Malta had to invest in public health research to maintain the current level of well-being among the population, Health Minister Joe Cassar insisted yesterday.

He said research findings were imperative when drawing up health policy.

"For health policies to be successful, they need to be evidence-based and supported by research findings," he said.

Although local policymakers draw heavily on foreign-based research, this does not replace the needed for local findings which help tailor policies for the needs of the population.

However, public health research should not be solely the government's domain, he said during a conference that looked at the role of NGOs in public health research.

Dr Cassar said free quality health for all was a top priority for the government, which believed every citizen had a right to live many years in good health through treatment and prevention of illness. He said that over the past decade the government's efforts were mainly concentrated on improving public hospital services, but this was not enough.

"We need to implement a series of public health strategies that will strive to bring about healthy well-being for the population now and in the future," he said.

The conference was organised by SOS Malta as part of a two-year EU-financed project - Strengthening Engagement in Public Health Research. It aims to improve public health research in Europe by engaging civil society organisations in dialogue with other stakeholders.