Study and workshop Building Reproductive Health Research and Audit Capacity and Activity in the Pacific

Date: 2013
WHO CC involvement: Prof Caroline Homer

WHO CC UTS is partnering on a study: Building Reproductive Health Research and Audit Capacity and Activity in the Pacific (BRRACAP). Research is critical to national and regional development and yet, there is a lack of evidence in health care and policy in the Pacific. The underdeveloped research infrastructure, systems and personnel in the Pacific has been identified by the WHO as reasons for the lack of research output and delayed development. The WHO and leading research agencies in the world have recognised the need to build research capacity especially in developing countries to produce a sound evidence base for decision making. The alternative option to the lack of researchers is to train and support clinicians to perform research and clinical audit.

Clinicians are likely to undertake applied research that can address local problems and inform clinical practice.

A workshop to be held in March 2013 forms a core part of the intervention in which participants will be introduced to research methods and required skills. The participants will then be supported by assigned experienced research mentors to assist them in the conduct and completion of their agreed research and clinical outputs. Participants will be from the Pacific Islands and will cover a wide range of expertise from clinicians (doctors and midwives) to heads of departments.

Increasing research capacity and literacy of health professionals in developing countries will increase the evidence base needed for optimal decision making.