Govt approves health research policy

In the absence of a strong in-house medical research agenda, the government often seeks help from international bodies like the World Health Organisation and others. But there are instances when their advices were not in sync with the ground realities.

The new policy may bridge the gap between research and public health with indigenous inputs. It will also focus on neglected areas like epidemiological know-how, surveillance technology and diagnostic services, which are essential for determining health priorities.
Prepared by the department of health research under the Union health ministry illustrates one of the major weaknesses in Indian health research. The contribution of 330 medical colleges to health research is virtually zero.

In 2007, as much as 96 per cent of health research was carried out in only 9 medical colleges even though there are close to 330 medical colleges. Much of this research was not on priority health areas with little attention being paid to translational research, which aims to find out how the benefits of research could be extended to the population.
To manage the health research, the government plans to set up a National Health Research System involving all research agencies and a National Health Research Management Forum, which will guide the research agenda and recommends how funds would be spent.

The idea is to come out with a five-year national health research plan, which will run parallel to the five year plan but focus only on improving the health standards. External partners would be apprised of these priorities, while a national capability to monitor where and how research funds are being spent, and the quantities involved, would be created and put in place.

Plugged by the recent controversies on unethical vaccine trials and stem cell research, the policy makes ethical medical research as one of its important goals. A bill on Research on Human Subjects is pending in the Parliament along with the proposal to establish National Biomedical Research Authority to look into the ethical aspects of research.