Log in
Research by the University of Southampton into maternal and child health in the developing world has contributed significantly to the design of better health policies by governments, international agencies, and non-governmental organisations. The research broke new ground in identifying the urban poor in developing countries as among the groups most at risk of poor maternal and child health. Its findings have informed policy and funding priorities at national and international organisations including the Department for International Development (DFID) and the United Nations; influenced health practitioners in Africa and Asia; and led to better health care outcomes in countries which were the focus of the research.
Dr Sunil Amrith's research has enhanced understanding of the historical roots of many contemporary policy problems, making him a leading expert on the history of public health in South and Southeast Asia. The critical success of his monograph Decolonizing International Health, and its positive reception among non-academic specialists in the field, led to his involvement in dialogues with policymakers in international NGOs and invitations to contribute a historical perspective to discussions about public health issues in the developing world. His work has influenced policy development and shaped capacity building programmes.
As a result of research by Prof. Sanjoy Bhattacharya since October 2010 at York into the history of disease control, the social determinants of health, and primary healthcare, the Department of History's Centre for Global Health Histories (CGHH) was invited to formalize and develop the WHO's Global Health Histories (GHH) project, including its annual flagship seminar series in Geneva. This research programme has had a major impact on institutional practice within the WHO headquarters and its regional offices: (i) through the promotion of greater transparency and openness toward internal and external stakeholders; (ii) in leading the WHO to use historical research for staff training and development; (iii) by leading the WHO to encourage partner governmental and non-governmental organizations to make greater use of historical research in developing and running health policies. Due to the success of GHH in these areas, historical analysis has now been designated an Office Specific Expected Result for departments within the WHO HQ. It is now an officially required and audited activity for evaluations of major campaigns and for teams planning new projects.
Public financing of health services in low income countries was challenged by the World Bank's Agenda for Reform in 1987, which advocated increased roles for private sector, private insurance and user fees. This was followed by a wave of reforms implementing this approach. McPake has been involved in researching the implications of this shift since this period and has published a series of influential articles that have had a demonstrable impact on this debate. Removal of user fees for all, or selected, services or for selected population groups has occurred in many countries, including 28 of 50 countries with the highest maternal and child health mortality included in a recent survey (http://bit.ly/17FUiDM). Witter is the lead researcher who has examined country level experiences of removing fees and it is demonstrable that her work has been applied in specific countries to shape the details of policy and has also had a major influence on the global debate.
Empirical evidence generated by UEL research has directly influenced the reform of health financing in two Indian states with total populations of 154 million through changes to provider behaviour, the organisation and use of funds, and treatment verification processes and package rates. The impacts of this work have been commended by the UK Department for International Development (DFID) and the World Bank, and attracted interest from states with similar healthcare schemes. More widely, it has helped policymakers in India and the UK recognise the importance of including high quality comprehensive primary care in India's strategic planning for universal health care, and the benefits to the UK in prioritising primary care collaboration with India.
Research carried out by LSHTM into mental disorders in low- and middle-income countries has promoted new approaches to mental health care and influenced donors, practitioners and policy-makers, contributing to changing global priorities in this area. WHO launched a flagship action plan based on the research, governments and NGOs made substantial financial allocations for implementing the research innovations, and the findings have been translated into treatment guidelines used to train health workers in managing mental illness in many countries.
This case study highlights a body of research around health Research Priority Setting (RPS) that assists policy makers in effectively targeting research that has the greatest potential health benefit. Empirical research on RPS led to organizational changes, and new policies within the Cochrane Collaboration along with new training resources and new RPS exercises. A research gap on inequalities in the risk of oral cancer in the English South Asian population led to an evidence synthesis exercise being carried out by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and the formulation of a new public health guideline.
The Millennium Development Goals placed improvement of maternal health and reduction of maternal mortality high on global policy agendas. Our research at King's College London takes this aim forward by producing detailed analyses of health systems barriers to timely access to maternal healthcare in a variety of settings in Africa and Asia, complemented by synthetic reviews of evidence to inform governments and international agencies. Our contribution has drawn international policy attention to the impact of healthcare financing mechanisms on delivery of maternity care and subsequent wellbeing, and the importance of effective emergency maternity referral systems. Our work has directly informed the design of referral systems in several countries.
Methods for valuing quality of life developed by Professor Devlin at City University London are used internationally to help governments make healthcare decisions. Her research focuses on a widely-used questionnaire for measuring patient reported health, the European Quality of Life 5-Dimensions (EQ-5D). Government organisations routinely use the EQ-5D to judge whether new medicines work and are cost-effective. Over 15 countries are undertaking EQ-5D studies using Professor Devlin's methods to inform decisions on pricing and provision of new medicines. These developments have been achieved through active dissemination to the academic community and governments and through Professor Devlin's scientific leadership of the European Quality of Life (EuroQol) Group. The impact of this research is highly significant in improving health and health care decision-making and has had wide reach throughout the UK and in many other countries.
The `People in Public Health' (PIPH) study and related research on health trainers, health champions and volunteers has brought together evidence on rationales for lay engagement, effectiveness and models of support. Dissemination activities, supported by a Department of Health grant, have achieved reach into various policy arenas and national networks. At the same time there is evidence of research utilisation in public health practice. One of the impacts has been the establishment of `Active Citizens for Health', a national network of partner organisations to bring together evidence and learning that has been hosted by Leeds Metropolitan University.