The need for innovation and implementation research for maternal and newborn health
1 WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA, World Bank Group, UN Population Division. Trends in maternal mortality: 1990 to 2015: estimates by WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA, World Bank Group and the United Nations Population Division. Geneva: WHO, 2015. 2 UN Population Fund. Family planning; overview. http:/www.unfpa.org/familyplanning (accessed Aug 12, 2016) 3 WHO. Neonatal mortality; situation and trends. http:/www.who.int/gho/child_health/ mortality/neonatal_text/en/ (accessed Aug 12, 2016) 4 Temmerman M, Khosla R, Bhutta ZA, Bustreo F. Towards a new Global Strategy for Women's, Children's and Adolescents' Health. BMJ 2015; 351: h4414. 5 Research Innovation Horizon Prizes. Birth Day Prize. http:/ec.europa.eu/research/ horizonprize/index.cfm?prize=birthday (accessed Aug 12, 2016) Inequity is a key factor to consider in MNH research, particularly regarding adolescents and migrants. Innovative approaches are needed to ensure quality of care for adolescents for whom few specialised services are available, and for the large numbers of migrants with a documented lack of access to health services. The development of effective, innovative solutions requires collaboration between academic researchers from diff erent disciplines, scientists, clinicians, and perhaps m o s t i m p o r t a n t l y w o m e n their families, and communities. The involvement of end users in identifying problems and solutions provides vital insights and increases the likelihood that solutions will be taken up at scale; their involvement should be part of the assessment criteria of any research proposal. The new global architecture, with the Sustainable Development Goals and the Global Strategy for Women's, Children's and Adolescents' Health, ensures that MNH remains high on the political agenda. However, we must move from political commitment to action, via the creation and dissemination of evidence. The commitment of the research community should go beyond conducting and publishing research findings: from conception until the use of results, any research should be carried out in continuous partnership with policy makers, politicians, development partners, and the media to ensure that evidence is properly translated into policy and practice. We are far from reaching the goal of safe pregnancy and childbirth for all women and girls, in all countries. Research and innovation are essential ingredients for progress. The European Union has invested over EUR690 million in research directly related to MNH in 2007 13, and will continue its commitment under Horizon 2020, with new funding modalities like the Birth Day Prize, which aim to mobilise new and innovative actors.
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