As the 78th United Nations General Assembly wrapped up recently in New York, it was important to take stock of the deliberations held that week, especially regarding the three health-related high-level meetings that took place – on pandemic preparedness and response, universal health coverage and tuberculosis. A special side event co-organized by Health Systems Global and the Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research, and co-sponsored by the governments of Japan and Norway, did just that. ‘Fast-tracking global health goals through health policy and systems research’, convened important players in both health policy and health research.
The emphasis of the event was the essential role of health policy and systems research (HPSR) in tackling current health challenges. Helen Clark, the former Prime Minister of New Zealand, strongly emphasized this point, noting, “Research and learning in this area is not a kind of nice to have optional extra. It's actually extremely important in helping us to navigate the complexities of systems and policies, to help us find new solutions, and to help us –where necessary – reallocate and redirect resources for greater effectiveness.” Clark further stressed the value of research as a strategic investment to put the Sustainable Development Goals back on track.
Satoshi Ezoe, the Director of Global Health Strategy at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Japan, added that: “to turn political declarations and will into action, we need research science. This is why the health systems research community is essential.”
Public trust in science and its integration into policy was another dominant theme. John-Arne Røttingen, Global Health Ambassador for Norway, pointed to the challenge of skepticism towards scientific institutions. He urged for transparent and open discussions to rebuild this trust. "The role of health systems research is to be that independent entity, challenging authorities and those holding power," Røttingen remarked, emphasizing the importance of academic freedom and dialogue.
A third major theme focused on the urgency of having simultaneous processes of research and implementation. Norbert Ndjeka, the Director of Tuberculosis Control & Management in South Africa, stressed the speed with which transformative tuberculosis treatment options needed to be implemented to meet the 2030 goals. "We really need a two-month treatment for tuberculosis,” he suggested, adding that it would be a big problem to stop everything and wait for new research and new treatments. “A parallel process of research and implementation is critical," he concluded.
In addition, Ana Amaya from Pace University, also a board member of Health Systems Global, highlighted the challenge of academic silos and the desperate need for collaborative and local research, especially in low- and middle-income countries. “We crucially need much more funding for locally produced research and greater investment in building local research capacity,” she asserted.
To close the event, Kumanan Rasanathan, Executive Director of the Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research emphasized that the field of health policy and systems research is mature and precious, and that it can be applied across the key challenges we are facing today. He suggested that, “it can make a difference in primary health care and universal health coverage, in digital health, in noncommunicable diseases, in emergency response and preparedness, and in climate, an existential issue.”
The event proved a critical reminder of the immediate actions required in the global health domain. With 2023 marking the halfway point of the Sustainable Development Goals, the message coming from this event was clear: invest in and intensify research, and implement rapidly. These are important points that will surely inform discussions at the Eighth Global Symposium on Health Systems Research next year in Nagasaki, Japan.