Bamako, 17 November 2008 -- The World Health Organization has called on governments to prioritize health research and echoed a proposal by the Commission on Social Determinants of Health for the inclusion of health in the policies of all government ministries and departments.

The call was made by WHO Director-General, Dr Margaret Chan, in a statement to the Global Ministerial Forum on Research for Health Research which opened on Monday  in Bamako, Mali.

In the statement, delivered on her behalf by the WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Luis Sambo, Dr Chan underlined the key role of research in keeping health high on the political agenda  saying: ”We must have evidence and  we need the right kind of evidence … because in most countries, an appeal to health equity will not be sufficient to gain high-level political commitment. It will not be enough  to persuade other sectors to take health impacts into account in all policies ”

She added: ”In matters of health, equitable access to care is a matter of life or death. When equity is at stake, the health sector must take on a proactive role, even if this means stepping into territories outside the usual domain of public health. ”

The Director-General made reference to some of the problems currently plaguing the world such as climate change and the wave of food, financial and fuel crises ,  and noted that all these crises  had global causes and global consequences that affect health in profound and profoundly unfair ways.

” I am firmly convinced that the health sector has a better chance of weathering the crises we face today”, she said:” Research gives us the  dynamic power to overcome these forces.  We have the scientific method on our side. But we need more of the right kind of research, and now,  more than ever before”.

Dr Chan praised the progress made by Mali where, she said, research was guiding health system reforms and the government’s  policy made equitable access to health care a national ambition, supported by a strong grassroots demand for quality care, close to communities.

The conference which ends on Wednesday is expected to  a adopt a Call to Action on research for health  that can be used as a blueprint for research development approaches. It is  co-organized by WHO, UNESCO, the Global Forum for Health Research, UNESCO and the Government of Mali.

For further information please contact

Samuel Ajibola :+ 223 74620263 Email : ajibolas [at] afro.who.int