In an article published in The Lancet Global Health today, The Union joins in calling on the European Union to support operational research to improve health programmes in low- and middle-income countries. Below co-author Prof. Anthony D. Harries, Director of The Union’s Centre for Operational Research, talks about the critical role this type of research can – and should – be playing and why more funding is essential.
What does the term ‘operational research’ mean?
One way of understanding operational research is to think of it as ‘the science of doing better’. Many low- and middle-income countries are data rich, but information poor. Operational research mines that data to identify strategies, interventions, tools or knowledge that can enhance the quality, coverage, effectiveness or performance of the health system, the health services or disease control programmes.
Isn’t all research aimed at that same goal? How is OR different?
Too often, research is divorced from implementation. There is a critical gap between the development of efficacious health interventions and their optimal delivery in real-life settings. This is particularly true in many low- and middle income countries (LMICs). Operational research addresses this gap by demonstrating how to introduce, scale-up, critically assess and possibly modify such interventions in the field – and this ultimately can have a major impact on global health.
What steps need to be taken to increase this life-saving research?
Ministries of health, NGOS and other groups collecting data need to learn how to put their data to work for them. The World Health Report 2013 stressed that all countries should become producers of research, as well as consumers – and that research capacity needs to move beyond academic centres. The people close to the supply and demand for health services need to be actively involved in the science of research and in research that makes a difference for them.
To help make this happen, The Union is a partner in SORT-IT , the Structured Operational Research and Training Initiative, with WHO/TDR and Médecins Sans Frontières. SORT IT programmes have now enrolled more than 230 researchers from 60 countries – and, of those who have completed the training, 93% of their research was published in peer-reviewed journals within 18 months. 74% of these publications have already had an impact on policy and practice.
Why do The Union and its partners think more funds should be available for operational research?
To grow the success that SORT-IT is demonstrating, funding mechanisms need to be in place that support countries to conduct OR that addresses their own priorities; develop adequate and sustainable OR capacity in public health programmes; and create an organisational culture where policy and practice are informed by OR that ultimately leads to improved programme performance.
The SORT-IT partners are calling on the European Union to take up this cause, for example, because the EU is the world’s largest aid donor. Their support would make a strong statement that investing in OR is as essential to finding “health solutions for the poor” as supporting other types of research.
Read The Lancet Global Health article.
Learn more about The Union's Centre for Operational Research and SORT IT courses