2009-03-162009-03-162000http://hdl.handle.net/10625/37603Consultations to date indicate substantial support for new programming in the health area at IDRC, and support for research on governance/service delivery to complement the research currently supported by other PIs, particularly ECOHEALTH. Health is identified as a priority development issue in sub-Saharan Africa. Discussions with programme staff have uniformly suggested that the Centre allocate a budget for health. This budget would ensure coherence among projects, be used to encourage the PIs without health-related projects to include health issues in their programming, and leverage outside funds. Leaving the initiative up to individual PIs is seen as unworkable: “mainstreaming” cross-cutting issues such as health without allocating financial and human resources is both difficult operationally and leads to poor visibility and lack of coherence in programming. The minimal scenario - status quo plus a webpage on which to post occasional synthesis papers - is seen as unsatisfactory; support for visible and substantive contributions to health research is high. Both programme staff and our partners support research-to-policy linkages, but insist on a clear focus on equity –including social, health, economic and gender equity – and community participation as a strategy to meet our mandate of “Empowerment through knowledge”, and as a complementary strategy (to that of direct policy links ) for influencing public policy. Finally, prospects are good for developing Canadian and international financing partnerships in support of health research over the course of this CSPF.Text1 digital file (24 p. : ill.)enRESEARCH PROGRAMMESHEALTH POLICYHEALTH SYSTEMHEALTH SERVICESACCESS TO HEALTH CAREGENDER EQUALITYSOCIAL EQUITYECONOMIC EQUITYAFRICA SOUTH OF SAHARAIDRC-Related Report