Assessing Health Research Capacity in Low and Middle Income Countries
Author Information
Author(s): Tugwell P, Sitthi-Amorn C, Hatcher-Roberts J, Neufeld V, Makara P, Munoz F, Czerny P, Robinson V, Nuyens Y, Okello D
Primary Institution: Centre for Global Health, Institute for Population Health, University of Ottawa
Hypothesis
What is the capacity and commitment of low and middle income countries for equity-oriented research?
Conclusion
Only one out of 12 countries indicated there was research on all fronts of the equity debate, highlighting the need for improved knowledge sharing and management.
Supporting Evidence
- Most countries reported explicit national health research priorities.
- Half of the countries included specific research priorities to address inequities in health.
- Seven out of 12 countries demonstrated impact of health research on policies.
Takeaway
The study looked at how well countries are doing research to help everyone be healthy, especially those who are struggling. It found that many countries need to do better.
Methodology
A multi-disciplinary team developed a questionnaire and surveyed three countries from each of four regions using a mini-Delphi technique.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to reliance on key informants and subjective assessments.
Limitations
The study only included 12 countries, which limits the generalizability of the findings.
Participant Demographics
Countries surveyed included low and middle income countries from Asia, Latin America, Africa, and Central and Eastern Europe.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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