Our Approach

The BIG IDEA behind COMDIS is to anchor communicable disease research within operational programmes, so that knowledge generated is relevant and rapidly incorporated into policy and practice. This ensures that utilisation of effective interventions is on a wide scale and reaches poor and vulnerable people. Often our work helps obtain and mobilise Global Fund support, giving a considerable multiplier effect.

We believe that to ensure utilization is on a wide scale, it is essential to develop good communication between COMDIS and national programmes. This involves building good working relationships with national programmes; identifying priority problems together; ensuring research is directly relevant to operational programmes; helping formulate new policy based on research findings; developing operational and training materials and programmes; helping train trainers; and helping transfer lessons learnt to other partner and non-partner countries.