title: Building operational research capacity in the Pacific.
abstract: Operational research (OR) in public health aims to investigate strategies, interventions, tools or knowledge that can enhance the quality, coverage, effectiveness or performance of health systems. Attention has recently been drawn to the lack of OR capacity in public health programmes throughout the Pacific Islands, despite considerable investment in implementation. This lack of ongoing and critical reflection may prevent health programme staff from understanding why programme objectives are not being fully achieved, and hinder long-term gains in public health. The International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union) has been collaborating with Pacific agencies to conduct OR courses based on the training model developed by The Union and Médecins Sans Frontières Brussels-Luxembourg in 2009. The first of these commenced in 2011 in collaboration with the Fiji National University, the Fiji Ministry of Health, the World Health Organization and other partners. The Union and the Secretariat of the Pacific Community organised a second course for participants from other Pacific Island countries and territories in 2012, and an additional course for Fijian participants commenced in 2013. Twelve participants enrolled in each of the three courses. Of the two courses completed by end 2013, 18 of 24 participants completed their OR and submitted papers by the course deadline, and 17 papers have been published to date. This article describes the context, process and outputs of the Pacific courses, as well as innovations, adaptations and challenges.
authors.affiliation: International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union), Paris, France ; School of Population Health, the University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bissell
authors.affiliation: Secretariat of the Pacific Community, Noumea, New Caledonia.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Viney
authors.affiliation: Division of TB Elimination, United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Brostrom
authors.affiliation: National Tuberculosis Programme, Fiji Ministry of Health, Suva, Fiji.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gounder
authors.affiliation: Operational Centre Brussels, Medical Department, Operational Research Unit, Médecins Sans Frontières, MSF-Luxembourg, Luxembourg.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Khogali
authors.affiliation: College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Fiji National University, Suva, Fiji.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kishore
authors.affiliation: School of Population Health, the University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kool
authors.affiliation: International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, South-East Asia Regional Office, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: A M V
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.affiliation: Operational Centre Brussels, Medical Department, Operational Research Unit, Médecins Sans Frontières, MSF-Luxembourg, Luxembourg.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Manzi
authors.affiliation: Marie Bashir Institute for Emerging Infections and Biosecurity, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Marais
authors.affiliation: Woolcock Institute of Medical Research, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Marks
authors.affiliation: Global TB Programme, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland ; Division of Pacific Technical Support, WHO Representative Office in the South Pacific, Suva, Fiji.
authors.forename: N N
authors.initials: NN
authors.lastname: Linh
authors.affiliation: College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Fiji National University, Suva, Fiji.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ram
authors.affiliation: Australian Centre for International and Tropical Health, School of Population Health, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Reid
authors.affiliation: Regional Public Health, Hutt Valley District Health Board, Lower Hutt, New Zealand.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Roseveare
authors.affiliation: Operational Centre Brussels, Medical Department, Operational Research Unit, Médecins Sans Frontières, MSF-Luxembourg, Luxembourg.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tayler-Smith
authors.affiliation: Operational Centre Brussels, Medical Department, Operational Research Unit, Médecins Sans Frontières, MSF-Luxembourg, Luxembourg.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Van den Bergh
authors.affiliation: International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union), Paris, France ; Department of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
authors.forename: A D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Harries
keywords: Médecins Sans Frontières; The Union; capacity building; operational research