Operational Research

Bottlenecks and constraints are often encountered during implementation of health interventions and services. Operational research is research undertaken in these real settings to provide evidence based data to guide health policy and implementation decisions.

CIAM has undertaken various operational research projects over the last few years. As an example, a study on the delivery of prevention of Parent To Child Transmission of HIV/AIDS (PTCT) services for pregnant mothers in The Gambia was designed and undertaken in partnership with the Reproductive Child Health Unit and other key stakeholders in the Gambia. The need for the study arose from results generated by CIAM’s monitoring of the Global Fund for AIDS, TB and Malaria grant to the National AIDS Secretariat’s HIV/AIDS programme. A review was commissioned to assess coverage, to determine the underlying factors of the low uptake of PTCT services, and to recommend strategies to strengthen the current implementation process nationwide. The government also wished for information to inform the process of developing a funding proposal to international donors.