| Summary |
The Report focuses on bridging of the know do gap, the gulf between what we know and what we do in practice, between scientific potential and health realization. The bridging of this gap is central to achieving the health-related Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015. The gap exists for each of the MDGs and represents a fundamental and pragmatic knowledge translation challenge that must be addressed to strengthen health systems performance towards achieving the MDGs.
The Report will expound the message that we must turn scientific knowledge into actions, which improves peoples health, and that health improvement through knowledge applications is a critical factor in human development and alleviation of ill-health and poverty worldwide.
The Report will be highlighted at the World Ministerial Summit on Health Research in Mexico (November 16-20, 2004).
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| More Details |
From penicillin to insulin, from antiseptics to anaesthesia and from X-
rays to magnetic resonance imaging, science has led to dramatic
improvements in health worldwide. With the sequencing of the human genome
complete, science is on the verge of discovering remarkable new ways to
diagnose, treat, prevent, and maybe even predict, human diseases. Yet all
is not well. HIV/AIDS, malaria, dengue and tuberculosis continue to wreak
havoc, new foes like the SARS and avian flu viruses appear, and old
scourges like polio remain recalcitrant enemies. Childhood infections and
maternal mortality ravage the developing world, which also has to deal
with increasing burdens of diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular disease.
Disparities and inequities in health remain major development challenges
in the new millennium - and malfunctioning health systems are at the heart
of the problem. Resource-poor countries struggle with creaking
infrastructure, inadequate financing, migrating doctors and nurses, and
lack of basic information on health indicators. Against a backdrop of
history and a description of current global health challenges, Knowledge
for Better Health takes stock of the state of global health research and
reaches the following conclusions: health research must be managed more
effectively if it is to contribute to strengthening health systems
increased investments are needed in health policy and systems research
public trust in science and scientists needs to be restored The Report
provides a compass to reorient the health research endeavour to respond
more effectively at national and global levels to contemporary public
health challenges. This reorientation requires strengthening health
research systems, creating an environment conducive to research-informed
policy and practice, and focusing on key priorities in health policy and
systems research. The Report's recommendations and action plan build on
the past achievements of health research and highlight particular elements
within health research systems that deserve special attention and closer
management in order to make even more progress in the future.
Knowing is not enough, we must apply willing is not enough, we must do- Goethe
In order to effectively deliver health care to deal with the
major health challenges of our times, health systems must develop a
culture of learning and problem-solving. Improvement will only come
through a commitment to systems thinking - the reality that health systems
consist of elements operating together to achieve a common goal - and by
reaching out beyond traditional scientific disciplines to enable
integration of innovation within the system. - Tim Evans, Assistant
Director General, WHO |
| Publication Webpage |
http://www.who.int/rpc/meetings/pub1/en/ |
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