Health minister launches public research programme

Public health minister Dawn Primarolo has unveiled a new research programme funded by up to ten million pounds per year.

The Public Health Research Programme (PHRP) has been established by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and is aimed at reducing health inequalities and improving public health.

It is set to evaluate a range of public health interventions and provide new information regarding the benefits, acceptability, costs and effects of non-NHS initiatives.

Funding for the PHRP will increase over the next three years and reach ten million pounds annually, Ms Primarolo announced.

“In order to continue improving the health and wellbeing of the people of this country we need reliable, relevant evidence on the most effective ways of protecting from disease, preventing illness and promoting good health,” she said, adding that this type of data can only come from research.

According to the NHS, the PHRP will have a multi-disciplinary and broad scope, taking into account various issues from the social marketing of safe sex promotion to speed humps for the reduction of traffic accidents.