About DFID Research - Current Research Topics

HD7: Effective Health Care Research Programme Consortium (EHCRPC)

Director: Professor Paul Garner (LSTM)
Effective Health Care Research Programme Consortium (EHCRPC).

Objectives
Increase in decisions relating to the health sector based on best available evidence in Middle and low-income countries.

Background
It seems common sense to use reliable evidence in making decisions about health care, but it is only in the last 15 years that there has been a concerted effort to do this. This Knowledge Programme aims to improve the evidence base, and ensure its dissemination; it is a major contributor to the Cochrane Collaboration, a global organisation committed to preparing and updating systematic reviews. The Knowledge Programme helps ensure problems relevant to developing countries are included, and that people living in developing countries are part of the process. The Programme coordinates the Cochrane Infectious Diseases Group, liaising with 184 active authors and 10 editors across 39 countries, providing continuous technical support and helping people with common interests to work together. Training fellowships are provided to ensure people learn the methods of research synthesis and complete their systematic reviews successfully. The Knowledge Programme also works closely with policy makers to help identify the relevant questions, and help the Cochrane Collaboration develop its methods and editorial processes.

Research Partners include:

• Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine
• University College of Medicinal Sciences, Calabar, Nigeria
• Malaria Research Unit, Makerere University, Uganda
• Centre for Health Policy, Univerity of Witwatersrand SA
• School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
• Community health, Chongqing University, China
• Vector Research Institute, Pondicherry, India
• Christian Medical College, Vellore, India
• College of Medicine, University of the Philippines, Manila
• Kazan State Medical University, Russia