Council on Health Research for Development

What Council on Health Research for Development does

Council on Health Research for Development (COHRED) is a Geneva-based non-profit organization founded in 1993 that supports low- and middle-income countries in building effective national health research systems. Its work spans advocacy, facilitation, technical support, collaborative research, and knowledge sharing, and it has accumulated more than 15 years of documented experience in this niche as of the most recent input data.

COHRED's product portfolio is composed of programs, frameworks, and platforms rather than commercial software. Regional programs include Research for Health Africa (R4HA) and National Health Research Systems in Latin America; international partnerships include EU-LAC Health and the Africa-EU Science & Technology Cooperation initiative; specialized research programs include MASCOT (research policy), Fair Research Contracting (FRC), the Mapping of Ethics Review Capacity in Sub-Saharan Africa (MARC), RIMAIS, and the Social Determinants of Health Network (SDH-Net). The Health Research Web serves as a global information platform on health research in LMICs, while the Learning Spiral is a continuous consultation methodology intended to create communities of practice among research-for-health professionals. A library of action guides covers pharmaceutical innovation, ethics review, coordination, capacity, priority setting, policy development, and system assessment.

COHRED does not operate a commercial revenue or pricing model; it is funded through public funds and donor/sponsor support. The organization's customer base consists of LMIC governments and ministries, researchers and research managers, policy makers, donors and research sponsors, civil society organizations, and global health initiatives. As of the most recent available information, COHRED has suspended normal operations due to financial circumstances and is seeking to revive mission-driven funding, while its publications remain publicly available as global goods.

Name

Council on Health Research for Development

Legal name

Council on Health Research for Development

Website

https://cohred.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Council on Health Research for Development (COHRED) is a Geneva-based non-profit founded in 1993 that strengthens national health research systems in low- and middle-income countries through advocacy, technical support, frameworks, and knowledge platforms. It currently has suspended normal operations due to financial circumstances.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Global Health Research System Development Services

NAICS

Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (541720), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Global Health Research, Evidence & Technical Assistance Organizations (HLAJAKAN)

akta.pro secondary industry

Multilateral Global Health Partnerships (UN/WHO-led Initiatives) (HLAJAOAA)

Keywords

• Health research systems
• Research capacity building
• Global health consulting
• Research policy development
• Low and middle income countries

Headquarters

HQ city

Geneva

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

COHRED is a non-profit international organization that helps low- and middle-income countries strengthen their national health research systems through advocacy, facilitation, technical support, collaborative research, and knowledge sharing. Its core offering consists of country-level programs, action guides/frameworks, regional partnerships, and the Health Research Web information platform, all designed to align health research with national priorities and equity goals.

Product overview

COHRED is a non-profit organization (currently suspended due to financial circumstances) that does not operate a traditional software product platform. Instead, COHRED's offerings consist of advocacy programs, capacity-building initiatives, and knowledge-sharing frameworks focused on strengthening national health research systems in low- and middle-income countries. The portfolio includes regional programs (Research for Health Africa, Latin American Health Research Systems), international partnerships (EU-LAC Health, Africa-EU Science & Tech Cooperation), specialized research initiatives (MARC ethics mapping, pharmaceutical innovation strengthening), and knowledge platforms (Health Research Web, Learning Spiral methodology). These are complemented by a collection of action guides covering areas such as ethics regulation, civil society engagement, priority setting, and system assessment. COHRED also organizes the COHRED Colloquium series as an interactive forum for stakeholders to discuss research investments. All publications remain available as global public goods developed with public funds.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Research for Health Africa (R4HA) Regional program focused on strengthening national health research systems across African countries, working at country and regional levels to improve research capacity and innovation.
• National Health Research Systems in Latin America Regional program supporting the development and strengthening of national health research systems across Latin American countries to focus health research on achieving equity and national development.
• EU-LAC Health International partnership between the European Union and Latin America-Caribbean focused on health research policy development between the two regions.
• MASCOT Research program focused on research policy development, examining how international health mechanisms can better serve low- and middle-income countries.
• Fair Research Contracting (FRC) Framework providing guidance and best practices for equitable research contracting, particularly addressing power imbalances in research agreements involving low- and middle-income countries.
• Mapping of Ethics Review Capacity in Sub-Saharan Africa (MARC) Program mapping and strengthening research ethics review capacity in sub-Saharan African countries to improve ethical oversight of health research.
• Research for Health Managerial Capacity Building in Latin America (RIMAIS) Capacity-building program for research for health professionals in Latin America, strengthening leadership and management skills in research institutions.
• Social Determinants of Health Network (SDH-Net) International research network studying social determinants of health, facilitating knowledge sharing and collaborative research on health equity issues.
• Strengthening Pharmaceutical Innovation in Africa Innovation program focused on strengthening pharmaceutical innovation systems in Africa, helping countries develop local pharmaceutical production capacity and sustainable innovation ecosystems.
• Africa-EU Science & Tech Cooperation Bilateral cooperation initiative between Africa and the European Union focused on science, technology, and innovation in health research.
• Health Research Web Global information platform providing data and resources on health research in low- and middle-income countries, offering national contacts, policies, priorities, donor activities, clinical trials information, maps, and assessment information on research capacity.
• COHRED Framework & Guides for System Strengthening Collection of action guides for system strengthening, covering Pharmaceutical Innovation, Civil Society Engagement, Ethics Review, Coordination, Capacity, Priority Setting, Policy Development, and System Assessment.
• Yaoundé Process Mechanism created to strengthen synergies between health innovation activities in Africa, highlighting country and regional needs and helping implement the Global Strategy and Plan of Action on Public Health, Innovation and Intellectual Property.

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 15 years of experience supporting countries to strengthen national health research
• +1 more outcomes

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered notable, core and flagship.

• Tunisia (Ministry/Research Institutions)notableStrategic or Co-development PartnerTunisia developed a tracking tool for peer reviewed publications that has been identified as an innovative approach by COHRED for sharing with other countries.
• Brazil Ministry of HealthnotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrazil Ministry of Health developed a project registry module that COHRED has identified as an innovative approach for sharing with other countries.
• Yaoundé Process Partners (African Countries)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Yaoundé Process is a mechanism created to strengthen synergies between activities focusing on health innovation in Africa. It works with countries and international programmes to build a better understanding of African country needs and resources.
• Lancet Commission on Investing in HealthflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCOHRED collaborated with the Lancet Commission on Investing in Health for the COHRED Colloquium 2013, a meeting that informed the contents of a report published in The Lancet on December 3, 2013.
• COHRED AfricacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCOHRED Africa is the regional office covering African operations and partnerships with national health research organizations including ministries, universities, councils, and NGOs.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• PATH: PATH is a global health innovation organization working across LMICs on health research and delivery. It is comparable to COHRED in its focus on health equity in LMICs but operates with significantly greater scale and a broader portfolio of programs and country offices.
• Wellcome Trust: Wellcome is a major global health research funder based in London with significantly larger resources than COHRED. While broader in scope, Wellcome funds many of the same LMIC research strengthening initiatives and works with overlapping institutional partners.
• Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance: Gavi is a major global public-private partnership focused on vaccine access in LMICs. Although focused on immunization delivery rather than research systems, Gavi's emphasis on country ownership and LMIC capacity building parallels COHRED's country-driven philosophy.
• The Global Fund: The Global Fund is a major multilateral financing mechanism focused on HIV, TB, and malaria, with implications for health research in recipient countries. While a very different funding model, it interacts with the same LMIC research and policy ecosystem COHRED engages with.

Emerging players

• SEEK Development: SEEK Development is a consulting firm focused on global health strategy and financing, with strong alignment to LMIC research strengthening and donor coordination. While smaller, it operates in the same policy advisory space as COHRED's work with global health initiatives.

Direct peers

• TDR (Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases): TDR, hosted by WHO, focuses on building research capacity in LMICs for infectious diseases. Like COHRED, TDR emphasizes country-driven approaches and supports researchers and institutions in low-resource settings, making it a direct functional peer.
• INDEPTH Network: INDEPTH is an international network of health and population research centers in LMICs. Like COHRED, it focuses on building research infrastructure and capacity in low-resource settings and facilitates cross-country learning in research methodologies.
• African Academy of Sciences (AAS): AAS serves as a continental body promoting science and research excellence across Africa, with shared objectives around African research capacity building. COHRED's R4HA program in Africa overlaps directly with AAS's mandate to strengthen scientific leadership on the continent.
• Alliance for Accelerating Excellence in Science in Africa (AESA): AESA is an Africa-based mechanism for advancing research leadership and scientific excellence on the continent, with overlapping objectives to COHRED's R4HA program. Both organizations work to strengthen African-led research systems and innovation capacity.
• European & Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP): EDCTP directly parallels COHRED in its mission to build clinical research capacity and strengthen health research systems in low- and middle-income countries, particularly in Africa. Both organizations fund and support research system development with a focus on equitable partnerships.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cohred
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/cohredgroup
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/council-on-health-research-for-development-cohred-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Council on Health Research for Development