Global Health Research and Development

Lab supervisors Towanna Campbell and Jervis Crawford of Zap Jamaica count mosquito eggs at the University of the West Indies in Mona, Jamaica. Photo credit: Stephen Kierniesky for USAID

Research, introduction and scale-up of proven solutions are critical components of USAID’s work to overcome some of the world’s most challenging health and development problems. As a leader in the application of science and technology to achieve development objectives, the Agency recognizes that a strong foundation in research is vital. Its Bureau for Global Health’s focuses on research that can be applied in developing countries to solve real-life problems.

Whether it's through product development or field implementation trials, we seek to broaden scientific progress and innovation that will empower countries and improve individual lives. Through partnerships with our field missions, countries we work in and the private sector, the Bureau for Global Health's R&D agenda includes implementing high-impact solutions to prevent child and maternal deaths and control HIV and other infectious diseases.

Learn how USAID's Health Research and Development Program supports introduction, adoption, and scale-up of products, technologies and systems to improve maternal, newborn and child health in low- and middle-income countries.

The New Trend in Implementation Research: Why African Countries are Using Developmental Evaluation to Inform Programmatic Work

Share Fair attendees discuss the value of developmental evaluation. Photo credit: Coordinating Implementation Research to Communicate Learning and Evidence.

While standard evaluation methods have been common practice for many years, imagine if you could evaluate and modify a project in real-time to maximize results. Development Evaluation does just that. At this year’s East Africa Share Fair in Entebbe, Uganda, development evaluation was a topic of interest, particularly as applied by USAID’s Boresha Afya (“Improve Health”) project. The Agency is using development evaluation to support the government of Tanzania efforts to integrate and improve the quality of primary health care.

Developmental evaluation supports real-time collaborative learning and adaptive management efforts. USAID project staff will provide real-time feedback to Boresha Afya to facilitate timely decisions and corrective or supportive actions to meet project goals, address unanticipated results and identify new opportunities to improve primary health care in Tanzania.

Learn more about our implementation research to save women and children.

Newly Updated WHO Guidelines Optimize Antiretroviral Treatment Regimens

Photo credit: Eric Onyiego/USAID-Kenya

ART optimization is the harmonization of global efforts to accelerate access to simpler, safer and more affordable HIV treatment. OPTIMIZE is a South African-led consortium of experts in research, pharmaceutical manufacturing, market access, program implementation, advocacy and community engagement.

OPTIMIZE represents the Agency’s support of solutions to challenging development problems like HIV care and treatment coverage. As an OPTIMIZE partner, USAID is supporting global health research and development to accelerate access to improved HIV treatment in low- and middle-income countries. As efforts continue to accelerate to meet UNAIDS 90-90-90 targets, USAID is proud to partner with endeavors like OPTIMIZE that are maximizing development investments and bringing better and more affordable HIV medications to people who need them most.

Learn more about USAID’s approach to ART optimization.

USAID’s Emerging Approaches to R&D

Photo credit: Prasanta Biswas/Photoshare

USAID is continually exploring and applying nontraditional approaches to its R&D in global health to complement and accelerate the effectiveness of existing programs. Some of these approaches, such as HCD and early and comprehensive product launch planning, come from the private sector. By using these complementary methods and drawing on the expertise of its partners, the Agency is continuously finding ways to improve programming.

For example, USAID is applying HCD to its work by actively engaging end-users, providers, and other key constituencies to ensure that their needs and expectations are reflected in program design and implementation processes, increasing the likelihood that intended beneficiaries will  adopt and continue program practices after Agency funding ends. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and USAID’s Center for Innovation and Impact are developing resources to support the understanding, appropriate use, and effectiveness of design in global health. Visit the website at www.designforhealth.org.

GLOBAL HEALTH HIGHLIGHTS

The Global Health Science and Practice Journal Turns Five

Five years ago, USAID and the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs launched the Global Health Science and Practice (GHSP) journal. The initial objective was to fill an substantial gap in programmatic evidence. The overall vision was to enable the global health community to share important lessons from their program experience, and to do so with rigor. USAID wanted to contribute to the development of new norms on how to study and document program implementation issues to inform global health policy and practice. Since launching five years ago, GHSP has published 45 editorials and 273 original articles, commentaries, viewpoints, field action reports and other types of articles. Looking forward, it hopes to cover topics that are neglected in the global health literature and to publish more papers by authors in low- and middle-income countries. Read Global Health: Science and Practice … 5 Years In.

WHO Releases Intrapartum Guidelines to Reduce Unnecessary Interventions and Ensure Respectful Care

Hear from USAID’s Theresa Shaver on how WHO’s newly released updated intrapartum guidelines could benefit maternal and newborn health if implemented globally. A major area of attention is respectful maternity care, a prominent focus of USAID’s Health Research Program.

As a result of USAID-funded research, Afghanistan, India, Kenya, Malawi, Nepal and Nigeria integrated respectful maternity care into national policy standards. The Agency’s research, in conjunction with WHO’s intrapartum guidelines, has the potential to transform maternal health by providing governments with the framework to adopt policies that promote a healthy and respectful birthing process.

Listen to USAID’s Global Health Research and Development Webinar Series

During March and April of this year, USAID launched a webinar series focused on approaches to global health R&D in the context of a new five-year strategy. Each webinar focused on a global health topic and drew practical examples from investments made in 2016 and beyond. If you missed this webinar series, you can hear the audio recordings and download the slide decks.

AT Scale: Global Partnership for Assistive Technologies

Access to assistive technology (AT), such as wheelchairs, hearing aids, and prosthetics, is critical for improved health outcomes, inclusive education, economic empowerment, and civic participation. Progress in accelerating access to AT has been slow and sporadic, and investments uncoordinated. To tackle these challenges, USAID-led by the Bureau for Democracy, Conflict, and Humanitarian Assistance and the Center for Innovation and Impact and partners have launched ATscale: A Global Partnership for Assistive Technology. Initial partners include CHAI; China Disabled Persons’ Federation; DFID; Global Disability Innovation Hub; Government of Kenya; Office of the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Health; UNICEF; and WHO. On July 24, 2018, ATscale was formally launched at the Global Disability Summit by Penny Mordaunt, UK secretary of state for international development and member of Parliament. By 2030, the partnership aims to help 500 million people get access to the life-changing AT they need. For more, see https://atscale2030.org/.