Table 2

Health Research Priorities
Function Elements & Related indicators
 Asia
 CEE
 Africa
 Latin America


Korea
 Thai
 B'desh
 Hung
 Lithu.
 Kazak.
 Mauri.
 Namib
 Uganda
 Chile
 Ecuad
 Nicar.
1. Clear national research policy statement?
 N
 Y
 N
 N
 Y
 N
 N
 Y
 Y
 N
 Y
 N/A
2. Are there National Health Research priorities?
 N/A
 Y
 Y
 Y
 N
 N/A
 N/A
 N/A
 N/A
 N
 N/A
 N/A
3. National Health Research agenda?
 N/A
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 N
 N
 N
 N
4. Efforts to align health research with health priorities?
 N
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 N
 Y
 Y
 Y
 N
 Y
 Y
5. Research solving operational problems?
 N
 N/A
 N/A
 N
 Y
 N
 N/A
 N/A
 N/A
 N/A
 N/A
 N/A
6. Inequities targeted?
 N/A
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 N
 Y
 Y
 N
 Y
 N
 N
7. Research funding for maximum social benefit?
 N
 Y
 Y
 Y
 Y
 N
 N
 Y
 Y
 N
 N
 N
8. Community, stakeholder participation?
 N/A
 N
 Y
 N
 N
 N
 Y
 Y
 N/A
 Y
 N
 N
9. Balance of spending on general fields of research.
 N/A Beh 28%
 Bio 46% Sys 20% Beh 2%
 Bio 13% Sys 14% Beh 3%
 Sys 17% Bio 80%
 Bio 75% Sys 5% Beh 20%
 Bio majority
 N/A Beh 2%
 Sys 98% N/A
 Beh 14% Bio 85%
 Sys 1% Bio 30%
 Sys 13% N/A
 Public Health 51%

CEE: Central and Eastern Europe; Thai: Thailand, B'desh: Bangladesh, Hung: Hungary, Lithu: Lithuania, Kazak: Kazakhstan, Mauri: Mauritius, Namib: Namibia, Ecuad: Ecuador, Nicar: Nicaragua, Beh: behavioural; Bio: biomedical; Sys: Health systems, Rs: Researchers, PMs: prime minister, ENHR: Essential national health research

Tugwell et al. BMC Public Health 2006 6:151   doi:10.1186/1471-2458-6-151