The Department of Health Research (DHR) has finalised a 10-point agenda, including setting up of multi-disciplinary research units in medical colleges, to be taken up on priority basis during the next Five Year Plan period.

The DHR, as per the list of priorities, has placed on top the establishment of multi-disciplinary research units in medical colleges and model rural health research units in the states.

“Efficient research governance and regulatory frame work on core areas pertaining to ethics, clinical trials on new drugs/ devices; ensuring well defined mechanisms for approvals and passage as well as implementation of bills/policies developed is considered as among high priorities. Development of centres on policy related areas such as vaccine preventable and other chronic diseases, health economics and health systems research, social and behavioural sciences are proposed to be major thrust areas for XII Plan,” according to the proposal.

Another area of priority is strengthening of human resource and creating enabling environment for research in medical colleges, universities and health research institutions and to consider pathways for developing a good environment to promote health research.

“Translational and implementation research is proposed to be given special emphasis. Besides specific programmes in governmental and academic institutions promotion of public-private partnership will be given special attention for translating research leads into development of affordable diagnostic technologies and pharma products including vaccines to achieve broader objectives of providing better affordable healthcare for the people.  Establishment of efficient mechanisms for the selection, promotion, development, assessment and evaluation of affordable technologies and their judicious application has been identified as priority. For this purpose structures like Technology Development Board/Technology Assessment Boards etc. have been envisaged,” the DHR note said.

“Creation of efficient mechanisms for inter-sectoral coordination and national, international collaboration is among the high focus action areas in XII Plan. This would include development of mutually acceptable systems/mechanisms for collaborative action among departments, institutions and other stake holders in the country and other countries,” it said.

Strengthening of ICMR institutions, optimum use of Information Technology using the National Knowledge Network, and research priority on problems of tribal and other marginalized communities are the other priority areas identified by the DHR.