Setting priorities in child health research investments for South Africa

Abstract
This paper aims to define 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 Child Health and Nutrition Research Initiative (CHNRI).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.The CHNRI methodology has the power to discriminate among many competing research options using a simple conceptual framework.
Description
CITATION: Tomlinson, M., et al. 2007. Setting priorities in child health research investments for South Africa. PLoS Medicine, 4(8): 1293-1298, doi: 10.1371/journal.pmed.0040259.
The original publication is available at http://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine
Keywords
Child Health and Nutrition Research Initiative (CHNRI), Medicine -- Research -- Priority setting, Health -- Research -- South Africa, Children -- Health and hygiene -- South Africa, Medical economics -- South Africa, Medical policy -- South Africa
Citation
Tomlinson, M., et al. 2007. Setting priorities in child health research investments for South Africa. PLoS Medicine, 4(8): 1293-1298, doi: 10.1371/journal.pmed.0040259