Abstract
Knowledge is at the heart of health research, and production of relevant evidence along the overall spectrum of research—from basic science for discovery to the development of new tools or strategies, and their optimal uptake—is essential to improve health globally. The intention of this chapter is to present how thinking along the research continuum provides a solid basis to identify where and how interactions and synergies can take place profitably towards a common goal, and avoid dispersion of means, energies and funding. Mapping institutions, programmes and teams involved in research for a given health condition and matching these to research needs and priorities at national and international levels is fundamental to improve the relevance, quality and efficiency of research. Capitalizing on greater recognition of the value of research for health and society, an end-to-end vision is proposed, encompassing the full continuum of research to gain evidence from multiple sources, for ultimately linking research, policy and practice.
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Notes
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In TB research, for instance, a network of longitudinal studies of patients and households are being used to identify biomarkers that characterize the various clinically relevant stages of TB, together with studies on how to prevent transmission and disease development.
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The authors would like to thank Dr. Mary Hamel, from WHO, for her kind review of the malaria vaccine section.
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Lienhardt, C., Cobelens, F. (2023). How Innovations Can Impact on people’s Life: The Continuum of Research in Global Health. In: Raviglione, M.C.B., Tediosi, F., Villa, S., Casamitjana, N., Plasència, A. (eds) Global Health Essentials. Sustainable Development Goals Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-33851-9_60
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