An assessment of the performance of the national health research system in Mauritius
Abstract Background The goal of universal health coverage (UHC) is that every individual has access to high-quality health services without running the consequences of financial hardship. The World health report 2013 "Research for universal health coverage" states a performant National Hea...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2023-03-01
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| Series: | BMC Health Services Research |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-023-09208-x |
| _version_ | 1797865206537256960 |
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| author | Laurent Musango Ajoy Nundoochan Yogendranath Ramful Joses Muthuri Kirigia |
| author_facet | Laurent Musango Ajoy Nundoochan Yogendranath Ramful Joses Muthuri Kirigia |
| author_sort | Laurent Musango |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background The goal of universal health coverage (UHC) is that every individual has access to high-quality health services without running the consequences of financial hardship. The World health report 2013 "Research for universal health coverage" states a performant National Health Research Systems (NHRS) can contribute by providing solutions to challenges encountered in advancing towards UHC by 2030. Pang et al. define a NHRS as the people, institutions, and activities whose primary aim is to generate and promote utilization of high-quality knowledge that can be used to promote, restore, and/or maintain the health status of populations. The WHO Regional Committee for Africa (RC) adopted a resolution in 2015 urging member states to strengthen their NHRS to facilitate production and utilization of evidence in policy development, planning, product development, innovation, and decision-making. This study aimed to calculate NHRS barometer scores for Mauritius in 2020, identify the gaps in NHRS performance, and recommend interventions for boosting the Mauritius NHRS in the pursuit of UHC. Methods The study used a cross-sectional survey design. A semi-structured NHRS questionnaire was administered and complemented with a review of documents archived in pertinent Mauritius Government Ministries, universities, research-oriented departments, and non-governmental organizations websites. The African NHRS barometer developed in 2016 for countries to monitor the RC resolution implementation was applied. The barometer consists of four NHRS functions (leadership and governance, developing and sustaining resources, producing and utilizing research, financing research for health [R4H]), and 17 sub-functions, e.g., existence of a national policy on research for health (R4H), presence of a Mauritius Research and Innovation Council (MRIC), existence of knowledge translation platform. Results In 2020, Mauritius had an overall average NHRS barometer score of 60.84%. The four NHRS functions average indices were 50.0% for leadership and governance, 77.0% for developing and sustaining resources, 52.0% for producing and utilizing R4H, and 58.2% for financing R4H. Conclusion The performance of NHRS could be improved through the development of a national R4H policy, strategic plan, prioritized agenda, and national multi-stakeholder health research management forum. Furthermore, increased funding for the NHRS may nurture the human resources for health research capacities, hence the number of pertinent publications and health innovations. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-09T23:04:18Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-9f6eb0dcc01f4105bb61cf99084d5376 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1472-6963 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-09T23:04:18Z |
| publishDate | 2023-03-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Health Services Research |
| spelling | doaj.art-9f6eb0dcc01f4105bb61cf99084d53762023-03-22T10:47:02ZengBMCBMC Health Services Research1472-69632023-03-0123111510.1186/s12913-023-09208-xAn assessment of the performance of the national health research system in MauritiusLaurent Musango0Ajoy Nundoochan1Yogendranath Ramful2Joses Muthuri Kirigia3World Health OrganizationWorld Health OrganizationIndependent Consultant (Previously Ministry of Health and Wellness)African Sustainable Development Research Consortium (ASDRC)Abstract Background The goal of universal health coverage (UHC) is that every individual has access to high-quality health services without running the consequences of financial hardship. The World health report 2013 "Research for universal health coverage" states a performant National Health Research Systems (NHRS) can contribute by providing solutions to challenges encountered in advancing towards UHC by 2030. Pang et al. define a NHRS as the people, institutions, and activities whose primary aim is to generate and promote utilization of high-quality knowledge that can be used to promote, restore, and/or maintain the health status of populations. The WHO Regional Committee for Africa (RC) adopted a resolution in 2015 urging member states to strengthen their NHRS to facilitate production and utilization of evidence in policy development, planning, product development, innovation, and decision-making. This study aimed to calculate NHRS barometer scores for Mauritius in 2020, identify the gaps in NHRS performance, and recommend interventions for boosting the Mauritius NHRS in the pursuit of UHC. Methods The study used a cross-sectional survey design. A semi-structured NHRS questionnaire was administered and complemented with a review of documents archived in pertinent Mauritius Government Ministries, universities, research-oriented departments, and non-governmental organizations websites. The African NHRS barometer developed in 2016 for countries to monitor the RC resolution implementation was applied. The barometer consists of four NHRS functions (leadership and governance, developing and sustaining resources, producing and utilizing research, financing research for health [R4H]), and 17 sub-functions, e.g., existence of a national policy on research for health (R4H), presence of a Mauritius Research and Innovation Council (MRIC), existence of knowledge translation platform. Results In 2020, Mauritius had an overall average NHRS barometer score of 60.84%. The four NHRS functions average indices were 50.0% for leadership and governance, 77.0% for developing and sustaining resources, 52.0% for producing and utilizing R4H, and 58.2% for financing R4H. Conclusion The performance of NHRS could be improved through the development of a national R4H policy, strategic plan, prioritized agenda, and national multi-stakeholder health research management forum. Furthermore, increased funding for the NHRS may nurture the human resources for health research capacities, hence the number of pertinent publications and health innovations.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-023-09208-xBarometerNational health research systemResearch for healthLeadershipGovernanceFinancing |
| spellingShingle | Laurent Musango Ajoy Nundoochan Yogendranath Ramful Joses Muthuri Kirigia An assessment of the performance of the national health research system in Mauritius BMC Health Services Research Barometer National health research system Research for health Leadership Governance Financing |
| title | An assessment of the performance of the national health research system in Mauritius |
| title_full | An assessment of the performance of the national health research system in Mauritius |
| title_fullStr | An assessment of the performance of the national health research system in Mauritius |
| title_full_unstemmed | An assessment of the performance of the national health research system in Mauritius |
| title_short | An assessment of the performance of the national health research system in Mauritius |
| title_sort | assessment of the performance of the national health research system in mauritius |
| topic | Barometer National health research system Research for health Leadership Governance Financing |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-023-09208-x |
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