Recap

Dr. Oduro stated that various initiatives were carried out in the previous year, with the main goal being the enhancement of the research environment in the center.

One of the major initiatives that was carried out in the previous year was the creation of key research governance documents, such as the Research Policy, Research Agenda, and Research Capacity Development framework. These documents were created internally and then submitted to the relevant authorities for review. The goal was to ensure that research activities in the center are well guided, such that they align with national health priorities.

The creation of the research documents was viewed as an important step in the process of formalizing research in the institution. According to the Chairperson, even though the research documents are still undergoing review, they represent an important initiative by the center in the process of enhancing research, as opposed to waiting for external directives.

Another initiative was to improve the research agenda to inform future research. The Chairperson pointed out that there was a need to ensure research activities are aligned to national health priorities as well as emerging public health issues.

There were also efforts to improve research capacity within the centres. The aim is to ensure that directors and technical leads in various departments are able to generate research and participate in research to address emerging health system issues.