Table 3.
Main maternal and child health (MCH) research data by country 2012a
| Country | Top MCH research institutions | Active MCH research projects and production | MCH research funding | MCH research utilization in policies and programs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ghana | • Ghana Health Service Research and Development Division’s four research centres: NHRC, KHRC, DHRC and OCRC • University of Ghana Medical School • University of Ghana School of Public Health • Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research of the University of Ghana • Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tamale Teaching Hospital |
• 216 health active research projects between 2009 and 2011 • 50 on MCH • 40 scientific papers on MCH in PubMed between 2009 and 2012 • 21 on MCH-equity • MASCOT online survey identified 14 articles in peer review journals |
Over 90% of research funding from external donors | • MCH research use in the development of MCH policies and programs to reduce inequalities is average, most of the time in instrumental manner |
| Malawi | • University of Malawi • College of Medicine • University of North Carolina Project • Malaria Alert Centre • Center for Reproductive Health • Dignitas International • Malawi Institute of Management |
• 71 health research projects between 2009 and 2012; 33 on MCH | Mostly external funding from international agencies and NGOs | • Limited capacity within the Ministry of Health to gather and use research findings • Research data gathered in Malawi is often analyzed and used in other countries |
| Mozambique | • No responsible organism in MCH research • Few facilities have access to studies or documented research in MCH |
• Very scarce MCH research • No specific data available |
Mostly external funding from international agencies and NGOs | • Studies commissioned by WHO have been instrumental in the development of strategies to reduce maternal mortality • Articles resulting from research conducted for other purposes have been used to support the formulation of policies in symbolic manner |
| Brazil | • IMIP • IPESQ • Epidemiologia UFPEL • Observatório Sobre Iniquidades em Saúde • Ministério da Saúde • Faculdade de Saúde Pública |
• 90 references related to research on inequities from 2009 to 2012 | Mostly public funding (around 70% in 2007) | • The programs and policies are based on a retroactive use of research; past data and programs are used as support, most of the time in conceptual manner |
| Universities and research institutions were the main recipients (55.5%) | ||||
| Chile | • Universidad de Chile (UCH) • Catholic University of Chile (PUC) • The University of Santiago • Universidad Austral de Chile • Universidad de Concepción |
From 2009 to 2012 identifying 370 references in MCH and inequalities | In 2010 FONDECYT funded about 80% of research | • National and international evidence is used in instrumental way • The principal source of information is the expertise of key actors |
| 18% FONDES | ||||
| 2% FONIS | ||||
| Mexico | • National Institute of Public Health • Mexican Institute of Social Security – Distrito Federal • Population Council-Mexico • Mexican Institute of Social Security – Guadalajara • El Colégio de México • National Institute of Pediatrics • Universidad Autónoma de Guerrero |
The top ten institutions reported 103 active MCH research projects between 2009 and 2012 | Main research funding comes from CONACYT and other national initiatives | • The scientific production between 2009 and 2011 shows a clear tendency to address topics of direct interest for researchers or institutions, it was used in instrumental way |
a Source: Based on MASCOT project Final Reports. Available from: (http://www.mascotfp7.eu/mascot-resources/reports/)