Knowledge translation in global health.

The Ministerial Summit on Health Research in November 2004 and the World Health Assembly in May 2005 called for more research in developing countries to strengthen health systems and to help achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015. Research we believe has to be a component of a strategic process rather than an end in itself. Ill-health and premature deaths from preventable causes persist especially among poor children and women in spite of available cost-effective interventions in part because there is a gap between what is known and what gets done in practice i.e. the ‘know – do’ gap. This gap between available knowledge and its application in policy and practice is not new but systematic approaches to address it are urgently needed. New approaches should promote the use of best available scientific evidence and strategic research. They should also harness field experience and innovation with an emphasis on problem-solving to address priority health problems both at the global and local levels. To bridge the know-do gap knowledge must be leveraged effectively to achieve better health. The generation and sharing of knowledge are necessary steps in its effective application. (excerpt)