RealHealthNews.Net is an independent magazine about the connections between health research and policy making worldwide, in action for the world’s poorest.
Research and development has already created many tools – from molecular to social – for improving the health of the poorest, and more such tools and evidence for action are constantly being created.
RealHealthNews believes that these tools need to be better known and communicated to policy makers and front line health workers – and to the community themselves, so they are aware of what could be done for them, so they can understand and make informed choices about tools that are offered to them.
Why is so much research left unused?
But there is a greater and fundamental obstacle to action for the poorest: the political world, locally, nationally and internationally, influenced strongly by prevailing ideologies, values and economic interests, which makes the final choices about what is or is not done for the poorest.
Many tools and products languish unused, failing to reach the many who need them; and they languish through failures of policy-making and action.
Policy-making by local, national and international bodies matters very strongly for the poorest precisely because they are poor; by definition of their poverty, they cannot buy the services they need, so the market system fails them; their lives are in the hands of the policy advisors, policy-makers, and politicians – ultimately there needs to be a political decision to help them or to neglect them.
And when the decision is made, it needs to be evidenced-based, using tools that are easy to implement and proven to work, if it is to have a lasting impact.
Bridging research, policy and action
This is the main focus of RealHealthNews.Net – to understand the bridge between evidence and action, passing from research and evidence-making through policy-making and implementation.
RealHealthNews.Net works to create a dialogue on the interface between the technical tool makers – the researchers – and the policy makers. And it aims to keep very much in mind the billion or so people whose lives depend on the translation, via policy, of tools into action.
Editorially RealHealthNews.Net – like its printed version RealHealthNews – is a completely independent magazine, created by editor Robert Walgate, advised by a distinguished panel of experts. Both magazines have been supported by a grant from the Global Forum for Health Research, and by funds for specific reports from the Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases.
Please support our work
RealHealthNews.Net is produced as a physical magazine, when funds permit, of which PDFs can be seen on out back-issues page, and more recently at this website.
But for its voice to continue, RealHealthNews needs more support.
If you like or dislike what you read, please comment on the articles themselves. If you wish to support – or oppose – the magazine as a whole, please write to the editor at the address below.
If you represent an institution working in research for health, or working in policy-making for health, and would like to deeper links with RealHealthNews, we would also like to hear from you, at the same address.
And if you represent another publication who would like to syndicate our articles or exchange material, we would like to hear from you too.
In any case please write to:
Contact
Dr Robert Walgate
Editor
RealHealthNews
20 Roy Road
Northwood
Middlesex HA6 1EH
UK
Editor: Robert Walgate
Visual design: Lisa Schwarb
Web technology: Robert Walgate
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