A bigger problem is the value of research to society, especially to the communities from which the data is collected. Because research is conceptuali… - Catherine Kyobutungi

am affected by the dysfunction in the global health system whereby problems and their solutions are defined by ‘experts’, who don’t have any lived experiences and who have a poor understanding of the local context.

The reason why inequalities persist is because we pay lip service to equity. The sustainable development goals (SDG) framework and its various instruments have equity as a key feature. As a result, equity is prominent in global commitments and national health policy framework – but only on paper.

In addition, the fact that we are an independent research institution, rather than a government-run organisation, makes it harder to forge and maintain long-term relationships with policy makers, especially those in government.