Algiers, 23 June 2008 --The ministerial conference on research for health in the African Region got under way Monday in Algiers, Algeria, with a pledge by the World Health Organization (WHO) to assist Member States in the Region to reduce the knowledge gap – the gulf that exists between what we know and what we do in practice, between scientific potential and health outcomes.

“WHO is determined to make a significant contribution to the efforts made by governments and other stakeholders to reduce the knowledge gap to improve Africa’s health”, the Organization’s Regional Director for Africa, Dr Luis Sambo, told a meeting of regional experts and health ministers about to examine and adopt the Algiers Declaration.

The Declaration, which emphasizes strengthening of national systems for research for health, is part of the African Region’s contribution to the Global Forum on Health scheduled for 17 to 19  November in Bamako, Mali.

Noting the crucial role played by research in the generation of knowledge, development of technologies and evaluation of health programmes, Dr Sambo stated that the knowledge gap represented a fundamental challenge to research initiatives and implementation that must be addressed to strengthen health systems performance with a view to achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

On the role of governments in health development, the Regional Director said:

“It is important to stress that the achievement of internationally-agreed health-related development objectives, including the MDGs, is the responsibility of governments within the framework of their development policies and strategies.  This calls for mobilization and investment of more resources for strengthening national health research and the mechanisms needed for translating research results into concrete action.”

The conference, organized in plenary and parallel sessions, is discussing a range of topics, including governance and stewardship of national health research systems; ethical policies and practices regarding health research; financial flows and funding of national health systems; donor and institutional perspectives of financial flows; and human and physical resources.

Other topics slated for discussion are the management, dissemination and use of country health information data; training and movement of health research staff; institutional facilities and field sites;  production and use of research to improve health; and research output and knowledge systems. The Algiers Declaration will be discussed and adopted on 26 June.

More than 500 delegates are expected to take part in the conference which ends Thursday with the adoption of the Algiers Declaration. Participants include African ministers of health, education, science and technology; representatives of research institutes and universities within and without Africa; NGOs and African and international foundations, multilateral and bilateral aid organizations, including partners involved in the promotion and financing of information, knowledge and research in the field of health; and other eminent personalities.