This report provides a strategic solution to the evidence gap in development programming. The report argues that by bringing vital knowledge into the service of policymaking and programme design, it is possible to improve the effectiveness of domestic spending and development assistance. The group was asked to investigate why rigorous impact evaluations of social development programmes, whether financed directly by developing country governments or supported by international aid, are relatively rare; as well as ways to improve on this.
Monitoring equity and research policy
When will we ever learn? Improving lives through impact evaluation
Evaluation Gap Working Group/ Eldis, 30 June 2006
A new initiative at the WHO: Prizes rather than prices
Love J: Le Monde Diplomatique, 30 May 2006
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has taken an important step to reform the global system for supporting medical research and development (R&D). The organisation’s governing body has just passed a new — hotly-debated — resolution to set up a new intergovernmental working group that will immediately start work to "draw up a global strategy and plan of action." This will include a new framework to support sustainable, needs-driven, essential R&D work on diseases that disproportionately affect developing countries.
Constructing an international poverty assessment tool: A methodological note with illustrations
Grootaert C, Leegwater A: The IRIS Centre, 25 April 2006
The IRIS/USAID project on developing poverty assessment tools has collected data on the poverty status of 12 low-income countries, adapting measurement tools for country-specific use. This paper proposes a methodology to construct an international poverty tool, or set of tools, that are easily applicable to a range of political economies.
Foreign Direct Investment, development and gender equity: A review of research and policy
Braunstein E: Eldis, 2 June 2006
This paper provides a summary of the empirical and policy-related literature on the multifaceted relationships between gender inequalities and foreign direct investment (FDI). It reviews the research on the impact of FDI on investment, productivity, trade, employment, wages and working conditions.
Health Research Profile to assess the capacity of low and middle income countries for equity-oriented research
Tugwell P, Sitthi-Amorn C, Hatcher-Roberts J, Neufeld V, Makara P, Munoz F, Czerny P, Robinson V, Nuyens Y, Okello D: BioMed Central Public Health, 12 June 2006
The Commission on Health Research for Development concluded that “for the most vulnerable people, the benefits of research offer a potential for change that has gone largely untapped.” This project was designed to assess low and middle income country capacity and commitment for equity-oriented research.
Just listen: Research and activism can walk hand-in-hand
Real Health News, 17 May 2006
Activist researcher Ravi Narayan, a member of the Foundation Council of the Global Forum, speaks of the necessity for all groups working towards people’s health, including researchers, to listen to each other. Hard evidence is essential for progress he says – especially evidience collected and analysed by researchers in least developed countries.
Measuring inequality: Tools and an illustration
Williams RFG, Doessel DP: International Journal for Equity in Health 5: 5, 22 May 2006
This paper examines an aspect of the problem of measuring inequality in health services. The measures that are commonly applied can be misleading because such measures obscure the difficulty in obtaining a complete ranking of distributions. The nature of the social welfare function underlying these measures is important. The overall object is to demonstrate that varying implications for the welfare of society result from inequality measures.
The World Mortality Report 2005
United Nations, 2006
The World Mortality Report 2005 provides a broad overview of mortality changes in all countries of the world during the latter half of the 20th century. The main objective of this report is to compile and summarise available information about levels and trends of mortality and life expectancy for national populations; allowing a comparison of mortality data from different sources, and permitting an assessment of gaps in information, as well as insight on performance with respect to Millenium Development Goals.
Why do research findings fail to change health policy?
Aaserud M, Lewin S, Innvaer S: id21, 31 May 2006
Research on reproductive health in developing countries has produced a growing evidence base. But translating this evidence into appropriate health policy remains a slow process. What factors influence the use of evidence by clinicians and policymakers? And what enables or prevents them from putting research findings into practice?
Bridging the 'know-do' gap: knowledge translation in health meeting
WHO Knowledge Management and Sharing, WHO Research Policy and Cooperation
Bridging the "know-do" gap poses the greatest opportunity for
strengthening health systems and ultimately achieving equity in global
health. This report comes from a meeting on "Knowledge Translation for
Global Health" convened by the WHO.