CE176/INF/7 - Policy on Research for Health: Final Report

The Research for Health Policy: Final Report (2025) reviews the progress achieved in the Region of the Americas since the adoption of PAHO’s 2009 policy aimed at promoting relevant, ethical, and high-quality research. The report highlights significant advances in research governance, scientific production, research ethics systems, evidence-informed decision-making, and the Region’s capacity to conduct research during public health emergencies. It also emphasizes that the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated the critical value of research in improving health outcomes, generating timely evidence, and fostering innovations that contribute to health equity and public well-being. 

Despite these achievements, the report identifies ongoing challenges, including insufficient research funding, limited research capacity in some countries, barriers to conducting large multinational clinical trials, and the need to strengthen transparency and public trust in research. It calls on Member States to reinforce national research ecosystems, enhance regional collaboration, apply lessons learned from the pandemic, and invest more strategically in science, innovation, and evidence generation to improve health and equity across the Americas.