Sexy, maybe. Fun, definitely!

BY ELIZABETH EKIRAPA-KIRACHO, MAKERERE UNIVERSITY PUBLIC HEALTH

In response to Nandini’s question can research make health systems sexier?  I guess it can it all depends on the researchers line of thought. I have been part of the Future Health Systems Consortium for five years and believe me I have realised that health systems research can be lots of fun! You must be wondering why. This particular consortium allows you to be creative and innovative. Nobody tells you what to research on, you decide what is relevant for you and you think of innovative ways to solve the problems that plague health systems in developing countries. This is a big lesson for developing countries we need to start thinking and doing what we think is best for us in our context. During this Global symposium, the issue of context is coming out strongly context matters in health systems research. We know our context best we should get into the driver’s seat.

Two quotations will stay with me after all is said and done at this conference. The one by Davis Miles “don’t play what's there play what's not there.” I look forward to researching on health systems topics that are still a puzzle. As part of the safe deliveries study, we are piloting a study that gives mothers access to delivery and postnatal care services in Eastern Uganda using vouchers.  Institutional deliveries have increased tremendously! Great but the question remains how can you scale up this initiative in a resource constrained country?

The second quotation is by Abbas Bhuia “Leave a mark in the field where you are researching.” I guess not only a mark of excellent research but a mark that you have made a difference in the lives of the people in that community.