Box 2.
Questions related to national health research systems sub-functions
| Functions and sub-functions | |
| A. Governance of research for health | |
| 1. National policy on research for health: Does the country have a valid official health research policy? (Yes or No) | |
| 2. Strategic plan on research for health: Does the country have a strategic health research plan? (Yes or No) | |
| 3. Law governing research: Does the country have a law relating to health research? (Yes or No) | |
| 4. National research for health priority list/agenda: Does the country have a health research priority list? (Yes or No) | |
| 5. National ethics review committee: Does the country have a functional ethical review committee? (Yes or No) | |
| 6. National health research focal point: Is there a national health research focal point in the country? (Yes or No) | |
| B. Developing and sustaining resources for R4H | |
| 1. University colleges of health sciences conducting research: Does the country have faculties of health sciences that conduct research for health? (Yes or No) | |
| 2. National health research institute(s) or council: Does the country have a national health research institute(s) or council? (Yes or No) | |
| 3. Health research programme at MoH: Does the country have a health research programme? (Yes or No) | |
| 4. Number of technical and support staff in a R4H programme: How many technical and support staff are there in the programme? (Yes or No) | |
| 5. Non-governmental organisations conducting R4H: Are there any NGOs in the country that undertake health research? (Yes or No) | |
| C. Producing and using research | |
| 1. R4H programme action plan: Does the R4H programme have a plan of action? | |
| 2. Existence of knowledge translation platform: Does the country have a platform for translating, synthesising and communicating research to inform health policy and practice? (Yes or No) | |
| 3. R4H peer-reviewed publications per 100,000 population* | |
| 4. National R4H management forum: Is there a functional national health research forum? (Yes or No) | |
| D. Financing of R4H | |
| 1. Existence of a budget line in the health budget for research for health: Is there a budget line for research for health in the Ministry of Health budget document? (Yes or No) | |
| 2. Progress towards the target of allocating 2% of the national health budget to R4H: (a) How much money (in local currency) did the Ministry of Health allocate to research in the last financial year (2012/2013)? (b) What was the Ministry of Health’s overall budget (in local currency) in the last financial year (2012/2013)? |
*Data for this question were missing from the survey, so they were obtained from other sources [17]