Limited and scarce scientific research in a country is an obstacle to its development and the generation of alternative solutions to dynamic and changing public health priorities. Applied scientific health research contributes to improved knowledge and better understanding of the strategies and solutions required to improve the needs of the public health sector. Strengthening applied research in middle income countries will lead to numerous benefits at different levels; from cultivating academic training, stimulating critical thinking and increasing self satisfaction and motivation of health practitioners to improving the effectiveness and efficiency of health systems. Certainly, the patients and general population will receive the most benefit since access to evidence-based recommendations will promote better practical standards to improve the quality of life (1).

Results from scientific research have been distributed unevenly among different populations. For the most part, health research is rarely translated into practical public health actions in developing countries. Evidence-based estimates indicate that on average 17 years are needed to translate 14% of scientific research into health practice (e.g.: clinical practice guidelines for the management of hypertension or cost-effective actions to prevent obesity, etc). This estimate is attributed to a number of factors in the research process including generating the results, writing and publishing manuscripts, indexing in bibliographic databases, including publications in systematic reviews, taking them into account during the development of evidence-based guidelines, and finally disseminating and implementing population and clinical practice guidelines with concrete actions for the benefit of public health (2).