WHO Report Calls For Research To Achieve Universal Health Coverage

By Alessandro Marongiu for Intellectual Property Watch

The World Health Organization last week released a new report highlighting how global and local research can help design a system for universal health coverage tailored to each country’s specific needs.

According to the paper, research can play a crucial role in defining the interventions needed to improve health and well-being as well as in developing indicators to measure progress towards universal health coverage.

The report, released in Beijing on 15 August and titled “World Health Report 2013: Research for universal health coverage,” stresses that evidence provided by scientific research is essential to achieve high-quality universal health coverage and to ensure access to services for prevention, treatment and financial risk protection. In doing so, it presents a number of case studies of scientific investigations that can positively influence health policies. However, the paper points out that greater effort is needed to translate scientific evidence in policies and practices.

The report suggests that all countries should be both producers and consumers of research. In this regard, low and middle income countries are raising their level of investment in domestic research and scientists from these countries are increasingly engaged in international research collaborations and publications, although studies from high-income countries are still predominant.