Research News

In February 2009, the Health Research Capacity Strengthening (HRCS) initiative was launched. HRCS aims to strengthen the capacity of key academic research and health policy-making institutions in Kenya and Malawi to generate new scientific knowledge. It is funded in collaboration with the Wellcome Trust and the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) in Canada

The initiative - the result of consultations spanning two years - gives £10 million each to two national organisations to make awards according to their national research and training priorities. In Kenya the grants will be awarded by a new non-governmental organisation, the Consortium for National Health Research. In Malawi, activities will be undertaken within the existing National Research Council of Malawi.

At the Kenyan launch, the British High Commissioner, Mr Rob Macaire, spoke of the importance of the initiative. He said "In Kenya, as in many African countries, progress towards the Millennium Development Goals has not been as fast as we would all like. But Kenya has also shown that progress is possible. Let me give you an example. We know that over 40% of life threatening malaria infections in childhood could be prevented by the use of insecticide treated nets or ITNs. Research funded by DFID in Kenya has helped identify the most effective means of producing, distributing and maintaining these nets.

Using that research the Kenyan government has developed a strategy to promote awareness of ITNs, foster expansion of the commercial market, monitor insecticide resistance and safety and co-ordinate the national ITN delivery effort. The results have paid off: the number of children sleeping under a net increased from 5% to 52% in less than five years and the number of childhood deaths from malaria has fallen by 44%. A remarkable achievement."

The initiative is the first time that international funders such as the Wellcome Trust and DFID have worked together in this way, to establish funding schemes planned and developed by locally-based national task forces. Other African countries such as Zambia have expressed interest in developing a similar scheme in their own countries.

For more information see

• Video: DFID health policy and research benefits from new research strategy. Speaker: Malcolm McNeil, Senior Health Advisor with the DFID Policy and Research Division
• The Health Research Centre in Kenya and Malawi: The Inception Phase
• Health Research Capacity Strengthening in Kenya and Malawi

This is one of a series of news stories which highlight developments in the DFID Research Strategy since its launch a year ago. See here for more stories on the Strategy.