Bamako, 19 November 2008 -- WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Luis Sambo, says countries should take urgent action to boost research for heath in order to bring about better health outcomes for their people.

” We must take urgent action to give research and innovation their rightful place if we are to overcome the great health challenges of our times, notably the challenges  related to improvements sent out in the Millennium Development Goals”, Dr Sambo said on Wednesday at end of  the Global Ministerial Forum on Research for Health which took place in Bamako, Mali.

The Forum,  which  brought together more than 800 delegates  from 59 countries,  adopted the Bamako Call to Action on  Research for Health.

The Bamako Call to Action (22.04 kB) sets out, among other things,  specific actions to be taken by national governments, regional institutions,  funders of research, international and multilateral agencies, partners and all stakeholders in order to boost research and innovation which are key to finding solutions to health problems.

Dr Sambo told the delegates that the Bamako Call to Action addressed the particular and pressing health needs of Africa and deserved to be listened to,  and acted upon,  by all stakeholders.

In his closing remarks, the Prime Minister of Mali, Mr. Modibo  Sidibe,  stressed the necessity for dynamic, coherent and coordinated research as this was key  to improving people's health and living conditions.

He  expressed the hope that the Bamako Call to Action would  advance  the common cause of  research for health,  and that the just concluded Forum  would be an important turning point in the global quest for development and equity.

The next Forum of the Global Forum for Health Research will be held from 16 to 23 November 2009 in Havana, Cuba.