Enreca Health > About > Health research expertise
Health research expertise within Enreca Health
The Danish resource base covers many different aspects of international health and addresses both research, research capacity building, service provision and consultancies. Research covers the biomedical, social and public health sciences, natural sciences, life sciences, as well as the humanities. Both operational and basic research are included, ranging from a focus on individual diseases to health systems. Where appropriate, emphasis is given to cross-disciplinary research.
- Read also the document: Overview of Danish research competences and research projects - with regard to climate change impacts, mitigation and adaptation in developing countries
The research institutions and groups that are involved in Enreca Health hold expertise in a number of fields including the following:
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Child health and child illness, including un-expected beneficial and adverse effects of vaccines, breast feeding policies, and school health;
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Sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and HIV and AIDS;
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Nutrition and food safety;
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Prevention and control of malaria , TB and other neglected tropical diseases, including vaccine development, treatment, drug resistance and service delivery;
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Non-communicable diseases (diabetes, cancer and cardio-vascular diseases) as well as the interaction between communicable and non-communicable diseases;
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Environmental health including climate changes, water and sanitation and the work environment;
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Socio-cultural aspects of health, diseases and medicines;
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Rational use of pharmaceuticals and resistence;
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Humanitarian aid and disaster management;
Research capacity development is commonly an integrated element of the research, in particular in the ENRECA projects. Capacity is build for both basic and operational research. The Network continues to play a central role as a facilitator of postgraduate research training, often of a multi-disciplinary nature.
The donor architecture is changing rapidly in the light of the Paris Declaration and the demands for 'harmonisation and alignments' in all areas of development aid are increasing. These changes lead to a need for priority setting in the area of research. It is increasingly so that the definition of research needs is done with and by the national stakeholders. One example of that is how Danida in 2008 has initiated a pilot excercise in Tanzania and Vietnam where research activities will be initiated with the national stakeholders in the drivers seat. The overall aim of the pilot activities is to strengthen the research capacity in the two countries. The pilot activities will also support the implementation of national priorities within the framework of the Danish bilateral development assistance.
Approaches to health research within Enreca Health
Enreca Health builds on strong and equal partnerships with institutions, organizations and networks in low-income countries in the South. It operates on the basis of a multi-disciplinary, cross-institutional and multi-sectoral approach with gender, sustainable development and poverty reduction as cross-cutting issues. Important sectors relating to health promotion are education, agriculture, and water & sanitation.
