| Summary: | Research trends in the Region of the Americas and the technical cooperation of PAHO in this field were examined at the XXXI Meeting of the Advisory Committee on Health Research (ACHR). Changes in demographic profiles and in morbidity and mortality patterns have led to new ways of organizing health care and scientific research. There is also a new scientific paradigm that represents a departure from the conventional positivism and makes allowances for the complexity of natural social and historical processes. The State no longer plays the leading role in the development of science and technology, and the resources from international banks more often are being directed at consolidating the link between producers and users of knowledge and technology, and less at support of universities and resource training. The Inter-American Development Bank and the World Bank have approved projects with a total cost of nearly US$ 2 000 million, almost all of which is to be used to finance the reorganization of health systems. Regarding the allocation of national funds, the science and technology sector receives between 0.24% and 0.75% of the gross domestic product in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, and Venezuela, in contrast to 2.7% in developed countries. The ACHR outlined objectives and plans to strengthen the research capability of the Region's countries in the next four years.
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