The Global Health Network Latin America & the Caribbean: Creating Equity in Health Research by Connecting Excellence and Sharing Know-how

We are going to enhance research in our region by connecting studies in emerging infectious diseases to drive knowledge mobilisation and cultivate skills. The Global Health Network was set up 12 years ago to tackle ineffective research capacity development that only taught teams to collect data for a distant partner on a specific, disease-centred study. This failed to leave teams equipped and skilled to lead research programmes independently. Our philosophy is that to tackle any disease a whole ecosystem of different types of studies are essential. Our research tells us that the challenges faced by teams undertaking these studies and generating safe, accurate and ethical evidence does not vary between disease or study type. We have designed mechanisms to mobilise these missing cross-cutting methods and ‘know-how’ to successfully share excellence between organisations, regions and disease areas. Bringing skills and know-how addresses inequity in where research happens, who leads and who benefits from the evidence. Here we harness these approaches to connect between our countries, and across the Global South. We will determine barriers and enablers for stronger research environments. We are going to deliver better methods, new evidence and foster independent, lasting capable teams.