.

‘’EVIPNET mission is to promote a network of partnership at national, regional and global levels among researchers, health system policy makers and other stakeholders to strengthen health systems and improve health outcomes through the regular access, assessment, adaptation and use of context-specific research evidence.’’

The meeting, attended by representatives of fourteen countries (*) of the African Region, WHO’s partners and experts, aims at taking stock of the functioning of the EVIPNET teams in countries,  identifying the factors which result in success and failure of the EVIPNET teams and areas for capacity building.

Participants at the meeting will also engage the process that would lead to the creation of a least another seven EVIPNET teams in the WHO African Region, discuss the sustainability of EVIPNET at both national and regional levels, and make suggestions on the priorities of the new Regional Research Strategy for Health.

Quoting an earlier statement by Dr Luis GOMES SAMBO, the WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr TOURE said: ‘’there is a deficiency of information and communication technology and mass Internet connectivity limiting capacities of national management information systems to generate, analyze and disseminate information for use in decision making.  

The Director of the Cluster Health Systems and Services Strengthening of the WHO Regional Office for Africa reminded the participants that the framework for the implementation of the Algiers Declaration on Research for Health in the African Region details how to translate the commitments into interventions and action at country level. The Declaration commits countries to, among others:

• Strengthen national health research, national information and knowledge management systems, coordination of research and south-south and north-south collaboration
• Support development and retention of human resources for research
• Establish appropriate mechanisms for scientific and ethical oversight of research for health, and
• Allocate at 2% of national health expenditure and at least 5% of external aid for health projects and programs to research and research capacity building.

‘’These challenges would only be adequately addressed through multi-sectoral collaboration, innovative approaches and the commitment of all stakeholders’’, said Dr TOURE. He commended seven EVIPNET teams for developing policy options and convening dialogue on artemisinin-based combination therapies to treat uncomplicated malaria.

‘’As a result, two countries (Burkina Faso and Cameroon) have changed their malaria treatment policies. We hope that in the next year we would be able to increase by at least five the number of recognized country teams.’’ 
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For more information, please contact:
Technical Contact: Peter Ndumbe -  ndumbep [at] afro.who.int; tél. : + 47-241-39158 
Media Contact: Flavienne Issembè -  issembef [at] afro.who.int; + 47-241-39352
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(*) Countries attending the meeting: Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cap-Verde, Central African Republic, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia