HRP联盟在行动：通过在东南亚的重点支持建设区域能力

Page2Myanmar is currently facing a shortage in skilledmedical personnel. The availability of skilled birthattendants is far below the60% of deliveriesrecom-mendation from the World Health Organization (WHO).Every year,2 800 womenin Myanmar die inpregnancy and childbirth. Following the fragilepolitical context, the quality and availability of sexualand reproductive health services were stronglydisrupted. In the face of such challenges, medicalThe funding from HRPAlliance enabled me tofulfill my dreams to conductmy PhD at KKU, comingfrom Myanmar. There wasa really good culture withour supervisors and theuniversity. We had regularmeetings where we couldpose any questions wemight have. We also had toshow our progress.Kyaw Lwin ShowThe HRP Alliance supports research capacity strengthening by bringing together institutionsconducting research in sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). At the centreof the HRP Alliance are seven regional ‘hubs’ established to empower and stimulate theresearch capacity of SRHR partner institutions, providing regional leadership throughscholarships, training, fellowships and institutional mentorship. This story underscoresthe innovative role taken by the South-East Asian hub in advancing SRHR research, provingthat research capacity strengthening on SRHR is not only possible but can even advance infragile and challenging contexts. personnel need to be equipped with evidence-based guidance and tools to respond to the specificchallenges in their country. To guarantee sustainablechange and a meaningful improvement in maternalhealth outcomes, we need local solutions to thesechallenges.The HRP Alliance regional research capacitystrengthening (RCS) hub located at Khon KaenUniversity (KKU) in Thailand decided to take adistinctive approach by focusing on a singlecountry—Myanmar—and intensively trainingindividuals from a national research institution.Rather than dispersing efforts across multiplecountries and institutions, the hub wantedto be intentional in its support of selectedindividuals affiliated with two departmentswithin one institution capable of catalysingsustainable change in SRHR in Myanmar. AsPisake Lumbiganon, Principal Investigator for theregional hub explained, “Building research capacitymeans creating a network of experts who canwork together effectively. One plus one is not justtwo—it becomes three or four when collaborationflourishes and is well maintained.”Key learnings and innovationsThis focused approach emphasized quality overquantity by providing comprehensive trainingin research methods, systematic reviews andimplementation science. The hub focused ontraining a small group of researchers with thepotential to implement evidence-based solutionsin their home institution. This targeted strategy not Workshop on Cochrane Systematic Review andEvidence Grading, Yangon, 31 Oct - 2 Nov 2018proposal development and ethical considerations; atthe same time, PhD candidates selected to receivescholarships through the HRP Alliance focusedtheir research on the UN’s Special Programme inHuman Reproduction (HRP) priority areas, suchas comprehensive sexuality education, respectfulmaternity care and cervical cancer. “The fundingfrom HRP Alliance enabled me to fulfill my dreamsto conduct my PhD at KKU, coming from Myanmar.There was a really good culture with our supervisorsand the university. We had regular meetings wherewe could pose any questions we might have. We alsohad to show our progress,” said Kyaw Lwin Show,one of the PhD Students receiving HRP Alliance’ssponsorship, who investigated the impact of acaesarean section on breastfeeding.The studies conducted by the PhD studentsand supported by the Thailand HRP Alliance hubaddressed critical issues in SRHR research andpolicy implementation in Myanmar. Their workincluded exploring mistreatment during childbirthand its negative impact on patient satisfactionand care-seeking behaviour, identifying gaps incervical cancer screening and interventions toincrease uptake through innovative approacheslike self-sampling for human papillomavirus, as only avoided the dilution of efforts, but also fosteredstronger relationships, enabling ongoing supportfor the researchers’ work. Due to the continuedmeetings, involvement in follow-up training sessionsand sustainable points of contact, the relationshipsand networks allowed the researchers to continuetheir work under difficult circumstances.The onset of political instability tested the resilienceof the programme. Despite the challenges, the hubcontinued their critical work with the team in Myanmar.They worked closely with their partners to monitorthe situation in Myanmar and find innovative waysfor collaboration, ensuring that selected scholars hadthe institutional backing and resources to implementwhat they learned under the multiple research trainingsessions provided.The key to successThe efforts from the hub based in Thailand resultedin tangible outcomes. Researchers participatedin compreh