title: Impact of health research on advances in knowledge, research capacity-building and evidence-informed policies: a case study on maternal mortality and morbidity in Brazil.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  National health research systems aim to generate high-quality knowledge so as to maintain and promote the population's health. This study aimed to analyze the impact of maternal mortality/morbidity research funded by the Brazilian Ministry of Health and institutional partners, on the dimensions: advancing in knowledge, research capacity-building and informing decision-making, within the framework of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences.
  
  
  METHODS
  Descriptive study based on secondary data, conducted at a public university.
  
  
  METHODS
  The advancing in knowledge dimension was estimated from the principal investigators' publication counts and h-index. Data on research capacity-building were obtained from the Ministry of Health's information system. The informing decision-making dimension was analyzed from citations in Stork Network (Rede Cegonha) documents.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Between 2002 and 2010, R$ 21.6 million were invested in 128 maternal mortality/morbidity projects. Over this period, the principal investigators published 174 articles, resulting in an h-index of 35, thus showing progress in the advancing in knowledge dimension. Within the research capacity-building dimension, training of 71 students (undergraduate/postgraduate) was observed. Progress in the informing decision-making dimension was modest: 73.5% of the 117 citations in the Stork Network documents were institutional documents and norms. One of the projects funded, the 2006/7 National Demography and Health Survey, was cited in program documents.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Impacts were shown in the advancing in knowledge and research capacity-building dimensions. The health research system needs to incorporate research for evidence-informed policies.
authors.affiliation: Faculdade da Ceilândia, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, DF, Brazil.
authors.forename: Antonia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Angulo-Tuesta
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, DF, Brazil.
authors.forename: Leonor Maria Pacheco
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, DF, Brazil.
authors.forename: Daniel Alves
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Natalizi
mesh_terms: D035843:Biomedical Research / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D003657:Decision Making; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D005260:Female; D006077:Government Agencies; D006291:Health Policy; D006302:Health Services Research / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008428:Maternal Mortality; D009017:Morbidity; D009313:National Health Programs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011787:Quality of Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration*