Research in Family Medicine in Developing Countries

Nowadays, it is no longer a rare thing that we find ourselves in a crowd of people of various cultures and nationalities, since such global environment is present in all big cities and important transport crossroads. In this environment that was not only showing the mobility of people but also the mobility of goods, I decided to take a personal standpoint towards the research in the undeveloped and the developing world.

Not only in the development of an individual - in each important progress - the transfer of knowledge is essential. Research institutions in the countries with well developed research culture are those that render education to young researchers and play the leading role in motivating the researches in less developed countries. An important role is also played by international organisations of researchers, especially those offering support for the researchers from the countries, which are "weak" in the research field. Let me mention the European General Practice Research Network that incited research commitment in Turkey, Bulgaria, Rumania and other countries with its promotional activities. The initiative strategy has already born fruit; on each meeting there are more and more presentations of research projects from those countries that have not presented any studies for years. The research field refers to health problems of a given environment, for instance what it is that the Turkish patients believe in, perception of pregnancy in two various ethnic groups in Bulgaria, use of health care service in Bulgaria (http://www.egprw.org/Files/Antwerp.pdf).

If a research question rises from a natural environment, then it is motivation that forces a young researcher to follow his goal and to enable him to get the necessary knowledge. The viewpoints and the orientation of project leaders are also important. Some senior researchers who have for instance led a research project in a less developed country - tell us that it was essential to have looked for dynamic young and ambitious representatives originating from the local level to which the local people trusted. The response rate in such environment might be unexpectedly high and cannot be compared to the percentages encountered in developed countries of Europe and America (for instance 25 or 30% response rate). When a small project is well carried out, there soon appear wishes and needs for a large, more demanding, even international project. This is the point when the local researchers hit against insurmountable financial barriers. It is therefore a must to have as many trusts as possible on the continental level and in the world.

The process of development and hindering of research capacities must not be contemplated in an isolated and partial way. It should be enlightened with international social changes. The mobility of people, services and goods is that irrepressible flow that will change the situation of research in primary healthcare and bring us closer to the health needs of people in the developing countries. But will this flow improve health globally?

Danica Rotar Pavliè, MD, Senior Researcher,Hon. Secretary of European General Practice Research Network,University of Ljubljana,Department of family medicine,Poljanski nasip 58,1000 Ljubljana,SLOVENIA

Competing interests:   None declared