Advisory Committee on Health Research. A review of its contibutions to health and research for Health in the Americas 2009-2015

Abstract

[Introduction]. The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has constantly evolved throughout its 115 years of existence in order to adequately and effectively respond to the pressing health needs of the Americas, often in the direction of recommendations from the Advisory Committee on Health Research as summarized in Advisory Committee on Health Research: A historical review of its contributions to health, health care and health policies 1962-2008. PAHO has made significant strides in health throughout the Americas (such as the near eradication of several infectious and non-communicable diseases) that were heavily influenced by ACHR/CAIS and its support for research and evidence-based policy. In the period until 2008, ACHR/CAIS spearheaded initiatives to guide PASB in promoting and formalizing research with emphasis on needs assessments and priority setting (1, 2). Since the approval of the Policy on Research for Health in 2009, ACHR/CAIS’s recommendations and subsequent progress have been directly related to the creation, adoption and implementation of PAHO’s Policy on Research for Health (hereafter referred to as the “Policy”). The formulation of the Policy was directly supported by ACHR/CAIS and partnerships were immediately consolidated to support the Policy implementation. As depicted in Figure 1 (4), the Policy and other initiatives strengthen various components of national research systems in order to support health systems, influence determinants and attain the ultimate goal of a healthier population. It is important to note that knowledge translation –the integration of scientific research and other forms of evidence with policies and actions for health, serves as the driving force in this systems approach to technical cooperation. This ratified document was approved by all Member States at the 49th Directing Council and became the first regional policy of its kind; the Policy also predated and contributed to WHO’s Strategy for Research on Health (A63/22) which was approved at the World Health Assembly in 2010...