Phillip Mwebaza
KENYA – The Kenyan Ministry of Health has created a five-year priority research and learning agenda for reproductive health in order to enhance the coordination of reproductive health research and programmatic efforts.
The agenda aims to decrease redundancy and allow for the responsible use of available resources, while also leading health sector participants in resolving current gaps in reproductive healthcare delivery at a time when research remains the driving force behind a nation’s desire to seek solutions on vital issues.
Dr. Isaack Bashir, head of the ministry’s department of Family Health, stated during the document’s unveiling that the research agenda will help fill existing gaps in the provision of reproductive healthcare while also reducing duplication and enabling efficient use of resources.
The agenda also aims to improve the effective conduct of reproductive health research in Kenya via intentional coordination and accountability that encourages originality, gets rid of duplication, and improves responsible use of the country’s reproductive health resources.
In an effort to close the evidence gap during the creation of health policies, the Technical Division for Reproductive and Maternal Health (DRMH) of the Ministry created the National Reproductive Health Priority Research and Learning Agenda for the years 2022–2027.
Kenya has established the agenda in an effort to encourage all research players to work together toward a single goal of accelerating the search for solutions to enhance maternal and reproductive health systems.
Dr. Stephen Kaliti, director of reproductive and maternal health at the Health Ministry, noted that improving local implementation of reproductive health programmes and giving reproductive health issues a top priority in a funding environment depends on the capacity of domestic reproductive health research.
The papers will be used to spark interest in regional research on reproductive health in order to build a body of regional information that is easy to access and available to inform national policies and programme activities while enabling the collaboration of research for scientific proof interventions.