Upadata on "Global Ministerial Forum on Research for Health" (Bamako 2008)- agenda item 3.4.2

______________________________________________ Thirtieth Session of WHO South-East Asia Advisory Committee on Health Research Jakarta, Indonesia, 14-16 March 2007 SEA/ACHR/30/9 05 March 2007 Agenda Item 3.4.2 UPDATE ON “GLOBAL MINISTERIAL FORUM ON RESEARCH FOR HEALTH” (BAMAKO 2008) 1 GLOBAL MINISTERIAL FORUM ON RESEARCH FOR HEALTH BAMAKO, MALI, NOVEMBER 17-20, 2008 Strengthening Research for Health, Development and Equity The 2008 Global Ministerial Forum on Research for Health is a joint initiative between COHRED, Global Forum for Health Research, UNESCO, WHO, World Bank and the Government of Mali. This global conference will be held in Bamako, Mali, between 17 and 20 November 2008. The 2008 ministerial forum will bring together around 1000 participants including ministers, scientists, academics, representatives from research funding agencies and civil society, and the private sector. The objectives of the meeting are: • Developing coherence and co-ordination at global and at national levels between the many different stakeholders in research and innovation for health • Empowering national governments to develop research for health, in a structured and prioritized way, as a part of the broader research system • Enabling and strengthening national capacities for knowledge management, research governance and evidence-based policy-making • Promoting public confidence in the research for health endeavour, and supporting the partic ipation of civil society organiz ations in setting the research agenda • Agreeing on indicators and methodologies to monitor global initiatives and partnerships on research for health, to measure impact and to increase accountability 2 The orientation of the forum towards "research for health" reflects the need for health research to be more closely linked with ongoing developments in science, technology and innovation, with the broader research community in health, education, food and agriculture , and with research on the social determinants of health. The 2008 Global Ministerial Forum on Research for Health is the culmination of nearly 20 years of global efforts to focus research towards improving the health of the poor. In 1990, the Commission on Health Research for Development estimated that only 10% of health research was focused on the factors accounting for 90% of the global burden of disease. In 2000, the First International Conference on Health Research for Development was organized in Bangkok, Thailand, to review changes over the decade. In 2004, the Ministerial Summit on Health Research was held in Mexico, in conjunction with the Global Forum for Health Research Forum 8. On this high-profile occasion, the Ministers of Health attending issued a statement calling on national governments to commit to fund the necessary health research to ensure vibrant health systems and reduce inequity and social injustice. Much remains to be done. The 2008 Global Ministerial Forum on Research for Health aims to review progress since Mexico, to tackle current challenges and to place health research within the wider context of research for development. The breadth of the theme "research for health" will be reflected in the engagement that the conference generates between health, science and technology, education, food and agriculture, and other sectors; involving government, civil society and the private sector; and among countries and development partners locally, regionally and globally. Within the overall perspective, which ranges from global to local, particular attention will be paid to research for health in the African context. 3 For more information, please visit our website at http://www.bamako2008.org Contact us: 2008 Global Ministerial Forum on Research for Health Bamako 2008 Secretariat World Health Organisation 20, Avenue Appia, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland Phone: +41 22 791 4355 e-mail: secretariat@bamako2008.org O:\dpmo\2007\30 ACHR\Working Papers\SEA-ACHR-30-9_Update on Global Ministerial Forum on Research for Health-Bamako2008_5 March 07.doc