Brazzaville, 19 November 2011 -- The African Advisory Committee on Health Research and Development (AACHRD) has recommended critical areas for action by the World Health Organization (WHO) in developing a regional response to research priorities in countries in the WHO African Region.

The recommendations were made at the end of the 25th session of the African Advisory Committee on Health Research (AACHRD which met from 17-19 November in Brazzaville, Congo.

Specifically the recommendations include regulation and governance; fostering the culture of research and research coordination collaboration, collaboration and harmonization. The others areas are capacity building and funding support for health research activities and initiatives.

Regulation and Governance

The Expert group recommended that the WHO Regional Office for Africa should, among other actions, lead the process to develop a regional policy and strategic framework on research regulation and governance in the region. In addition, attention should be paid to establishing and strengthening the capacity of regulatory and ethics bodies at country level, and harmonizing existing knowledge and practice of regulation within and among countries.

Fostering the culture of research

Actions to be undertaken to foster a culture of research in the Region include advocacy and support to countries to implement commitments to health research such as are contained in the Algiers and Bamako Declarations.

Other recommendations for action in this domain include establishing national and regional awards for innovative response to research, developing national research agendas, and setting priorities which respond to research needs of countries. Also, WHO country offices should be strengthened to support Member States in developing and integrating national agendas and plans.

Research Coordination, collaboration and Harmonization

The committee's recommendations for action in this area include: encouraging regional use of existing research infrastructure and resources; consolidating, updating and making accessible existing databases on research resources in Africa; putting in place effective communication mechanisms among countries, and facilitating the establishment of mechanisms that strengthen collaboration and linkages between research institutes, countries, regional and global stakeholders.

Capacity Building

On capacity building, the Committee recommended advocacy for provision of research infrastructure; support for, and harmonization of, training for researchers and promoting collaboration between regional centres of excellence.

Other recommendations related to capacity building are strengthening capacity for research in national ministries of health; and supporting countries to develop mechanisms that: build capacity for young scientists, support researchers to continue and grow in research output, and mainstream research practice that responds to country needs in non-traditional research areas.

Funding Support

The committee's recommendations in the area of funding support include: advocacy for Governments to commit 2% of national budgets to research and development of other innovative ways of leveraging funds locally, reducing dependence on donors.

The others are: support to governments to align funding allocations to national research priorities, advocacy for equitable and transparent distribution of available funds; support for government initiatives that address competing products in the market, and encouraging purposeful spending on innovative research for health development.

The 25th session of the (AACHRD was attended by experts and partners from 17 countries. Notable among the partners were AMP, EDCTP, FIC/NIH, IDRC, COHRED and NEPAD.

Note to Editors

The African Advisory Committee on Health Research and Development (AACHRD) multidisciplinary and multisectoral Committee, whose composition and terms of reference were revised in 2011, was set up in 1979. Its mandate is to help the WHO Regional Office for Africa contribute to WHO's second core function of "shaping the research agenda and stimulating the generation, translation and dissemination of valuable knowledge".

Related links

Algiers Declaration on Research for Health in Africa

The Bamako call to action on research for health

Ouagadougou Declaration on Primary Health Care and Health Systems.

For more information, please contact:

Technical contact:

Dr Peter Ndumbe – Tel: +47 241 39158 – E-mail: ndumbep [at] afro.who.int

Media contact:

Samuel Ajibola – Tel : +47 241 39378 – E-mail: ajibolas [at] afro.who.int