A group has been set up by the Malta Council for Science and Technology to identify measures that could be taken to boost health research carried out in Malta.

The national health research strategy steering group, led by Alec Lapira, will draft a policy document on the subject, which will be available for public debate in four months’ time.

A questionnaire has been sent out to health professionals, their associations, industry and other stakeholders to identify niches and explore their potential for further research and growth.

Key experts, including from the public health sector, an economist and a top researcher with both clinical and academic experience, will analyse the results of the questionnaire and come up with the draft policy. This will be open for public debate during a seminar later this year.

Following the public debate, the steering group will work on a final policy, which would be discussed with major stakeholders.

The aims of the strategy would be to provide sustainable health care by indentifying areas and opportunities for undertaking research to improve effectiveness and efficiency.

“For example, we could have someone working on risk factors for arthritis in the elderly, which is a big source of drain on public funds and which is impacting on Maltese health care because of the long waiting lists for a hip replacement,” Dr Lapira said.

The strategy would also identify areas where research is needed to maximise social and economic benefit and put forward an action plan to increase such research.

The strategy should merge with government plans for developing the health care sector, particularly at Mater Dei Hospital.

The overall research would, in turn, help politicians take informed decisions that impact the health of the public, Dr Lapira said.