Global health research priorities: mobilizing the developing world

Area of Science:

• Global Health
• Health Policy
• Research Priority Setting

Background:

• Setting research priorities is crucial for effective health investments.
• Low and middle-income countries (LMICs) often lack ownership in defining their research agendas.
• International aid for research and development (R&D) can create passive recipient dynamics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To address challenges in transparent, systematic, fair, and legitimate research priority setting.
• To explore methods for mobilizing LMICs to take greater ownership of their research policies.
• To present the Child Health and Nutrition Research initiative (CHNRI) methodology as a solution.

Main Methods:

• Review of the Child Health and Nutrition Research initiative (CHNRI) methodology.
• Analysis of numerous applications of the CHNRI methodology in diverse contexts.
• Examination of how the CHNRI methodology balances fundamental, translational, and implementation research.

Main Results:

• The CHNRI methodology is increasingly accepted as a feasible tool for priority setting in health research.
• It has evolved into a practical and systematic instrument for diverse settings.
• The methodology supports various research instruments, promoting a better balance across research types.

Conclusions:

• The CHNRI methodology can maximize health research potential to reduce disease burden and inequities.
• It is expected to find wide application in LMICs, fostering active definition of R&D priorities.
• This tool assists LMICs in leveraging their own experts to shape research agendas.