Partnering

Government and
Academe in
Research
Gemiliano D. Aligui, MD, MPH, PhD
Executive Director
Philippine Council for Health Research &
Development
Dept. of Science & Technology
 Framework
• There is a global call for action in research
• Research is one of the foundations of national
development
• The academe is center for research activities
• The need to create an efficient network of
national collaboration to maximize resources
• The development of a common structure of
research system at the national level
 Global Situation
• The need to translate research into
policy
• The need to translate policy into
action
• The 10/90 gap
Translation of research into
policy
• Very few research outputs are
utilized as basis for policy
development
• There is a strong framework by which
research agenda is formulated but
there is a relatively weak effort by
which the agenda is internalized
Translation of policy into
action
• The need to improve our appreciation of
policy development
• The need for a paradigm shift by which
policy can be effectively put into action
• The to be pro-active in evidence-based
decision making based on research
findings
 The 10/90 Gap
• Global investment in health research
(1986) amounted to as much as 30
billion US$
• Only 1.6 billion US$ (5%) was devoted
to health research in developing
countries
• 93% of the burden of preventable
mortality occurs in developing
countries
 Translation of policy into action
Private Sector
PARTNERSHIP IN RESEARCH

Government

Academe
Translation of research into policy
 Statutory basis
• 1935 Phil. Constitution
– No mention about health; promotion of scientific
research and invention; including intellectual property
(Art. XIV, Gen. Provisions, Sec. 4)
• 1973 Phil. Constitution
– Ensure adequate services in health (Art. II, Declaration of
Principles and State Policies, Sec. 7)
– Promotion of scientific research & invention;
Advancement of S&T shall have priority in the national
development (Art. XV, Gen. Provisions, Sec. 9)
 Statutory basis
• 1986 Phil. Constitution
– Protection & promotion of the right to health (Art.
II, State Policies, Sec. 15)
– S&T are essential for national development &
progress; the State to give priority to R&D;
support for indigenous, appropriate & self-reliant
S&T; Congress to provide incentives; regulation,
promotion & adaptation with participation of the
private sector; protect & ensure protection of
exclusive rights of scientist & their intellectual
property (Art. XIV, S&T, Sec. 10, 11, 12, 13)
 Role of the academe
• Develop the critical pool of human resource
responsive to the needs of S&T
• Drive the thinking towards a more critical
appraisal of how link between research and
national development can be achieved through
education and training
• Pro-active in developing their own expertise as
component centers of research
• Resist division amongst researchers; support
for collaborative research in the interest of
national development
 Human resource
• Priority research areas of the national agencies
• Identified expertise responsive to the research
areas
• Supply situation
• Projection of the demand
• Identify the gap
• Strategize
 Current Demand-Supply
Projection
Specialization Demand Supply Gap
Clinical Medicine 404 961 -557
Chemistry/Biochemistry 404 10 394
Pharmacy 116 7 119
Mol Biology/Immunology/Genetics 101 9 395
Biology/Biological Science 308 4 304
Microbiology/Bacteriology/Parasitolo 404 14 390
gy
Pharmacology/Toxicology/Physiology 348 12 336

Epidemiology/Biostatistics 404 19 385

Health Promotion/Social Science 288 13 276
Public/Occupational Health 308 13 295
Nutrition/Food Technology 192 4 188
Nursing 40 35 5
 The supply gap in human
resource
Gap SR Inputs

• PhD 875 70%1250

• MS 1655 60%2758
• Total 2530 4008

SR= Success Rate

 The national plan
• Appraisal of expertise –individual &
institutional
• Appraisal of research activities –
institutional and regional
• Strategic analysis of the human
resource
• Development of the national health
research system
Philippine National
Health
Research System

Creating Synergies
National Health Research
Systems [International Conference on
Health Research for Development, Bangkok
2000]

• revitalize health research and

research partnership with a
strong emphasis on social and
gender equity
• development of effective health
research systems
• coalition building at national,
regional & global levels
Council on Health Research for
Development (COHRED), Geneva-
based
• Created Working Group on National
Health Research System (Thailand,
Philippiness, Indonesia, Brazil,
Mexico, South Africa, Tanzania,
Ghana)
• To learn how research systems has
developed and identify key lessons
 WG on National Health
Research Systems, June 2002
• Identified three key issues
1. development of a coordinating
mechanism
2. understanding the financial
resource
flows and management
 WG on National Health
Research Systems, June 2002
• Identified three key issues

3. research management practices

at
policy, institutional and
networking
levels
 Philippine National
Health Research System
• Assessment Study by DOST-PCHRD,
DOH-HPDPB, UP-NIH, Nov’01-Jul’02
• Objectives : a) analyse if country’s
research resources and capacity
meet the need of the health system
and the health of Filipinos; b)
identify strategies to improve
present system
 Philippine National Health
Research System,
Components
• Human capital; R&D Resources
• Knowledge generation, utilization
• Health Gains
• Ethics
• Monitoring and Evaluation
• Management and Structure
Philippine NHRS, SWOT
Strengths
• existing critical mass of researchers
• bottom-up approach in priority setting
• presence of regional structure
• networking across sectors in place in
some regions
• complementary support (research
resources) given by DOST and DOH
 Philippine NHRS, SWOT
Weaknesses
• fragmented research priorities,
duplication of research
• lack of training in the conduct of
research; in packaging and
presenting research results
• lack of indicators to assess gains
 Philippine NHRS, SWOT
Weaknesses
• LGUs lack capacity to prioritize, and
to pose questions to seek solutions to
local health problems
• lack of incentive for Ethical Review
Board members; ethical review seen
as another red tape
• absence of a unified monitoring and
evaluation system
Philippine NHRS, SWOT
Opportunities
• opportunity to balance national and
local priorities
• multi-disciplinary approach to
research utilization
• twinning projects
• ICT-enabled systems for creating and
updating databases; to measure
progress
 Philippine NHRS, SWOT
Threats
• security of tenure and brain drain
• stiff competition for research funding
• different perspectives of
policymakers
• priorities are politically influenced
 Philippine NHRS
Some Recommendations
• Optimize the role of the PCHRD
Governing Council to serve the
interest of the Philippine NHRS
• Organize an inter-organizational
Technical Working Group to serve as
a stakeholders forum, as a
discussion platform for crosscutting
concerns
 Philippine NHRS
Some Recommendations
• increase health research advocacy to
influence policy and action programs
• drumbeat health research issues
outside NHRS
 Philippine NHRS
Some Recommendations
• integrate local research information
into a reliable and accessible system
• nurture a culture of publication and
research utilization
 Philippine NHRS
Some Recommendations
• strengthen partnership for
resource sharing
• formalize partnership with the
private sector and civil society
 Philippine NHRS
Some Recommendations
• institutionalize a system for
developing research agenda that
match with health needs
• institutionalize review and
monitoring at various levels for
quality and relevance of research
topics
 Philippine NHRS
Some Recommendations
• develop capacity for research and
other related disciplines to support
research
 Philippine NHRS
Some Recommendations
• identify a continuous source of
funding, expertise and other
resources for NHRS programs
• create a Trust or Development
Fund
DOST, DOH Signs MoU

• 17 March 2003 during PCHRD

Anniversary
• Formally creating PNHRS envisioned
to promote and enhance
cooperation; share and pool
resources; develop capacity for
knowledge production, use and
management; research
management and financing
 Philippine NHRS
Ongoing Work
• IRR of MoU; firming up Work Plan
• DOH-DOST/PCHRD MOA on Joint
Activities for 2003
• Organization of the Philippine
Health Research Forum (inter-
organizational TWG)
 Governing Council

PHRF

Technical Coordinating Team

Resource Research Capability Advocacy and Monitoring

Ethics
Generation Management Development Research & Evaluation
TWG
TWG TWG TWG Utilization TWG TWG

Health
Research
System

PNHRS Organizational Structure

Thank you!