The Northern Mindanao Consortium for Health Research and Development (NorMinCoHRD) with Alliance for Improving Health Outcomes (AIHO) facilitates a research priority-setting workshop to address the most pressing health concerns in Region 10 in the next five years. The one-day event conducted on May in Cagayan de Oro City was comprised of diverse group of experts and stakeholders in the region, including researchers, healthcare providers, and public health officials, to develop Regional Unified Health Research Agenda (RUHRA)
Engr. Romela N. Ratilla, Chair NorMinCoHRD and DOST-X Regional Director, emphasized that the goal is to improve the overall health status and quality of life of every Mindanoan in the community across ages, gender, culture, and income brackets to robust economic development.
The workshop, attended by 13 members and 7 non-member institutions, involved a series of interactive sessions, discussions, and presentations of national health sector directions and regional health context. The participants identify health research topics of concern in the region based on their knowledge and experience, select criteria through which each research topic will be judged, and score to prioritize the research topics.
The outcomes will serve as a basis for funding decisions, policy development, and research programs in a five year scope, helping to ensure that resources are allocated to areas where they will have a substantial impact on public health. This workshop can foster collaboration among researchers, stakeholders, and communities, leading to more effective and sustainable health interventions and outcomes.
The workshop is an initiative of the Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (DOST-PCHRD) in preparation for developing the National Unified Health Research Agenda (NUHRA) 2023-2028 through the use of bottom-up prioritization from regions with top-down inputs from the national health sector directions.
Currently, the consortium has 15 active member institutions. Its mission is to generate and use knowledge, innovation, technology, products, and services in promoting the health of every Filipino by strengthening linkages and creating and sustaining an enabling environment for health research. (Linreb Modero /DOST 10)
