Submission ID 116413
| Issue/Objective | Health research is essential to combat any disease, yet inequities persist in where research is conducted, who leads it, and who benefits. Low-resource settings, burdened by high disease prevalence, often lack research integration into healthcare systems. Nurses, midwives, community health workers, and allied health professionals, who are closest to these challenges, typically lack the mandate, tools, mentorship, or support needed to gain the evidence they need to change outcomes in their patients. The 1000 Challenge seeks to empower over 1000 health workers in such settings to lead locally relevant research using a novel system developed to support them through every step in this process. |
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| Methodology/Approach | Using a unique and innovative Study Builder system, the initiative provides a structured, interactive platform guiding healthcare workers through the research process. The tool guides participants towards targeted resources, including templates, checklists, and global research standards, and facilitates collaboration through an online volunteer community where participants can seek guidance on any step where they need help. The system also enables participants to identify priority health challenges, develop protocols, secure ethical approvals, and implement data collection. Research teams have guided refinements to the tool, significantly improving its functionality and usability. |
| Results | The Challenge promotes gender and regional equity in research leadership and ensures research becomes a core component of healthcare systems. So far, forty-four studies have been registered in the system with four completed. Over five years, it aims to equip 1000+ health workers to lead impactful studies, generating locally relevant evidence to improve patient care, healthcare resource allocation, and policy. |
| Discussion/Conclusion | The initiative aims to build a diverse community of health researchers in low-resource settings, promoting evidence-based practice, gender and regional equity, and research integration into healthcare systems. Over five years, it will train 1,000+ health workers to lead impactful studies, improving patient care, resource allocation, and policy. |
| Presenters and affiliations | Paul Kingpriest The Global Health Network, University of Oxford Christine Kirima The Global Health Network Africa Trudie lang The Global Health Network, University of Oxford Arancha De La Horra Gozalo The Global Health Network, University of Oxford |
