Enreca Health > About Enreca Health > Background

The background of the Enreca Health Research Network

In 1990, Danida launched the bilateral programme for Enhancement of Research Capacity in Developing Countries (ENRECA) and about 13 ENRECA health programmes were initiated. The programme concept implied long-term research and research capacity building partnerships between Danish research institutions and partner institutions in low-income countries.

In 1996, Danida initiated the Network as a forum, primarily for ENRECA programme managers and counterparts in charge of ENRECA projects. Decision-making was based on an open dialogue and the principle of consent. 

The Network was formalised and expanded at a founding General Assembly in 2004. A set of statutes for the Network was endorsed and a Board elected, comprising representatives of research institutions, private consulting companies and NGOs. The main implementing body of the Network became the Executive Committee in conjunction with the Secretariat.

Since the start of the Network, a great number of activities have been realised. Researchers, their counterparts and often Danida health advisers have been active in the planning and organisations of activities, seminars, workshops, post graduate courses, and dialogue meetings on research and development aid issues. When feasible, activities have been taken place in partner countries.

Furthermore, Network participants contributed to the revision of health-related Danida policies and guidelines and made valuable contributions to evaluations and reviews of health research.

Since 1996 major evaluations and reviews of Danida funded health research and the Health Research Network include:

1. The ENRECA evaluation (2000) and the Hernes report (2001) strongly endorsed the principle of capacity building through twinning arrangements, according to the "sandwich" model applied in ENRECA projects. Further, The Health Research Network was considered to be an important instrument in the dialogue between research and development aid.
   
2. Review: 'Bridging Research an Development Assistance - A Review of Danish Research Networks' (2006), which stated:
   "There is no doubt that the health network has contributed considerably to consolidating the Danish resource base in this field. Different means of networking through physical meeting places and electronically through websites and e-mail newsletters, have contributed to forging closer links between members from different sub-disciplines with the medical profession but also with the social sciences. Not least have the seminars and conferences been useful in pulling the private sector, principally consulting firms, into the network, thereby creating a public-private linkage. For interested parties the network provides a one-stop facility which saves much time in information searching" (Tostensen, Arne (2006) Bridging Research an Development A Review of Danish Research Networks, pp.15-17).
   
   In the wake of this report, Danida proposed an alternative set-up with a possible merge of some of the Danish Research Networks. While two networks chose to continue separately (Health and Water), three networks decided to merge (Agriculture, Governance and Environment) into the Danish Development Research Network (DDRN).
   
3. HERA report: 'Review of Danida-supported health research in developing countries' (2007), which stated the Network has been very successful in line with the objectives set out. However, it was argued that more could have been done in terms of dissemination of research results and in creating links to and between Health Sector Supported Programmes (HSPS) and researchers. All research groups interviewed agreed that:

• The Network plays a significant role in information sharing, communication and cross-disciplinary interaction;
• The Network serves as a line of communication to Danida;
• The Network provides a forum for exchange and collaboration between Danish researchers that are otherwise scattered amongst different research institutions;
• The seminars, workshops and conferences organised by the Network have contributed to and influenced the Danish research agenda;
• More recently, the Network has been instrumental in forging links with some HSPS. (Main Report, March 2007, Vol II p. 52-53).