Thirtieth Session of WHO South-East Asia Advisory Committee on Health Research, Address, 14-16 March 2007, Jakarta, Indonesia.

Address By Dr Samlee Plianbangchang Regional Director, WHO South-East Asia At Thirtieth Session of WHO South-East Asia Advisory Committee on Health Research 14-16 March 2007 Jakarta, Indonesia Thirtieth Session of WHO South-East Asia Advisory Committee on Health Research 14-16 March 2007 Jakarta, Indonesia, Address By DR SAMLEE PLIANBANGCHANG REGIONAL DIRECTOR, WHO SOUTH-EAST ASIA Your Excellency, Dr Siti Fadilah Supari, Minister of Health, Government of Indonesia; Dr Uton Muchtar Rafei, Regional Director Emeritus; Distinguished Members of the Advisory Committee on Health Research; Honourable Special Invitees; Honourable Guests; Ladies and Gentlemen: I warmly welcome you all to the 30th session of WHO South-East Asia Advisory Committee on Health Research. I thank Members of the committee and the special invitees for sparing their valuable time to attend the session. I am also glad to see our HQ colleagues who have made themselves available for the meeting. I thank them. This is another opportunity to take stock of what WHO has done during the recent past in health research in the South-East Asia Region. To be effective in our pursuit of health development, the relevant set of evidence is needed for the formulation of health policy and programmes. This evidence has to be generated through health research. The research that can help identify practical solutions to priority health problems being faced by Member States. Nevertheless, the availability of health research alone is not enough. It must be quality research to produce quality results. And for these results to have any impact on health, they must be properly utilized by policy makers, planners and managers. 2 To have quality research, we need competent staff and adequate funds. In this connection, our country capacity in health research needs strengthening, in both human and financial terms. Certainly, we need more research funds; but, at the same time, what is already available with us must be optimally utilized. I would like to draw your kind attention to one of the acute and long-term needs of our Member States. That is the need for quality medicines and vaccines at an affordable price by health service systems. For such medicines and vaccines to be adequately accessible, a strong country capacity in research and development (R&D) has to be established. Coupled with this requisite is the technology transfer in the areas of pharmaceuticals and biologicals. This issue needs due attention of this ACHR to advise on the effective means to move forward. The international community should not lose any further time in ensuring strong country capacity in these critically important areas. I would like to urge the Committee to come up with a set of realistic and feasible recommendations on this issue. At the end of this session of the ACHR, we expect to arrive at an operational framework. The framework that can ensure, among other things, closer cooperation in health research in SEAR. The cooperation among all stakeholders, particularly among Member States and between Member States and WHO. The framework that can lead to countries’ capacity in the development of quality research in the Region. Within this framework, I wish to see special attention being paid to research and development and technology transfer in the areas of medicines and vaccines. Let us look forward together to a long-term endeavour that can result in regional self-reliance in the production of medicines and vaccines. Finally, I gratefully thank the Government of Indonesia for accepting to host this session of WHO South-East Asia Advisory Committee on Health Research. 3 I wholeheartedly thank Her Excellency, Dr Siti Fadilah Supari, Minister of Health, Government of Indonesia for accepting to inaugurate the session. I convey my appreciation to the National Institute of Health Research and Development, the Government of Indonesia, and to the WHO Country Office in Jakarta for the excellent arrangements made for the meeting. I wish the 30th session of the WHO South-East Asia Advisory Committee on Health Research all success.