Table 5 Recommendations

Global Fund secretariat

• Global Fund to provide specific guidance on inclusion of OR/IR in concept notes and grant budgets.

• Global Fund to ensure necessary flexibility to fund small-scale OR/IR studies identified only after grant signing, e.g. through flexible OR/IR allocation within the M&E budget.

• (Re-)establishment of an inventory of OR/IR studies supported by the Global Fund.

Technical partners

• Technical partners including WHO country and regional offices to promote and actively support the inclusion of OR/IR in country health strategies, strategic development plans, guidance documents and disease-specific agendas to increase awareness and to align Global Fund concept notes including OR/IR studies with all relevant guidance.

Countries

• Countries to increase awareness of the importance of OR/IR within national disease control efforts and inclusion of OR/IR in concept note development. Hence, academic and research stakeholders should be closely involved in the elaboration of concept notes.

• Countries to strengthen capacities at all levels to coordinate research, develop research agendas as well as to plan, conduct, oversee and disseminate OR/IR. Improve communication strategies to disseminate findings to relevant stakeholders to influence policy and translate findings into improved program performance.

• Countries to improve results dissemination and uptake in-country, and – with support from funders and development partners – facilitation of results dissemination across programs and countries (e.g. regional).