IDRC and ILRI publish workshop report on global health research and practice

A women sells live ducklings in a ‘wet market’ in Indonesia (photo credit: ILRI/Christine Jost).

On 29 January 2013, Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) organized a half-day workshop at the 2013 Prince Mahidol Award Conference entitled Cross-sectoral collaboration for health and sustainability: a new agenda for generating and assessing research impact in the face of complexity.

This pre-conference workshop convened nearly 60 international researchers, practitioners, policymakers and representatives from donor agencies and international organizations to address two contemporary challenges in global health research and practice:

1. How do we measure and attribute the success and impact of integrated, transdisciplinary and cross-sectoral research and interventions? Further, how do we effectively and coherently communicate these successes to key global health policymakers?
2. How can we integrate multiple lines of evidence and knowledge in order to achieve gains amongst a family of desired outcomes: the improvement of human and animal health, generation of impact for community members and policymakers, and the promotion of ecological and social sustainability?

The summary report of the workshop is now published, presenting the highlights and reflections which emerged from the workshop and its discussions.

“It is hoped that the key findings will enhance the proficiency of researchers to influence and impact regional and global health policy debates,” the authors say.

“Further, lessons from the workshop may inform priority setting for future research agendas in international One Health, EcoHealth and global health research.”

ILRI’s experiences in using EcoHealth approaches to better manage zoonoses in Southeast Asia took centre stage during a poster session at the 2013 Prince Mahidol Award Conference.

The conference was held in Bangkok, Thailand from 29 January to 2 February 2013.

 

Meeting report published on plan for CGIAR collaborative research on mycotoxins

On 3-4 September 2012 participants from five CGIAR centres met at the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) in Nairobi to share about their activities related to mycotoxin research and to plan how these different activities might work together within the CGIAR Research Program on Agriculture for Nutrition and Health (A4NH) mycotoxin research portfolio.

Representatives attended from the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA),  the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and ILRI.

The meeting report is now published, highlighting the key issues, decisions and action points.

Download the meeting report.

 

Five CGIAR centres develop plan for collaborative research on mycotoxins

Aflatoxin-contaminated groundnut kernels from Mozambique (photo credit: IITA).

On 3-4 September 2012 participants from five CGIAR centres met at the headquarters of the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) in Nairobi to share about their current activities related to mycotoxin research and to plan for how these different activities might work together within the CGIAR Research Program on Agriculture for Nutrition and Health (A4NH) mycotoxin research portfolio.

Representatives from the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA),  the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and ILRI presented their current mycotoxin research activities, the challenges they are facing and opportunities for further work.

The group selected three major focus areas of mycotoxin research:

• risk and impact assessment
• values chains
• biocontrol

These focal areas were selected based on their potential to be used as platforms for other research and for the strategic opportunity harmonizing existing efforts within the CGIAR system would bring.

During the meeting, participants started to identify opportunities and potential partners within these major areas, and the refinement of this list will continue in the weeks following the meeting.

Partners working in the East Africa region attended part of the meeting to share information about mycotoxin research, the policy environment, mitigation efforts and levels of awareness and education in the region.

They also provided helpful input on the opportunities identified by A4NH researchers during the meeting.

A follow-up meeting is tentatively planned for January 2013.

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Article contributed by Amanda Wyatt of IFPRI.