ArticlePloS one2011
Trends in health policy and systems research over the past decade: still too little capacity in low-income countries.
Article in PloS one, 2011. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 69 papers, 6 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
69 citing papers in PubMed, 6 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Access Barriers to Healthcare for Undocumented Migrants in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Qualitative Systematic Review.Journal of immigrant and minority health · 2025Pooled it
- Health and health system impacts of China's comprehensive primary healthcare reforms: a systematic review.Health policy and planning · 2023Pooled it
- Social values and health systems in health policy and systems research: a mixed-method systematic review and evidence map.Health policy and planning · 2020Pooled it
- The economic burden of cardiovascular disease and hypertension in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review.BMC public health · 2018Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Approaches and impact of non-academic research capacity strengthening training models in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review.Health research policy and systems · 2015Pooled it
- The evolution of health policy and systems research in 11 low- and middle-income countries and the role of the Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research: a bibliometric analysis for 1999-2020.Health research policy and systems · 2025Article
- Exploring supportive roles for global north investigators in global health research.PLOS global public health · 2025Article
- A conceptual framework from the Philippines to analyse organizational capacities for health policy and systems research.Health policy and planning · 2024Article
- Analysis of funding landscape for health policy and systems research in the Eastern Mediterranean Region: A scoping review of the literature over the past decade.Health research policy and systems · 2024Article
- Standard of prevention for infectious diseases' prevention clinical trials during pandemics: learning lessons for global policies from biomedical HIV prevention clinical trials and a case study of COVID-19.Frontiers in public health · 2024Article
- Global financing for health policy and systems research: a review of funding opportunities.Health policy and planning · 2023Review
- Embedding Research on Implementation of Primary Health Care Systems Strengthening: A Commentary on Collaborative Experiences in Ethiopia, Ghana, and Mozambique.Global health, science and practice · 2022Article
- Universality of universal health coverage: A scoping review.PloS one · 2022Article
- Measuring health science research and development in Africa: mapping the available data.Health research policy and systems · 2021Article
- The role of document analysis in health policy analysis studies in low and middle-income countries: Lessons for HPA researchers from a qualitative systematic review.Health policy OPEN · 2021Article
- World Health Organization building blocks in rural community health services: An integrative review.Health science reports · 2021Review
- The role of government agencies and other actors in influencing access to medicines in three East African countries.Health policy and planning · 2021Article
- Identifying advocacy strategies, challenges and opportunities for increasing domestic health policy and health systems research funding in Nigeria: Perspectives of researchers and policymakers.Health research policy and systems · 2021Article
- Development of the Rehabilitation Health Policy, Systems, and Services Research field: Quantitative Analyses of Publications over Time (1990-2017) and across Country Type.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2020Article
9 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThe past decade has seen several high-level events and documents committing to strengthening the field of health policy and systems research (HPSR) as a critical input to strengthening health systems. Specifically, they called for increased production, capacity to undertake and funding for HPSR. The objective of this paper is to assess the extent to which progress has been achieved, an important feedback for stakeholders in this field. METHODS AND FINDING: Two sources of data have been used. The first is a bibliometric analysis to assess growth in production of HPSR between 2003 and 2009. The six building blocks of the health system were used to define the scope of this search. The second is a survey of 96 research institutions undertaken in 2010 to assess the capacity and funding availability to undertake HPSR, compared with findings from the same survey undertaken in 2000 and 2008. Both analyses focus on HPSR relevant to low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). Overall, we found an increasing trend of publications on HPSR in LMICs, although only 4% were led by authors from low-income countries (LICs). This is consistent with findings from the institutional survey, where despite improvements in infrastructure of research institutions, a minimal change has been seen in the level of experience of researchers within LIC institutions. Funding availability in LICs has increased notably to institutions in Sub-Saharan Africa; nonetheless, the overall increase has been modest in all regions.
conclusionAlthough progress has been made in both the production and funding availability for HPSR, capacity to undertake the research locally has grown at a much slower pace, particularly in LICs where there is most need for this research. A firm commitment to dedicate a proportion of all future funding for research to building capacity may be the only solution to turn the tide.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.