1 Thirty-first Session of WHO SEA ACHR, 21-23 July 2009, Kathmandu, Nepal Agenda Item 3.1.1 Follow up Actions of 30 th SEA-ACHR by Director, Programmme Management SEARO Thirty-first Session of WHO South-East Asia Advisory Committee on Health Research 21-23 July 2009, Kathmandu, Nepal Rev.1 2 Thirty-first Session of WHO SEA ACHR, 21-23 July 2009, Kathmandu, Nepal 1. More Investment in Health Research - Biennial work plan (Details in 3.1.3) - Research pool fund (US $ 500,000 in 2008) + IVD/NPSP. - National level capacity building workshops. - KAP study + CBPA research. - Funds to National Research Councils, etc. 3 Thirty-first Session of WHO SEA ACHR, 21-23 July 2009, Kathmandu, Nepal �NHRC (US $ 95,000 from AC) - Preparation of profile of HR projects. - Updating/prioritizing national health problems. - Research grants for students. - WS to finalize SOP for ethical review. - Training on HR management. - Assessment of emerging health risk due to climate change. - Assess the E conditions associated with emerging VBD & develop manual for corrective actions. 4 Thirty-first Session of WHO SEA ACHR, 21-23 July 2009, Kathmandu, Nepal 2. Strengthen Health Research Management - TF on HRM & CB established – Meeting in Delhi (March 2008). (Ten modules reviewed and finalized) . - IC WS on HRM – Bali (June 2008). - Country level HRM WS – IND+MMR+NEP+BHU+BAN+THA+?SLA 5 Thirty-first Session of WHO SEA ACHR, 21-23 July 2009, Kathmandu, Nepal 3. TAG on AI (3.1.2) 4. Evaluate the Infrastructure & Research E of Research Institutions + Networking. - Directory of HR institutions in India. - NIPHA- DPRK becomes network of SEAPHEIN. - Nepal health research network established. - South Asia Forum on Health Research (MRC in SAARC countries + THA) - Links developed between TL & research institutes in INO + THA. 6 Thirty-first Session of WHO SEA ACHR, 21-23 July 2009, Kathmandu, Nepal 5. Promoting Ethical Standards in Research - Forum for Ethical Review Committees in Asia and Western Pacific (FERCAP). - Strategic Initiative for Developing Capacity for Ethical Review (SIDCER TDR HQ). - 3 trainings (GCP/SOP/Pre Survey for evaluation) + site visits. - Surveyor training for 5 countries (BAN+BHU+IND+NEP+INO) – Certified 20 July 09- 15:20 hrs Thirty-first Session of WHO SEA ACHR, 21-23 July 2009, Kathmandu, Nepal - 6 ERC/IRB accredited at International Standard in THA in Jul 2008. - 2 ERC/IRB of ICMR accredited in Feb 2009. - 2 ERB will be accredited this month in INO + THA. - WHOCC on EID (AFRIMS): Orientation training on ethical review on research (SEARO).
Thirty-first session of WHO South-East Asia Advisory Committee on Health Research Kathmandu, Nepal, 21-23 July 2009 SEA/ACHR/31/5 18 July 2009 Agenda Item 3.1.1 FOLLOW-UP ACTIONS ON THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE THIRTIETH SESSION OF WHO SEA-ACHR: BROAD MAJOR RECOMMENDATIONS CONTENTS 1. Strengthening of the public health system through research:...........................1 2. Advocacy role in obtaining more investment of resources for support of health research.........................................................................................................2 3. Strengthening the management of research in Member countries and promote the utilization of the research findings...................................................2 4. Establishment of a Technical Advisory Group on Avian Influenza in SEARO3 5. Commission research in Member countries to evaluate the infrastructure and research environment of research institution...............................................4 6. Promotion of ethical standards in conducting research in Member countries 5 FOLLOW-UP ACTIONS ON THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE THIRTIETH SESSION OF WHO SEA-ACHR: BROAD MAJOR RECOMMENDATIONS The thirtieth session of the WHO SEA-ACHR held at Jakarta from 14-16 March 2007 made the following broad major recommendations: 1. Strengthening of the public health system through research; 2. Advocacy role in obtaining more investment of resources for support of health research; 3. Strengthening the management of research in Member countries and promote the utilization of the research findings; 4. Establishment of a Technical Advisory Group on Avian Influenza in SEARO; 5. Commission research in Member countries to evaluate the infrastructure and research environment of research institutions. Networking of research institutes should be encouraged, and 6. Promotion of ethical standards in conducting research in Member countries. During the past two years, these recommendations have been implemented in the countries and at the regional level in different ways. 1. Strengthening of the public health system through research Immediately after the Advisory Committee meeting, an informal consultation was held in July 2007 on the identification of the research priorities in dengue and chikungunya fever. This was followed by an expert group meeting on chikungunya fever held at Aurangabad, India in September 2007. To strength the social service and behavioural change components of research to be carried out, a social scientist has been recruited at the Regional Office. 1 2. Advocacy role in obtaining more investment of resources for support of health research More support for research was obtained for several priority areas. A Research Pool Fund for work on HIV and CSR was established in 2008 with an allocation of US $ 500,000. Funds were allocated for operational research on adolescent health and prevention of HIV among young people. Again, funds were obtained to support research to validate environmental sampling in live bird markets in Indonesia. Another study on social behaviour in relationship to Avian Influenza in Indonesia was initiated and completed in 2007. The Indian Council of Medical Research and WHO are collaborating in carrying out a study on the investment of funds in health research. In Nepal, there has been an increase in the allocation of funds for carrying out research. The Nepal Health Research Council was allocated USD 90,500 for support of research. In addition, several workshops have been held in different countries where utilization of funds for research was discussed. A beginning has been made but much remains to be done to access more funds in support of health research. 3. Strengthening the management of research in Member countries and promote the utilization of the research findings In response to this recommendation, SEARO established a Task Force on Health Research Management with the following terms of reference: • To review regional policy, strategy, management and governance on health research. • To review priority areas for health research management. • To review regional and national capacity strengthening activities for health research managers, research institutes networking and partnership in health research. 2 • To facilitate strengthening of public health research for development including the research information system, infrastructure, clinical research, operation research, and research ethical review. • To advise on resource mobilization to support health research capacity building activities in the region. The first meeting of the Task Force was held at SEARO, New Delhi on 6-7 March 2008. At the meeting the participants reviewed the 10 modules that had been prepared by the Regional Office and finalized after considerable discussions. An Intercountry Workshop on Research Management was conducted at Bali, Indonesia from 3-6 June 2008. Participants discussed how to strengthen research management in terms of human resources, institution capacity and networking in the Region. The 10 modules on health research management prepared by the Regional Office were approved at the meeting. Following this, national workshops on research management was been held in India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar and Nepal. At these national workshops, the participants identified the constraints prevailing the country level which good, effective research. Ways and strategies to overcome the constraints were identiffied. The participants were also introduced to the 10 modules on Health Research Management and discussed how these could be useful for identifying management systems in research and also whether the modules need to be modified in any way before being used in the country. Further workshops at research management have been planned for DPR Korea, Thailand and Indonesia. 4. Establishment of a Technical Advisory Group on Avian Influenza in SEARO A Regional Task Force for Research on Avian Influenza was constituted in April 2007. A national consultation on avian influenza was organized at Jakarta in March 2007. Indonesia had till then experienced the greatest burden of human infection. It was felt that the persistence of AI H5N1 in Indonesia represented an ongoing pandemic risk requiring strong intersectoral collaboration in 3 control programmes. The group made the following recommendations: a. Strengthen surveillance of avian influenza; b. Enhance early recognition of suspected cases; c. Understand better the role of environmental contamination in relation to human infection; d. Develop community-based risk communication strategies, and e. Conduct data analysis of the recorded human AI cases. A Regional Task Force Meeting on Avian Influenza was held at Bali in March 2008. The following priorities for research in avian influenza were identified by the group: a. Research in the clinical and community setting, including improvement of systematic collection of data on clinical and epidemiological features; b. Laboratory studies, including virus evolution and virus survival and development of antiviral resistance; c. Sociobehavioural studies, including knowledge, perceptions, beliefs and behaviour related to avian influenza among the public and occupational groups; d. Economic studies, including modelling of the socioeconomic and psychological impact of a pandemic in low-resource countries; e. Studies at the animal-human interface; and f. Vaccine-related research, including better understanding of the seasonal influenza and cost-benefit studies on vaccination programmes. 5. Commission research in Member countries to evaluate the infrastructure and research environment of research institution Several initiatives have been taken to implement this recommendation. A directory of all health research institutions in India has been prepared by the Indian Council of Medical Research with the help of WHO. This would be the 4 first of its kind. This Directory would be useful when developing a network of institutions in the Region – the recommendation made by the 30th ACHR. The National Institute of Public Health Administration (NIPHA), DPR Korea, is being supported to become a member of the regional network. In Nepal, the Nepal Health Research Council is coordinating all the research activities being undertaken in health sector. A Nepal Health Research Network has been established to serve as a forum for identifying and implementing priority areas of research. Links are being developed between Timor-Leste and research institutes in Indonesia and Thailand. 6. Promotion of ethical standards in conducting research in Member countries SEARO has collaborated with Forum for Ethical Review Committees in Asia and the Western Pacific (FERCAP) and Strategic Initiative for Developing Capacity for Ethical Review (SIDCER) under WHO TDR Headquarters in enhancing the capacity of the countries in the Region through training programmes. Five senior members of the Ethics Review Committee (ERC) from Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal were certified as Regional Surveyors in July 2008. Six ERCs/Institute Review Boards were accredited by FERCAP/SIDCER as conforming to international standards. In Indonesia. 10 medical schools have included the teaching of medical ethics in the undergraduate medical curriculum. Fifteen members of Ethical Review Boards in Indonesia have been trained in ethics of research. A training course for local researchers was held at Makasai, Indonesia from 18-22 March 2008. WHO organized an orientation training programme on ethical review at Punabha, Bhutan in July 2008. O:\EIP\RPC\ACHR\31 ACHR\ Final documents\SEA-ACHR-31-5_Follow up of actions on the recommendation_18 July 09 at 1250 hrs 5