WHO Calls for Stronger Follow-Through on Research Priorities

Research agendas are increasingly used to guide funding and set priorities across health, education, environmental policy and other fields.

Publishing a global research agenda is only the first step, with the real challenge beginning when institutions must turn agreed priorities into funded studies, practical policies and better decisions, speakers said during a World Health Organization webinar.

The 16 June session brought together 138 participants from 48 countries for the third webinar in WHO's series on its Global Research Agenda on Knowledge Translation and Evidence-informed Policy-making. The discussion examined why many research agendas struggle to move from planning documents into sustained action.

A Global Agenda with 19 Priority Areas

WHO's Global Research Agenda was developed with more than 130 experts from 38 countries. It identifies 19 priority areas for research into knowledge translation, which focuses on helping evidence move from research settings into public policy and everyday practice.

Research agendas are increasingly used to guide funding and set priorities across health, education, environmental policy and other fields. Speakers said the work often receives less attention after publication, even though implementation, monitoring and evaluation determine whether priorities produce meaningful results.

Governance and Funding Shape Progress

Researchers from the University of Antioquia's Unit of Evidence and Deliberation for Decision Making presented a scoping review of global research agendas published between 2015 and 2025. The review covered several sectors and found recurring weaknesses in governance arrangements, monitoring systems and accountability processes.

Funding, continued engagement from relevant groups and long-term coordination were identified as important conditions for progress. Professor Daniel F. Patiño-Lugo said global agendas can be powerful tools for setting priorities, yet many offer limited direction on how actions should be carried out and assessed over time.

A second presentation by Impact Fellows from University College London's Global Business School for Health reviewed lessons from 19 WHO-led research agendas developed during the past decade.

Planning Must Start Before Publication

The findings showed that implementation rarely happens automatically. Agendas are more likely to make a difference when follow-up work is planned early, resources are available and responsibilities are clearly shared between institutions.

Participants stressed that interest-holder engagement should continue after priorities are agreed, allowing organisations to build shared ownership and adapt their work as new evidence emerges. Monitoring and evaluation should also be designed from the beginning, giving partners a way to track whether research priorities are being pursued and whether the work is improving policy decisions.

WHO highlighted three core lessons for future agendas: prepare implementation plans early, connect priorities with existing partnerships and structures, and use appropriate systems to measure progress. The webinar forms part of WHO's wider effort to encourage the use of evidence-informed policymaking across health and social sectors.