Working with countries

The Department of Reproductive Health and Research (RHR) works closely with countries to strengthen their capacity to undertake research and programme activities in sexual and reproductive health, both to respond to national needs and priorities, and to contribute to regional and global efforts. The work is organized in three main areas: research capacity strengthening; policy and programmatic issues; and mapping and implementing best practices.

In its research activities, HRP works with a network of over 120 institutions in 59 developing countries, of which 53 institutions were officially designated as WHO Collaborating Centres at the beginning of 2004. In 2004, the status of these Collaborating Centres was reviewed, as part of a WHO-wide effort to ensure that all designated centres are, in fact, active and engaged in relevant work. As a result of this exercise, nine institutions had their designation discontinued. In 2005, the designation process was completed for one of the new institutions that had requested designation. Thus, in 2005, the HRP network included a total of 43 officially designated WHO Collaborating Centres.

The WHO/UNFPA Strategic Partnership Programme (SPP)

The SPP has been set up as a collaboration between WHO and UNFPA, to improve linkages between the development of evidence-based guidelines and tools, and the implementation of recommendations in programmes and service delivery.

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National research & research capacity strengthening

Many institutions have benefited from this strategy of the HRP Programme, and among them several have developed to become centres of excellence, which are playing a leading role in both research and training for less developed centres.

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