Paper 1:
Fontaine O, Kosek M, Bhatnagar S, Boschi-Pinto C et al: Setting Research Priorities to Reduce Global Mortality from Childhood Diarrhoea by 2015. PLoS Medicine, March 2009, Volume 6, Issue 3, e1000041
Paper 2:
Bahl R, Martines J, Ali N, Bhan MKet al: Research Priorities to Reduce Global Mortality from Newborn Infections by 2015. Pediatr Infect Dis J.2009 Jan; 28(1 Suppl):S43-8.
OCHRC’s Peer Reviewed Journals in 2008
Several exercises were completed in 2007 and some of the results were published in 2008.
Paper 1:
Rudan I, Gibson JL, Ameratunga S, Arifeen SE et al : Setting Priorities in Global Child Health Research Investments: Guidelines for Implementation of the OCHRC Method. Croat Med J. 2008 December; 49(6): 720–733
Rudan I, Chopra M, Kapiriri L, Gibson J, Langsang MA, Carneiro I, Ameratunga S, Tsai AC, Chan KY, Tomlinson, Hess SY, Campbell H, El Arifeen S, Black RE: Setting Priority in Global Child Health Research Investments: Universal Challenges and Conceptual Framework. Croat Med J. 2008; 49:307-17
Paper 3:
Walley J, Lawn JE, Tinker A, de Francisco A, Chopra A, Rudan I, Bhutta ZA, Black RE and the Lancet Alma-Ata Working Group: Primary Health Care: Making Alma-Ata a Reality. Lancet 2008; 372: 1001-07
OCHRC’s Peer Reviewed Journals in 2007
In 2007 OCHRC had various priority setting methodology related papers and the results published in peer review journals.
Paper 1:
Rudan I, El Arifeen S, Black RE, Campbell H. Childhood pneumonia and diarrhoea: Setting our priorities right. Lancet Inf Dis, 7: 56-61, 2007.
Childhood pneumonia and diarrhoeal disease cause almost half of all child deaths globally. Effective interventions against these conditions are available and could prevent about two-thirds of these deaths. We argue that part of the reason for the poor success in delivering these interventions is the lack of attention to implementation challenges. We presented the OCHRC priority setting model which shifted the emphasis from generation of new knowledge and publication to potential public-health outcomes, and presented the framework by which this new model can be put into operation.
Rudan I, Gibson J, Kapiriri L el al. Setting Priorities in Global Child Health Research Investments: Assessment of Principles and Practice. Croat Med J. 2007; 48:595-604
The article reviewed theoretical and practical approaches to priority setting in global child health research investments. It also provided an overview of previous attempts to develop appropriate tools and methodologies to define priorities in health research investments. A brief review of the most important theoretical concepts that should govern priority setting processes is undertaken, showing how different perspectives, such as medical, economical, legal, ethical, social, political, rational, philosophical, stakeholder driven, and others will necessarily conflict with each other in determining priorities. The outcomes of these former approaches are evaluated and their benefits and shortcomings presented. The case for a new methodology for setting priorities in health research investments is presented, as proposed by OCHRC, and a need for its implementation in global child health is outlined.
Kapiriri L, Tomlinson M, Gibson J et al. Setting Priorities in Global Child Health Research Investments: Addressing Values of Stakeholders. Croat Med J. 2007; 48:618-27
The purpose of the study was to identify main groups of stakeholders in the process of health research priority setting and propose strategies for addressing their systems of values. The study interviewed three different groups of stakeholders taking part in three separate exercises that took place between March and June 2006. The study concluded that involving a large group of stakeholders when setting priorities in health research investments is important because the criteria of relevance to scientists and technical experts, whose knowledge and technical expertise is usually central to the process, may not be appropriate to specific contexts and in accordance with the views and values of those who invest in health research, those who benefit from it, or wider society as a whole.
Tomlinson M, Chopra M, Sanders D, Bradshaw D, Hendricks M, Greenfield D, et al. Setting Priorities in Child Health Research Investments for South Africa. PLoS Med. 2007; 4(8):E259.
This paper defined child health research priorities in South Africa, where it is estimated that nearly 100,000 children under 5 years of age still die each year. The authors applied the methodology for setting priorities in health research investments recently developed by OCHRC. The predominant research priorities identified within the existing South African context were health policy and systems research activities to generate new knowledge on improving delivery of the simplest and most cost-effective existing interventions. Vitamin A supplementation was ranked first, followed by hand washing, antibiotics for pneumonia, prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission (PMTCT), and exclusive breast-feeding.
Lancet Global Mental Health Group. Scale up services for mental disorders: a call for action. Lancet 2007; 370: 1241–52
Lancet Global Mental Health Group defined research priorities for global mental health using OCHRC methodology. The context was defined as global mental health over the next 10 years. The focus was on the disease burden for four disorders: schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders, major depressive disorder and other common mental disorders, alcohol abuse and other substance abuse disorders, and child and adolescent mental disorders. Twenty-four members formed the technical working group, and scored all research options. Every option was scored against the five OCHRC criteria, with three questions per criterion according to the conceptual framework. The entire process and scoring was conducted through email correspondences. Input was later sought from larger reference group. Forty-three users and professionals completed the ranking exercise.
Hyder A, Sugerman D, Ameratunga S, Callaghan J Falls among children in the developing world: a gap in child health burden estimations. Acta Paediatrica/Acta Paediatrica 2007 96, pp. 1394–1398
The aim of the study was to estimate the incidence and mortality rates for unintentional fall injuries in children under-five years of age in three developing regions of the world. The study systematically reviewed literature on unintentional childhood fall injuries. A computerized PubMed search of literature published between 1980 and 2006 was conducted and a manual search of journals was also completed. The study found that over 140 000 injuries to children under 19 years were reported in 56 studies (21 from Asia, 20 from Africa and 15 from South America); on an average 36% of injuries (52 575) were due to falls. The overall average incidence rate for childhood falls is highest in South America at 315 followed by Asia at 1036 and Africa at 786 per 100 000, respectively. Average mortality rates were highest for Asia at 27 followed by Africa at 13.2 per 100 000, respectively. The study concluded that the burden of falls on children has not been well documented, and is most likely under-reported. With the large and growing population of children in developing countries, the public health implications of the observed results are tremendous. Appropriate prevention relies on accurate statistics.
