"Research for People's Health: A Researchers Encounter" at the Second People's Health Assembly of the People's Health Movement

Synthesis

Programme

RESEARCH FOR PEOPLE'S HEALTH

A DECLARATION

An important " Researchers Encounter" was held between the 14th and 15th of July 2005 in the Faculty of Medical Sciences of the University of Cuenca, Ecuador, as an associated event of the Second Health Assembly of the People's Health Movement. At this conference the researchers in People's Health made a number of observations and recommended methodologies to improve the health and life of the people of the world.

PREAMBLE
These recommendations are oriented towards training institutions, governments, investigators, NGOs and civil society representatives

Participants in the research forum in Cuenca should carry these messages to forums in different countries.

Reference must be made to the accounts of the progressive thinkers of the world and consideration given to their health research proposals relevant to the current social, economic, political and cultural contexts.

The Forum of Researchers suggested the following:

TO COUNTRIES
v Discussions in Health Research should include health sector officials who should be involved in the change processes.
v Research should aid in the revision and update of agreed health standards to ensure that they remain within legal frameworks and contexts.
v Research should help to influence state policies and thereby help prioritize allocations of economic resources for health, education and nutrition in addition to controlling and preventing diseases.
v National and local expenditure relating to the use of sectoral funds for health research should be monitored in terms of priorities as well as to assure the conducting of health systems research.

TO RESEARCHERS
v It is important to value research principally from the point of view of health and life.
v Research should bring about social action by the mobilization of people and communities as participants and collaborators. Biomedical research should be integrated with social research.
v There should also be a sincere effort to integrate quantitative and qualitative health research.
v Research findings should be shared with members of the community with whose assistance research findings and conclusions came about.
v Research should involve dialogue between investigators and representatives of communities as well as the people directly.
v There should be the creation of virtual information spaces for the learning of new research paradigms without denying or restricting access to any information that conforms to ethical norms.
v An international committee should be convened including biomedical as well as social and cultural components and primary health care.
v Research should be multidisciplinary and bring about dialogue between professionals in the health sector with professionals of other sectors such as social science, economics, etc.
v It is important to network with national, regional and international forums of health research.
v The research process should aim to improve collaboration among investigators and with local mass media, local governments and other political sectors.

TO TRAINING INSTITUTIONS
v There should be serious revision in education of human resources in health, within the framework of the new paradigm of research.
v New resources should be identified in universities that would help engagement in new paradigms of research.
v The new paradigm should not be taught, but rather be learned together with the community taking part in the research.
v It is imperative that the social research component of health research be strengthened
v Postgraduate education/ specialization should conform more to community-based and participatory action.
v The universities should be charged with developing community research programs in a participatory way.
v It is necessary to reach the community through education using schools and other means in order to enhance the community's health with a more holistic and lasting influence.
v Through university outreach, proposals for participatory research can be developed.
v There must be efforts to establish strategic alliances for research in health and social sciences.
v There is a need to improve the capacity to develop research proposals.
v There must be adequate allocation of economic resources for the application of strategies with emphasis on health promotion at all levels.

Researchers From "Research for People's Health: A Researchers Encounter"
at the Second People's Health Assembly of the People's Health Movement
Cuenca, 15 July 2005