Strengthening health systems through embedded research

Realizing the health-related sustainable development goals (SDGs) requires integrated action on system-wide challenges. To address gaps in health service delivery, we need evidence on which government agencies, research institutions, donors and civil society can act.1 Unless research is relevant to specific health systems, the evidence that it generates can be dismissed by policy-makers.2 For example, there is plenty of evidence for the effectiveness of standard interventions to prevent maternal and child deaths, but countries vary widely in the degree to which these interventions have been implemented.3

Ghaffar A, Langlois E, Rasanathan K, Peterson S, Adedokun L, Tran N. Strengthening health systems through embedded research. Bulletin of World Health Organization. 2017;95(2):87