Canadian Coalition for Global Health Research

The Coalition, a registered Canadian charity and is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors, began in 2001 as an informal network and has evolved through generous support from the Canadian International Development Agency, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Health Canada, the International Development Research Centre and other foundations.[1][2][3]

Among the many, few of the facts that provoked founders of the Coalition to start this initiative were:

• Global Health Inequities: Millions of people worldwide do not have access to essential health services. For example, each year 8 million children die needlessly and half a million mothers die unnecessarily during pregnancy;
• The 'Know-Do' Gap: Much knowledge about what could make a difference is available, but individuals and institutions in developing countries often do not have access to this information, or lack the capacity to apply this knowledge.
• The '10/90' Gap: According to the Global Forum for Health Research, only 10% of the world's health research funding goes towards addressing the most pressing health issues affecting the poorest 90% of the world's population.
• Limited Linkages between Researchers and Policymakers: There are few incentives for individual researchers to connect their knowledge with larger processes. Researchers often believe that their work is finished when it is published. Similarly, policymakers often do not seek out existing knowledge that may be of critical value to their policies.
• Lack of Capacities: Capacities to produce and use health knowledge, at the individual, institutional and system levels in developing countries, are weak.
• Need for greater coordination amongst Canadians: Canada has tremendous and unique expertise and resources to address these issues, but Canadian efforts are often fragmented.

With a general orientation towards the health-research challenges in low- and middle income countries (LMICs), and guided by the overarching goal of reducing disparities in health outcomes, the Coalition focuses on:

• strengthening the capacity of global health researchers, institutions and systems
• actively coordinating, brokering, partnering, mentoring and facilitating among global, national and local actors
• influencing the policy process within and between high-income countries (HICs) and low- and middle-income countries (LMICs)
• strengthening a network of connected, dynamic members in Canada, LMICs and HICs
• incubating teams (groups) pursuing a particular global health research issue and then devolving responsibilities to HIC and LMIC institutions
• learning lessons, thinking evaluatively, and communicating its work