2011 annual report

Overview

Since the Alliance’s inception, one of its primary objectives has been to promote the dissemination and use of health policy and systems knowledge in order to improve the performance of health systems. The Alliance remains committed to supporting work, and working in a manner, that is responsive to the needs of decision-makers – from grassroots implementers, to Ministers of Health and representatives of donor agencies. 

The Alliance, through several programmes of work, has developed decision-makers’ capacities to use research. Since 2009, in collaboration with the Wellcome Trust, the Alliance has supported teams to develop and evaluate innovative approaches to enhance policy-maker capacity to use evidence in the policy process.

It is hoped that bringing researchers and policy-makers together in “exchange” or “bridging” activities will also promote the use of HPSR knowledge. Exercises aimed at setting research priorities are one such bridging activity.

This report further elaborates on the programmes of work, and highlights some of the opportunities and challenges faced in taking this user-oriented approach.