Editorial: Does Brussels listen? European health systems research in developing countries at the edge of extinction

Research into health systems all over the world has contributed to the development of new disease control strategies, modernized hospital and outpatient care, alternative financing mechanisms, cost-effective interventions and monitoring tools which resulted in improved delivery of care and public health services. But financing of such research is a problem in many European countries – particularly when the study is to be carried out outside the European Union – as it does not fall into the classical categories of basic science, medical science or development of drugs and vaccines and may not have an immediate impact on European health services. In view of this, a European programme for strengthening health systems research in developing countries (INCO-DEV) was set up by the European Commission in Brussels in 1983 which was integrated into the Science and Technology for Development programme on an increasing budget. For two decades it has facilitated high quality health systems research influencing health policies worldwide. Examples for INCO-funded projects are given below.