International collaborative research: a Colombian model that promotes infant health and research capacity

Current collaborative efforts in international research with resource-poor nations are frequently paternalistic and deprive these nations of the skills necessary to build independent research capacity. Resource-poor nations have become progressively suspicious of research endeavors originated in industrialized nations that have minimal impact on the health care needs of their populations. The current trend toward globalization requires that certain standards be established to guide these collaborative efforts to create strong partnerships that promote independent evidence-based health research. The objective of this paper is to present a comprehensive approach to health-related international collaborative research with resource-poor nations using as an example a model that has been developed in Colombia, South America.