Mexico City, Mexico - November 16-20, 2004
The Summit report is available in the section: Documents for download
The Mexico Statement on Health Research is available in the section: Documents for download
The Summit
The World Health Organization convened, together with the Government of Mexico, a Ministerial Summit on Health Research from November 16-20, 2004 in Mexico City, Mexico
The Summit addressed the vital role of research in the improvement and sustainable development of population health with specific emphasis on how to translate knowledge into action - the 'know-do gap' - to improve health. It provided a platform for dialogue on improving global cooperation on health research and narrowing the disparities in health systems performance between developing and developed countries.
The Summit represented a unique opportunity for WHO to advance a bold vision of research for the institution. In preparation for the Summit, WHO organized numerous consultations with a wide range of stakeholders representing the WHO Regional Offices, civil society, international and governmental agencies, international media and scientific journals, foundations as well as other key decision-makers to define four proposed initiativesaiming to improve country and global capacity to generate, disseminate and use knowledge:
Ministers of Health had the opportunity to interact with a diverse set of key stakeholders from major funding organizations of health/medical research, chairs of medical research councils, research institutions, researchers, academia, NGOs, CEOs of pharmaceutical companies and editors of scientific/medical journals.
This Summit was an invitation-only event. There was no call for abstracts.
This event was prepared in collaboration with the Ministry of Health of Mexico and in conjunction with Forum 8 of the Global Forum for Health Research.
For more information about the Summit and post-Summit activities, please contact the Department of Research Policy & Cooperation, or send an e-mail to: MinisterialSummit@who.int
Programme
Orange areas indicate joint sessions/events in conjunction with Forum 8
| Hour |
Tuesday November 16th |
Wednesday November 17th |
Thursday November 18th |
Friday
|
Saturday November 20th |
|
08h30-10h15 |
Introduction Joint
Plenary 1 |
Joint Plenary 2 |
Joint Plenary
3 |
Joint Session |
|
|
10h15-11h00 |
Registration (10h00-11h00) | Break and Marketplace | Break and Marketplace | Break and Marketplace | Break and Marketplace |
|
11h15-12h30 |
Working Session 1 6 parallel sessions on selected topics chosen to illustrate role of research in influencing health outcomes |
Working Session 3 6 parallel sessions on selected topics chosen to illustrate role of research in influencing health outcomes |
Ministerial Roundtable 3
Sustainable financing of health systems-How can research
help? |
(11h00-12h30) |
|
|
12h30-14h30 |
Networking Lunch Ministers sit in groups of 8-10 (with facilitator and rapporteur) for informal discussions on country experiences in problem solving using research |
Networking Lunch (Different groups to ensure networking and mixing) (Possible video link to Essential Drugs meeting in Europe) |
Networking Lunch (Different groups to ensure networking and mixing) |
Joint Closing Lunch (12h30-14h00) | |
|
14h30-16h00 |
Working Session 2 6 parallel sessions on selected topics chosen to illustrate importance of research in influencing health outcomes |
Working Session 4 6 parallel sessions on selected topics chosen to illustrate importance of research in influencing health outcomes |
Ministerial Roundtable 4 Making informed policy decision: challenges and opportunities (Coordinators: J Lavis / A Oxman) |
||
|
16h00-16h30 |
Coffee | Coffee | Coffee | ||
|
16h30-18h15 |
Opening Ceremony Welcome
speech
Remarks by:
Official opening speech Joint Opening
Plenary |
Ministerial Roundtable 1
Can research help to achieve MDG's? |
Ministerial Roundtable 2 Human resources for health - A research agenda (Coordinator: L Chen)
|
(16h30-18h00)
Summit Overview
Mexico Agenda
Closing Session |
|
|
18h30-19h30 |
Special Ministerial Roundtable
Bridging the know-do gap through e-Health
|
Special Ministerial Roundtable Integrating health research into national health information systems (Coordinator: T Boerma)
|
|||
|
19h30 onwards |
Welcome reception (19h30) |
Joint Summit/Forum8 reception (20h00) |
Summit
Dinner (20h00) Speaker: J Enriquez |
Joint Dinner (20h00)
|
The Challenge
Knowledge generated by health research has created enormous opportunities to improve population health through life-saving public goods such as drugs, vaccines and diagnostics. These public goods are critical components of the investment being made to achieve the health-related Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to reduce child mortality, improve maternal health and combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases.
However, while half the world's deaths are potentially preventable with simple and cost-effective interventions using these public goods, the 2005 mid-decade assessment is expected to reveal that the MDGs are unlikely to be reached in several regions by 2015 due to shortfalls in the capacity of health systems.
Disparities and inequities in health remain major development challenges in the new millennium, and malfunctioning health systems are at the heart of the problem. Countries who have the highest burden of disease are struggling with poor service delivery and infrastructure, inadequate financing, severe shortages of doctors, nurses and other trained health care workers, as well as a lack of basic information on health indicators. Decision-makers and policy advocates critically need knowledge generated by health systems research to ensure that their health strategies sufficiently address and overcome the systems barriers and constraints. While biomedical research is estimated at US$ 60 billion per year, health policy and systems research funds that are external to institutional budgets represent only some US$ 140 million. Equally important, the research system itself, i.e. the generation, translation and sharing of knowledge, must be examined as to how it can better serve the health needs of the population to achieve the MDGs.
The Millennium Development Goals represent a framework for measuring development progress and poverty eradication worldwide. The MDGs have been recognized by both developed and developing countries in 2000 and represent an opportunity for concerted action, especially in the field of health where a momentum is building up to meet these challenges. Out of the eight MDGs, three are directly related to health - reducing child mortality; improving maternal health; and combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases. But, improvement of health is also an important component of other MDGs and can definitely play a role, for instance, in the eradication of extreme poverty and hunger, in ensuring environmental sustainability, or in developing a global partnership for development.
Key Objectives
The Summit intended to answer the overriding question: What research is needed to reach the health-related Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015? A technical agenda for health research was developed by national ministers of health and other key stakeholders. The Mexico Agenda focuses on targeting research on primary constraints to health systems performance, such as, human resources shortfalls and the urgent need to promote knowledge access and sharing for achieving better health and health equity. The Summit expounded the message that we must turn scientific knowledge into actions which improve people's health, and that health improvement through knowledge applications is a critical factor in human development to alleviate ill-health and poverty worldwide.
Specific objectives of the Summit were to:
The Summit programme was designed to encourage dynamic interaction among the participants through plenary ministerial roundtables, parallel working sessions addressing relevant topics, and networking lunches. Morning plenary sessions were also held with Forum 8, the annual meeting of the Global Forum for Health Research.
Key Outcomes
The key recommendations of the Summit were synthesized into the "Mexico Statement on Health Research", a strategic document that guides WHO and other stakeholders in advancing health research and provide the foundation for resolutions on research policy, which were presented to the WHO Executive Board (January 2005) and will be discussed at the 58th World Health Assembly (May 2005).
Additional expected outcomes were:
The International Conference on Health Research for Development, which took place in the year 2000 in Bangkok, Thailand, articulated a plan of action on how health research could not only improve health, but also social and economic development. The plan focused on knowledge production, use and management; capacity development; financing; governance; and building a coalition for health research for development. It developed from a research community perspective and did not involve many other key stakeholders such as policy-makers, consumers, funders and the civil society. The Ministerial Summit intended to go a step further.
WHO will have an important role in catalyzing and coordinating global energies to support the implementation of the "Mexico Statement on Health Research". WHO would like to acknowledge its gratitude to a number of partners who provided support for preparatory activities and the organization of the Summit.
Press Information
The Ministerial Summit on Health Research took place at the Sheraton Maria Isabel Hotel and Towers, Mexico City, Nov. 16-20, 2004.
The Summit was held in parallel with Forum 8, the annual meeting of the Global Forum for Health Research. All media were registered and accredited to cover both events.
The Summit and Forum 8 hold joint plenary sessions at the Hotel Sheraton Centro Historico, Mexico City. Journalists covering the Summit were given access to joint plenary sessions ONLY but were welcomed to arrange one-on-one interviews with Summit participants as well as participate in daily press briefings.
The Summit Programme page gives more details on joint plenary sessions.
Post-Summit Activities
A special session has been held at the Ministerial Summit on Health Research to discuss proposed solutions to support health decision-making in low and middle income countries. Over the past year, WHO has held various meetings and developed numerous reports that address the research into policy/practice gap.
In September 2004, a meeting has been held in Kuala Lumpur with senior policy-makers, including Ministers of Health, from over 17 countries. The participants discussed the challenges and opportunities for increasing access to high quality evidence.
At the Ministerial Summit on Health Research, Ministers of Health, representatives from donor organizations, and specialists in the area of evidence-informed decision-making met to discuss possible solutions and next steps to potentially pilot a strategy that would help strengthen the link between health systems and health intervention research and policy and practice. A draft paper on the theory and practical considerations served as the basis of the discussion. The paper has since been revised to incorporate the key discussion points. WHO will use this background information for developing next steps in this most important area.
Documents for Download
