title: Research capacity strengthening for sexual and reproductive health: a case study from Latin America.
abstract: An essential, but often overlooked part of health promotion and development support to achieve self-sufficiency in developing countries is the concomitant need to build and strengthen research capacity. This is even more challenging and critical in the area of sexual and reproductive health because of diverse interplay of socio cultural, religious, economic factors in relation to reproductive health.This paper presents the case study of HRP's efforts to build research capacity in Latin America by studying and analyzing the 5-year history of institutional development support to an institution in Paraguay. In reviewing the efforts, we identify the strengths in the approaches used by HRP, the challenges and outcomes of the process and we present recommendations for future efforts to strengthen research capacity to improve sexual and reproductive health. The authors call for greater support from and collaborative efforts of developmental partners and governments to strengthen research capacity in low and middle-income countries to improve sexual and reproductive health.
authors.affiliation: Department of Reproductive Health and Research including UNDP/UNFPA/UNICEF/WHO/World Bank Special Programme of Research, Development and Research Training in Human Reproduction, World Health Organisation, Avenue Appia 20, Geneva, 1211, Switzerland. kabrar@who.int.|, 22 chemin Henry Wissner, Grand Lancy, Geneva, 1212, Switzerland. kabrar@who.int.
authors.forename: Rita
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6595-2035
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kabra
authors.affiliation: Paraguayan Center for Population Studies (CEPEP), Asunción, Paraguay.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Castillo
authors.affiliation: Paraguayan Center for Population Studies (CEPEP), Asunción, Paraguay.
authors.forename: Mercedes
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Melián
authors.affiliation: Department of Reproductive Health and Research including UNDP/UNFPA/UNICEF/WHO/World Bank Special Programme of Research, Development and Research Training in Human Reproduction, World Health Organisation, Avenue Appia 20, Geneva, 1211, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Moazzam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ali
authors.affiliation: Department of Reproductive Health and Research including UNDP/UNFPA/UNICEF/WHO/World Bank Special Programme of Research, Development and Research Training in Human Reproduction, World Health Organisation, Avenue Appia 20, Geneva, 1211, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Lale
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Say
authors.affiliation: Department of Reproductive Health and Research including UNDP/UNFPA/UNICEF/WHO/World Bank Special Programme of Research, Development and Research Training in Human Reproduction, World Health Organisation, Avenue Appia 20, Geneva, 1211, Switzerland.
authors.forename: A Metin
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Gulmezoglu
mesh_terms: D035843:Biomedical Research / Q000592:standards*; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D007843:Latin America; D060728:Reproductive Health; D012725:Sexual Behavior
keywords: Grants; Institutional development; Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs); Policy; Practices; Research capacity strengthening; Sexual and reproductive health