WHO Research support 2016-2019 - Additional support HRP from SOCIAL WHO Forskningsstöd 2016-2019 The proposed intervention is programme support for the period 2016 - 2019 to three research programmes hosted by the World Health Organisation (WHO): 

i) Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research, AHPSR or "the Alliance";  

ii) The UNDP-UNFPA-UNICEF-WHO-World Bank Special Programme of Research, Development and Research Training in Human Reproduction, HRP; and 

iii) The UNICEF-UNDP-World Bank-WHO Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases, TDR. 

The proposed support is an extension of the ongoing Agreement 2016-2017. The reason for not preparing a new agreement is that the framework agreement between Sweden/Sida and WHO lasts until 2019. The total contribution 2016-2019 is 407,2 million SEK, including 199 million SEK for the biennium 2018 - 2019.   

Thus, during the contract period, the AHPSR program will continue to fund research on health systems and policies that help poor countries utilize their resources for the health sector as efficiently as possible. HRP's focus on the next two-year period includes research on young people's sexual and reproductive health and improved maternity care during pregnancy and postnatal care. TDR activities will during the contract period focus on research on barriers to effective implementation of existing control programs for various infectious diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis and various intestinal parasites. Programstöd till följande forskningsprogram där Världshälsoorganisationen (WHO) agerar värd: 

i) Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research, AHPSR eller "the Alliance";  

ii) The UNDP-UNFPA-UNICEF-WHO-World Bank Special Programme of Research, Development and Research Training in Human Reproduction, HRP; och 

iii) The UNICEF-UNDP-World Bank-WHO Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases,TDR. 

Det föreslagna stödet är en fortsättning på tidigare avtal 2016-2017. Anledningen till en avtalsförlängning istället för nytt längre avtal är att svenska regeringens strategi med WHO gäller åren 2016-2019, och en ny strategi förväntas från 2020. 

Det totala beloppet är 407,2 miljoner SEK för perioden 2016 - 2019, varav 199 miljoner SEK avser förlängningen 2018-2019.  

Programmet AHPSR kommer således under avtalsperioden att fortsatt finansiera forskning om hälsosystem och policies som bidrar till att fattiga länder kan nyttja sina resurser för hälsosektorn på ett så effektivt som möjligt. HRP:s inriktning för den kommande två-årsperioden innefattar forskning om ungdomars sexuella och reproduktiva hälsa och förbättrad mödravård under såväl graviditet som efter förlossning. TDR:s aktiviteter kommer under avtalsperioden att ha tyngdpunkten på forskning om hinder för effektivt genomförande av befintliga kontrollprogram för olika infektionssjukdomar såsom malaria, tuberkulos och olika tarmparasiter. Swedish support to the three WHO-hosted research programmes TDR, HRP and AHPSR is well aligned with the Strategy for research cooperation and research in development cooperation 2015 – 2021 covering research of relevance to low-income countries and regions, research capacity building and promotion of research that, through innovation, can contribute to poverty reduction and sustainable development.
Full names and main purposes of the WHO-based research programmes are:
i) The UNICEF-UNDP-World Bank-WHO Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR): TDR helps facilitate, support and influence efforts to combat diseases of poverty, with the mission to "support effective and innovative global health research, through strengthening the research capacity of disease-affected countries, and promoting the translation of evidence into interventions that reduce the burden of infectious diseases and build resilience in the most vulnerable populations". TDR main areas are i) Research for policy; ii) Research for implementation; iii) Research for innovation; and iv) Research for integrated approaches.
ii) The UNDP-UNFPA-UNICEF-WHO-World Bank Special Programme of Research, Development and Research Training in Human Reproduction (HRP): HRP is the main instrument within the United Nations system for research in human reproduction, bringing together policy-makers, scientists, health care providers, clinicians, consumers and community representatives to identify and address priorities for research to improve sexual and reproductive health. The mission of HRP is "the attainment of all people of the highest possible level of sexual and reproductive health. HRP strives for a world where all women’s and men’s rights to enjoy sexual and reproductive health are promoted and protected, and all women and men, including adolescents and those who are underserved and marginalized, have access to sexual and reproductive health information and services".
iii) Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research (AHPSR): AHPSR work to improve the health of those in low- and middle-income countries by supporting the generation and use of evidence that strengthens health systems. Together with organizations around the world, the AHPSR aims to i) provide a unique forum for the health policy and systems research community; ii) support institutional capacity for the conduct and uptake of health policy and systems research; iii) stimulate the generation of knowledge and innovations to nurture learning and resilience in health systems; and iv) increase the demand for and use of knowledge for strengthening health systems.
In brief, TDR focuses on infectious diseases of poverty, HRP on sexual and reproductive health and rights, and AHPSR on health policy and systems.
Sida is a long-term supporter of TDR, HRP (over 40 years) and AHPSR (over 20 years) and has major insights into the programmes.