The interface between research and practice is often fraught with challenges driven by a lack of understanding and poor communication between decision-makers and researchers. The resulting outcome is low uptake and use of research findings within health systems and programmes.

In order for research to address issues of implementation, an intimate understanding of the programme, as well as the health system and greater context that encompass it – from the perspective of the decision-maker – is needed. This ensures that relevant research questions are asked, feasible recommendations are provided, and that evidence is timely for decision-making.

Research programme

In 2014 the Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research launched a new initiative in collaboration WHO Regional Offices entitled “Improving Programme Implementation through Embedded Research (iPIER)”. iPIER aims to facilitate the implementation of effective health interventions through the use of research that is conducted as a part of the implementation process.

Below please find the list of projects funded under the iPIER grant-scheme during the 2014-2016 period. You may wish to access the final report by clicking the respective project title

Country	Institution	Title of the project	PI
Pakistan	Malaria Control Program Sindh and Bridge Consultants Foundation	Integration of malaria surveillance system in Sindh	Dr Nahid Jamali
Yemen	Ministry of Public Health and Population	Challenges of improved therapeutic feeding program on management of severe acute malnutrition in Yemen focusing on monitoring and evaluation	Dr Abdulla Saleem Bin Ghouth
Palestine	Ministry of Health	Improvement of the Adverse Events Following Immunizatin in Palestine	Jehad A. Ahmed
Pakistan	Control Programme, Sindh, and Bridge Consultants Foundation	Challenges and barriers in pursuit of implementing the public-private mix project for tuberculosis in Sindh	Dr Syed Sharaf Ali Shah
Lebanon	Ministry of Public Health	Governance Dynamics in Implementing the Cardiovascular Risk Detection and Management Initiative in the Primary Health Care Network in Lebanon	Dr Rouham Yamout        Dr Mona Osman
Lebanon	Ministry of Public Health	Hospital performance contracting: improving implementation	Dr Jade Khalife
Morocco	Ecole Nationale de Santé Publique	Promouvoir des soins de qualité pour la prise en charge de la mère et du nouveau-né au Maroc	Dr Bouchra Assarag Dr Amina Essolbi
Egypt	Ministry of Health and Population	System gaps resulting in low contraceptive use and high prevalence of unmet needs, Qena governorate	Dr Atef Elshitany
Sudan	Federal Ministry of Health/National Nutrition Programme	Universal salt iodization: regulatory function and coordination systems, Gadarif state, Sudan	Dr Nada Osman
Pakistan	Ministry of National Health Services Regulation and Coordination	"The breastfeeding code" overcoming implementation barriers in Pakistan	Dr Shahzad Ali Khan