Boksburg - Deputy Health Minister Gwen Ramokgopa has called on researchers to work in partnership with government to assist in reducing the burden of diseases.
Speaking at the National Health Research Summit held in Boksburg, Ramokgopa stressed the need for research to move from health knowledge, to research based on achieving great health outcomes.
"We invite researchers to work with us to identify the knowledge gaps, areas [in which we need] to do better and see how research can contribute to the achievement of quality health... We would also like to work with you to ensure that the type of research will assist us in the four health priority areas.
"Our efforts should help us ensure that the knowledge that is there decreases the burden of diseases," Ramokgopa told researchers.
The two-day summit, which commenced on Tuesday, aims to identify problems within the health care system and how to address them in terms of research.
Ramokgopa also called on researchers and research institutions to engage in collaborative networking and dialogue on how best they can build on their resources.
"The private sector accounts for 44 percent of research in health, and universities account for 36 percent. This is a good basis for us to build on... Let's use this framework to look at how best we can work on health research.
"Over a five year period [up until 2009], 2 200 applications were processed for clinical trials but the country has a shortage of human capacity and skills in these areas... However, we have enough to optimize the outputs. Let's begin turn a new leaf in South Africa and let's move to research where society and economy needs are answered," Ramokgopa said.
She further noted that while the country has a number of publications reviewed internationally, it has not been able to solve the TB problem. She said the success of the National Health Insurance, to be piloted in 2012, would be the reduction of the disease burden through strengthening the primary health system.
While most critics feel that the country will not be able to achieve the MDGs in 2015, Ramokgopa reiterated that it is possible to achieve them, provided the country does things differently.
"It's possible to achieve them. We need to look at what can we do... to achieve better [results]."
Commenting on what the country should do between now and 2015, the Health Department's Director-General, Precious Matsoso, highlighted the importance of global partnerships for development to reach the MDGs target.
"We need to reach 2015 quicker. We have interventions and need even better ones or we can adapt those we have to respond better. We also need to continue to invest in infectious diseases, which are the second leading cause of death in the world."
World Health Organisation (WHO) representative, Dr Stella Anyangwe, said the current WHO strategy on health research is to needs that are specific to its member states.
"The WHO regional office for Africa is poised to provide the regional assistance required for the strategy to be implemented by member states. The implementation will have to be done at all levels of WHO with full participation of all stakeholders," Anyangwe said.
