Health Science Research at a Regional Level: Insights From South America; Comment on “The Roles of Regional Organisations in Strengthening Health Research Systems in Africa: Activities, Gaps, and Future Perspectives”

Document Type : Commentary

Authors

1 Department of International Relations, Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales (FLACSO), Buenos Aires, Argentina

2 Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina

3 Centre for Social Studies, Coimbra University (CES/UC), Coimbra, Portugal

Abstract

The article seeks to shed light on the role of regional organizations in strengthening health research systems in Africa, how they operate and how they work, as well as debts and future challenges. As can be observed also in South America, the continued strengthening of health research requires strategic thinking about the roles, comparative advantages, and capacity of regional organizations to facilitate the flourishing of health research systems. Health research is a strategic field for the transformation of socio-health inequalities on the one hand and the reduction of regional asymmetries on the other. Thus, regional organizations represent key actors in strengthening health research systems and the regional research agenda reinforces its sovereign condition in the autonomous definition of relevant topics and financing. In this process, integration mechanisms face a great challenge, as shown by the recent pandemic, not only in Africa but also in South America.

Keywords

References

  1. Jones CM, Sobngwi-Tambekou J, Mijumbi RM, Hedquist A, Wenham C, Parkhurst J. The roles of regional organisations in strengthening health research systems in Africa: activities, gaps, and future perspectives. Int J Health Policy Manag. 2022;11(11):2672-2685. doi:34172/ijhpm.2022.6426
  2. Herrero MB, Bouza SL. Lo que la Unasur puede aprender de la pandemia. Buenos Aires: Nueva Sociedad; 2023.
  3. Bueno FT, Faria M, Bermudez L. A Cooperação Sul-Sul e as Redes Estruturantes do Conselho de Saúde da Unasul como instrumentos de desenvolvimento regional. Cad Desenvolv. 2018;8(12):83-100.
  4. Herrero MB, de Oliveira BN. COVID-19 in Latin America and the Caribbean: the visible face of a regional health cooperation in crisis. Rev Bras Polít Int. 2022;65(1):e003. doi:1590/0034-7329202200103
  5. de Oliveira BN, Oliveira MA. [Access to medicines and South-South cooperation: a case study on joint drug price negotiations in South America]. Cad Saude Publica. 2021;37(10):e00170920. doi:1590/0102-311x00170920
  6. Bianculli AC, Hoffmann AR, Nascimento B. Institutional overlap and access to medicines in MERCOSUR and UNASUR (2008-2018). Cooperation before the collapse? Glob Public Health. 2022;17(3):363-376. doi:1080/17441692.2020.1867879
  7. Herrero MB, Tussie D. UNASUR health: a quiet revolution in health diplomacy in South America. Glob Soc Policy. 2015;15(3):261-277. doi:1177/1468018115599818
  8. Herrero MB, Loza J. Building a regional health agenda: a rights-based approach to health in South America. Glob Public Health. 2018;13(9):1179-1191. doi:1080/17441692.2017.1308536

Files

History

  • Receive Date: 15 April 2023
  • Revise Date: 01 July 2023
  • Accept Date: 03 July 2023
  • First Publish Date: 05 July 2023

Share

How to cite

Statistics