Enreca Health > About > Introduction
Why a network on research for health and development?
The gap between what we know would improve the health conditions of marginalised population groups and what is actually done is wide. Global inequities such as the so-called '10/90 gap' (encapturing the fact that only 10% of available resources for health and development is devoted to problems that affect the poorest 90% of the world's population) is still a barriere to development. Research can help us understand what can be done to address these inequities. The Millenium Development Goals focus on six areas of global inequities and there are health aspects to all of them. In recent years, the international health agenda has been expanded to focus on a wider scope of global health, in addition to international health.
At the Global Ministerial Forum for Research for Health, held in Bamako in 2008, research for health was introduced as a 'significant paradigm shift in global health' in the final communique. This communique was endorsed by representatives from Denmark and it is also stated "Research for health in many sectors is, and will be increasingly, an essential driver of social and technological innovation to improve health and health equity, particularly for low- and middleincome countries. Health inequities are avoidable only if policy-makers and research leaders have the political will and the scientific evidence from research across multiple sectors to address these inequities, and if inclusive processes are adopted at all stages and levels".
Danish researchers have fostered solid partnerships with colleagues in the South since the early 1990's where a systematic and equal partnership model was formed in the ENRECA programmes. These programme were founded on an approach where long term partnerships between research institutions in the South and the North were key to enhance capacity to development and quality research.
Evidence based interventions in the health sector are considered of major importance for the alleviation poverty in low income societies. Research for health aims at providing knowledge and new insights that can be used for evidence based decision making, priority setting and ressource allocation by policy makers and other practicioners. Knowledge, evidence and capacity to undertake research and to make use of research results are important factors in the process of bringing about social change.
As the architecture of development aid changes, especially in the light of the Paris Declaration, so does the framework for health research. National priority setting and definition of research needs increasingly to become the responsability of the national stakeholders. The Network supports this evolution and has already contributed to it.
Knowledge is a major driving force in the global economy and qualified manpower is critical in responding to the health crisis in developing countries, as acknowledged in a report on Danida’s research approach (Forskningsredegørelse, April 2003). In ‘Partnership 2000’, it is likewise stated that research will benefit the DC and their capacity to produce and use knowledge, which is a prerequisite for sustainable development. In accordance with Essential National Health Research (ENHR), continued inter- and cross-disciplinary research efforts are still urgently needed to bring forth the knowledge that can contribute to maximizing outcomes in terms of improved health and development.
As research is by nature a collaborative process where the individual researcher builds on the results and insights of colleagues and competetors there is a great need for networks and networking. The underlying vision of Enreca Health - and the reason that people chose to invest time and energy in the Network - is that the Network allows the participating institutions and indivuals to organise activities that would otherwise be out of reach for them. These so-called 'collaborative advantages' have grown over the years as the Network has contributed to fostering trust among the participants.
