Table 1 Details of data collected

1.

Countries with legislation on research for health

Presence of laws and legislation regulating the conduct of health research, whether as stand-alone or embedded in other laws, whether the laws included considerations for ethics in research, date enacted, number of laws/legislation in place

2.

Health research policy and health research strategic plan

Availability of a health research policy and strategic plan, validity period, whether disseminated, and whether under implementation. If still under development, the current status

3.

Research priority list

Availability, validity period

4.

National and institutional ethics review committees and scientific review committees

Availability of ethics and scientific review committees at the national, institutional, and service delivery (hospital) levels.

(The role of ethical committees is to ensure protection of potential participants in the research and consider the potential risks and benefits for the community in which the research will be carried out. The role of the scientific committee is to ensure scientific rigour of proposals/protocols). In the majority of cases, the committees perform a dual role

5.

Institutional capacity to coordinate health research

Availability of a health research focal person in the country (either based in the ministry of health or a national health research institute) and health research promotion unit/directorate within the ministry of health

6.

Availability of frameworks to foster effective partnerships

These were assessed at two levels:

1. Partnership frameworks/guidelines/agreements to guide collaborations between national research institutions and foreign (outside the country) institutions and agencies

2. At the national level—availability of memoranda of understanding between ministries of health and universities and national research institutes