Global Symposium on Health Systems Research

Given this forum's interest in health systems, HIFA2015 members may want to register or follow the proceedings of the first Global Symposium on Health Systems Research, being held 16-19 November in Montreux, Switzerland. This symposium is being organized by the World Health Organization; the Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR); the Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research; the Special Programme of Research, Development and Research Training in Human Reproductive Health (HRP); and the Global Forum for Health Research, and sponsored by numerous other global partners.

This first symposium is dedicated to improving the scientific evidence needed by health policy-makers and practitioners to inform their decisions related to accelerating universal health coverage. Achieving and sustaining universal coverage requires attention to a broad range of issues that are central to health systems performance. This includes drawing on the six interdependent health system building blocks - finance, workforce, services, technologies, information, and governance - and understanding how policies and programmes from within and beyond the health sector can be developed and implemented effectively, efficiently, and equitably.

HIFA members may also be aware that implementation research (IR) is a growing and necessary field to help scale up new services and interventions. TDR is leading a new initiative on the use of IR to increase access to these improved tools against infectious diseases and map existing and new strategies. Nearly 70 researchers, implementers, scientists and representatives from Product Development Partnerships (PDPs) attended a June consultation in Uganda, which centred on a planned report identifying gaps and priorities in implementation research into diseases of poverty.

For more information on this initiative and the report, go to http://www.who.int/tdr/svc/news-events/news/access-interventions

The report will be presented at the First Global Symposium on Health Systems Research (http://www.hsr-symposium.org/ ) in November in Montreux, Switzerland.