Developing health system research capacity in crisis-affected settings: why and how?
The field of health systems research has grown rapidly since the early 2000s; this has been accompanied by significant efforts to develop capacity in the Global South to conduct such research. This capacity-building will be important for developing more research informed and responsive health systems in the Global South, yet has been largely neglected in crisis-affected settings. A study among global health researchers highlighted weak local research capacity as a particular problem for health systems research in crisis-affected settings. This brief outlines the meaning of health system research capacity, the particular needs for such research capacity in crisis-affected settings, and key lessons for future policy, building on the broad experience of the ReBUILD Consortium and tacit knowledge of the ReBUILD partnership as well as wider literature.
This brief is one of a series of ReBUILD papers addresses key questions on health systems strengthening in settings affected by conflict or crisis. The purpose of these briefing papers is to bring together current knowledge and research in order to inform decision-makers, implementers, researchers and other stakeholders in this area.
The questions addressed in the series were identified through a study of priority research needs carried out by the Thematic Working Group on Health Systems in Fragile and Conflict Affected States. ReBUILD researchers have drawn on both the programme’s own research and on wider published literature to address eight of the questions through this series of briefing papers.