Jackson Tracy, Fernandes Genevie, Williams Siân, Nathan Jayakayatri Jeevajothi, Makita Meiko
Usher Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK.
International Primary Care Respiratory Group, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK.
J Glob Health. 2025 Jun 6;15:03026. doi: 10.7189/jogh.15.03026.
Stakeholder engagement is increasingly required by global health funders as a means to enhance research impact and bridge the gap between knowledge generation and its application in local health systems. However, global health researchers often face structural and operational barriers that limit meaningful stakeholder engagement. We present a practical model developed by a global respiratory health research programme implemented in four low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) - Bangladesh, India, Malaysia, and Pakistan. The model centred on designating in-country stakeholder engagement champions - locally based professionals with strong communication skills and contextual understanding of the health system and stakeholders. These champions were supported through mentorship, peer exchange, and capacity-building activities delivered by a central community and stakeholder engagement platform comprising experts and researchers. The champions had autonomy to design context-specific engagement strategies, allocate resources, and lead interactions with stakeholders throughout the research lifecycle. This decentralised approach enabled tailored engagement, fostered south-south learning, and created leadership opportunities for LMIC researchers. Despite successes, challenges included managing power imbalances, limited institutional capacity, and increased workloads. The model offers a promising approach for advancing equitable partnerships and local leadership in global health research, aligning with broader efforts to decolonise global health and promote meaningful, context-driven stakeholder engagement.
全球卫生资助者越来越要求开展利益相关方参与活动，以此作为增强研究影响力、弥合知识生成与在地方卫生系统中应用之间差距的一种手段。然而，全球卫生研究人员常常面临限制有意义的利益相关方参与的结构和操作障碍。我们介绍了一个由在四个低收入和中等收入国家（孟加拉国、印度、马来西亚和巴基斯坦）实施的全球呼吸健康研究项目所开发的实用模式。该模式的核心是指定国内利益相关方参与活动的倡导者——具备较强沟通技巧且对卫生系统和利益相关方有情境理解的当地专业人员。这些倡导者通过由一个由专家和研究人员组成的中央社区及利益相关方参与平台提供的指导、同行交流和能力建设活动获得支持。倡导者有权自主设计针对具体情境的参与策略、分配资源，并在整个研究周期内主导与利益相关方的互动。这种分散式方法实现了量身定制的参与，促进了南南学习，并为低收入和中等收入国家的研究人员创造了领导机会。尽管取得了成功，但挑战包括管理权力不平衡、机构能力有限以及工作量增加。该模式为推进全球卫生研究中的公平伙伴关系和地方领导力提供了一种有前景的方法，与使全球卫生非殖民化及促进有意义的、情境驱动的利益相关方参与的更广泛努力相一致。
