Levels of System Development
Political commitment to research for health is a prerequisite for optimal development of a national health research system (NHRS).
If this does not yet exist in a country, COHRED’s first focus will be to help the country develop this political support. This is done through advocacy and communication efforts or, for example, by creating links between country partners and neighbouring countries who are creating a system for health research.
With this in place, the next level of NHRS development is to build the foundations of a health research system, consisting of:
- health research priorities that are credibly set and regularly updated
- a health research policy framework
- mechanisms and structures for national research management.
When these elements are in place, the country can start developing:
- a plan for human resources for health research, aligned to national priorities
- a plan for research financing, which is stable and predictable and aligned to national priorities
- other system components such as ethics, science communication, institution building.
