Coherence between research output and public health priorities: the case of neglected tropical diseases in Brazil

Abstract

The Brazilian National Agenda of Priorities in Health Research (NAPHR) was established to guide cost-effective investment that maximizes health benefits and promotes equity. Seven high burden neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) were included to promote better coordination between research and development activities and public health programs. This paper assessed the coherence of NTD research output in relation to the NAPHR and funding investments. NTD priorities and NTD-related Brazilian publications from 2012 to 2016 were retrieved, and both categorized according to the type of research; government funding for NTD research was mapped out through open access sources. The analysis suggested (i) a partial alignment between national NTD research priorities and NTD scientific publications, with the best fit for tuberculosis; (ii) a lack of consistency between disease burden and funding levels, which was also seen between disease burden and volume of publications. The triangulation of priorities, output, and funding data results offered a stronger perspective with the potential to inform policy decision in public health. The study highlighted the relevance of monitoring health needs, research agendas, investment and research outputs to optimize the uptake of scientific evidence into health, particularly in developing countries, where resources are scarce and research capacity limited. A comprehensive and dynamic national research information system could offer quality data for better assessment of the return and impact of the scientific activity in the country.