Development of National Health Research Agendas in The Gambia and Ethiopia

Status: Completed

The Gambia and Ethiopia

Project Overview

Strong health systems rely on high-quality evidence to guide policy decisions, allocate resources, and address emerging health challenges. However, research efforts are often fragmented when countries lack a clear framework for identifying and prioritising the questions that matter most to their populations and health systems.

The Health Strategy and Delivery Foundation (HSDF) supported the development of National Health Research Agendas in The Gambia and Ethiopia, working with stakeholders to establish priorities that could guide future research investments and evidence generation efforts.

The project focused on creating structured, country-led processes for identifying the most pressing health research needs. By bringing together policymakers, researchers, programme managers, development partners, and other stakeholders, the initiative helped build consensus around research priorities that aligned with national health goals and system challenges.

The resulting research agendas were intended to serve as strategic frameworks for guiding future studies, informing policy development, and strengthening evidence-informed decision-making.

Health systems face numerous competing priorities, while resources available for research are often limited. Without a clear process for setting priorities, research investments may not align with national health needs or policy objectives.

Countries require mechanisms that ensure research efforts address the most critical health challenges, generate actionable evidence, and contribute directly to improved health outcomes. Developing a national research agenda helps create this alignment by providing a roadmap for future evidence generation and investment.

HSDF supported a collaborative and evidence-based priority-setting process that engaged stakeholders across the health sector. The project focused on:

Facilitating national consultations on health research priorities.
Supporting evidence-informed research agenda development.
Engaging policymakers, researchers, and development partners in priority-setting processes.
Identifying key health system and public health research gaps.
Promoting alignment between research investments and national health priorities.
Strengthening the use of evidence in health sector planning and decision-making.

The process emphasised country ownership, ensuring that priorities reflected local needs, contexts, and strategic objectives.

The development of national health research agendas provided both countries with a clearer framework for directing research efforts toward areas of greatest importance. By helping stakeholders identify priority questions and align investments with national goals, the project strengthened the foundations for more strategic and impactful health research.

The initiative also reinforced the importance of evidence-informed policymaking and demonstrated how structured priority-setting can improve the relevance and usefulness of health research for governments and health sector leaders.