Introduction:

Effective Health Systems Research has the potential to address the systemic and operational failings in the delivery and financing of health services in low and middle-income countries. However, as investment in health systems research has grown, there has not been concurrent conceptual development to clarify the field’s ethical dimensions. This symposium will advance emerging discussions regarding what ethical principles apply to health systems research, what ethical issues arise during the conduct of such research, and how these issues might be addressed.

Confirmed Speakers

• Professor Adnan Hyder, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, USA (Symposium Director)
• Dr. Bridget Pratt, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, USA (Symposium Coordinator)
• Dr. Nelson Sewankambo, Makerere University, Uganda
• Professor Aasim Ahmad, Aga Khan University, Pakistan
• Dr. Sassy Molyneux, Oxford University & KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kenya
• Professor Nancy Kass, Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics, USA
• Dr. Gerry Bloom, Institute of Development Studies, UK
• Dr. Paulina Tindana, Navrongo Health Research Centre, Ghana
• Representative from the Wellcome Trust, UK
• Dr. Paul Ndebele, Medical Research Council, Zimbabwe
• Dr. Haley MacGregor, Institute of Development Studies, UK

 

 

Symposium Objectives

 

Effective health systems research has the potential to address the systemic and operational failings in the delivery and financing of health services in low and middle-income countries. However, as external investment in health systems research in these countries has grown, there has not been concurrent conceptual development to clarify the field’s ethical dimensions. This symposium will advance emerging discussions regarding what ethical principles apply to the methods used health systems research, what ethical issues arise during the conduct of such types of research, and how these issues might be addressed.

 

The specific goal of this symposium proposal is to initiate critical thinking on the ethics around the effective conduct of health systems research in low and middle-income countries in order to inform health systems strengthening efforts around the world. This symposium will, in particular, focus on the ethical issues that arise when particular methods and approaches are employed in health systems research and how they might be addressed. It will consider the issues arising in incentive-based intervention trials, controlled studies with groups of people, studies at scale (large implementation studies), and community-based health systems research.

 

The proposed symposium will attempt to address the following types of questions:

• What are the types of ethical issues that are most common for stakeholders utilising different methods in health systems research approaches?
• How do the identified ethical issues affect health systems research processes and outcomes?
• What guidance can the application of relevant ethical principles provide in relation to the various ethical issues arising in health systems research?
• What new model of ‘health systems research ethics’ is needed to link health systems research to improved health and health equity around the world?

 

Target Audience

 

This symposium will be relevant to the following target audiences:

• Academics and researchers: as they test new strategies and methods to improve the efficiency or effectiveness in low-income contexts
• Non-Governmental Organization and Think-Tanks: as they explore the implications of health systems research in LMICs
• Donors such as USAID, DFID, Gates Foundation: as they invest in health systems research efforts in the developing world
• Governments in LMIC: as they plan and act to improve coverage of key interventions in their countries