A Mexican approach to health priorities.

IDRC is helping to develop the plan for Essential National Health Research (ENHR) for Mexico. Mexico strongly supports this approach to setting public health research priorities in developing countries. The conclusions of an extensive report led to the creation of the Council on Health Research for Development (COHRED) which is made up of national committees entrusted to decide on subjects for ENHR. It is very hard for competent and committed researchers to assign priority to one problem over another, however. Researchers need to know that 90% of health problems originate in developing countries, yet 95% of the human, technical, and financial resources are in developed countries. One needs to cut down the barriers of ignorance at all levels, such as the mistrust and resistance between researchers and decision makers. COHRED is a vehicle to break through the lack of communication. Funding agencies want to clearly understand the public health problems, but researchers do not like setting priorities. The Mexican Committee for Basic Health Research (COMISA) should release its final report on research priorities in mid-1994. The chair says that globalization is occurring in the health field. For example, tourists from developed countries bring tropical diseases back to their countries. The major health problems in urban areas are chronic degenerative diseases, accidents, and cancer. Cancer of the uterus is a major cause of death among poor women in urban areas due to the absence of general screening and of routine doctor's visits. Other committees are determining the disciplines that should be promoted: molecular research, clinical research, epidemiology, health services, and administrative and financial frameworks. There are hopes to achieve an integrated global analysis of all aspects of medicine.