Global Ministerial Forum on Research for Health Starts: 17 November 2008 Ends: 20 November 2008 City: Bamako Country: Mali The purpose of the conference is to strengthen research for health, development and equity, by generating increased commitment to research and innovation, and by developing coherence and connectivity between the many different stakeholders active in this field. Our theme "research for health" reflects the need to link discussions on health research more closely with ongoing developments in science and technology, and with the broader research community in education, food, water, and agriculture. Research on social and environmental determinants of health, and new directions in e-health, impact evaluation, implementation research and participatory research will be explored. However, this is not an academic conference. There will be panel discussions and debates, round-tables for in-depth preparation, and a host of opportunities for networking in order to ensure that a step change can be made in the effectiveness of global and national efforts in research for health. The conference is being co-organized by six partners working together, namely the Council on Health Research for Development, the Global Forum for Health Research, the Government of Mali, UNESCO, the World Bank and the World Health Organization. The Memorandum of Understanding for the conference was signed by four of the six partners at the World Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland, on 22 May 2007. (UNESCO and the World Bank have agreed to sign the agreement without delay.) The 2008 Global Ministerial Forum on Research for Health aims to bring together 1000 stakeholders including ministers of health, science & technology, and social development; researchers; civil society organizations; national research councils; donor agencies; philanthropic foundations; and representatives of the private sector. Participation will be by invitation, but a world-wide consultative process is being launched prior to the conference itself. Ministerial preparatory meetings and meetings of interested stakeholders are being organised in each region, and on-line consultative questionnaires are being prepared for your input, on this site. You may wish to visit our Participation page for more information. URL: http://bamako2008.org/en/index.shtml