LEARN Lao PDR - disseminates the National Health Research Agenda during the successful 12th National Health Research Forum organised by the Lao Tropical and Public Health Institute
Discussion details
The National Health Research Forum (NHRF) is an annual event organised by the Lao Tropical and Public Health Institute (Lao TPHI), LEARN’s primary partner in Lao PDR. Held in October this year, it focussed on the progress towards achieving the SDGs and Universal Health Coverage in Laos, ‘Health Concerns Everyone’. The high level event was preceded by the 3rd Adolescent Research Day which concentrated on its theme of social protection. A total of 234 participants attended the 12th NHRF from 15 countries, and the event continues to demonstrate the extensive network of Lao TPHI and its collaboration with national and international research institutions.
The LEARN project featured in a number of sessions, allowing foremost for the presentation of the National Health Research Agenda that was completed in May 2018, but also for the researchers it is supporting to present their findings and recommendations for policy improvements.
During a panel discussion titled “Health Research Agenda: Ensuring research is directed to priorities of Lao PDR’ that included panellists from Ministry of Health (Council of Medical Sciences (CMS), and Department of Health Personnel), Swiss TPHI, JICA, and UNFPA, questions were posed as to the importance of having such a research agenda in Laos, and how it could be used by those active in the health sector. The first round of discussions concluded that there was indeed a need to have a national research agenda, and that together, stakeholders should continue updating its priorities based on new situations as they arise. The panel emphasised need for the document to be reviewed regularly to confirm the priority topics remain current. There was an agreed anticipation that the NHRA will further promote Health Research and Human Resource development, and contribute to an effective allocation of scarce resources for health research in Laos.
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Live voting of priority research topics During the initial stages of the panel discussion, participants were presented with the 11 priority health themes and topics, and invited to vote for which of these they felt was the most important. The results of this vote interestingly highlight the difference in priorities between those who attended the event (predominantly researchers), and those who voted during the final consultation on 29 May 2018 that set the ranking of these health themes (who were mostly MOH Department members, members of the Council of Medical Sciences, INGOs and UN agencies). 76 people voted and Mother and Child Health was voted as a top priority research area for Laos, with Communicable Diseases in close second. During the consultation meeting earlier in the year, priority was given to Health Seeking Behaviour (ranked a joint 4th out of 11 during the Forum), and Health System Research (ranked 7th out of 11 during the Forum). |
The panel further emphasised the importance of ensuring a comprehensive dissemination of the NHRA, and the important role of the CMS in formalising and using the NHRA. LEARN will continue to explore and promote the use of the Lao Research Portal, and the role of the ethics approval process in monitoring the implementation of the NHRA.
Session 4 of the NHRF was dedicated to the LEARN programme and began with a presentation about the programme and its objectives. Two of the LEARN supported PhD candidates presented their findings (ANC quality, and adolescent SRH and the need for action), as did one of the Post-Doctoral researchers. Dr Sysavanh Phommachanh’s presentation prompted a conversation with Save the Children and the ongoing work relating to the revision of the ANC Guidelines in Laos, an ongoing policy dialogue LEARN is keen to contribute to further.
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