Research in social & administrative pharmacy : RSAP
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Res Social Adm Pharm · Nov 2020
Global health research partnerships in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
This themed issue on global health research has come at an opportune time in the middle of the ongoing global public health crisis arising from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic which has claimed nearly 756,000 lives in 210 countries and territories around the world as of August 15, 2020. The public health crisis underscores the importance of global health research partnerships and collaborations to develop and evaluate the requisite health technologies to assist in containing COVID-19, other diseases, and health-related concerns that defy national borders. The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), adopted by the member countries of the United Nations in September 2015, provide a framework for global development efforts including global health research. ⋯ However, given the wide disparities in fiscal and overall capacity for research between researchers in HIC and their counterparts in LMIC as well as the greater vulnerabilities of the LMIC communities when serving as research locations, a spotlight on the nature of such global health research partnerships in the context of the SDGs is desirable. This is to ensure that they are meaningful and mutually-beneficial partnerships which address local health concerns and promote long-term value for the communities involved. The objective of this commentary is, therefore, to provide a brief overview of the SDGs by way of context; explore the power differences at play when researchers from HIC are seeking research opportunities in LMIC; examine the social determinants of health and the disproportionate burden of global diseases carried by populations in LMIC to establish their vulnerability; discuss global research partnerships; and attempt to make a case for why community-based participatory research may be the preferred type of global health research partnership in the context of the SDGs.
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Res Social Adm Pharm · Nov 2020
An Ethics-based Approach to Research in Global Health: A Call to Action for Pharmacists.
As opportunities and interests in international partnerships and research continue to grow in pharmacy, so, too, does the likelihood of encountering ethical challenges. We posit that the chance of encountering an ethical challenge in global health is almost inevitable. This commentary serves as an introduction to a series of four papers highlighting ethical issues in global health research for pharmacists. The authors draw on core ethical principles to guide collaborative global research in working to advance the health of people and populations worldwide.