Scientific strategy: our vision

At Cochrane, our vision is a healthier world for everyone where health and care decisions are informed by high-quality evidence.

We are a global nonprofit dedicated to producing high-quality, accessible health evidence. We produce and publish systematic reviews, which involve carefully examining all of the scientific research in a particular area to establish the risks and benefits of different treatments or approaches. These help medical professionals, policymakers and patients to make informed decisions.

Over the past 30 years, Cochrane has published over 9,000 systematic reviews and developed a reputation as one of the most trusted sources of health evidence. Our reviews set standards and improve lives, from offering premature babies the best start in life to preventing falls among older people.

We now want to go further to address the devastating health inequalities that still persist worldwide. Our new scientific strategy focuses on tackling the most pressing global health issues driving inequity, producing relevant evidence for and with those who need it most.

Our scientific strategy focuses on four key research priorities to address the most pressing health challenges, underpinned by a foundation of four commitments.

Our research priorities

• Maternal, newborn and child health: we will improve the health and wellbeing of mothers and children worldwide and tackle the vast health equity gap between different populations.
• Multiple chronic conditions: we will improve the lives of people living with multiple chronic conditions, identifying effective approaches to provide person-centred care and prevent further illness.
• Infectious diseases: we will equip people across the world with the evidence they need to protect themselves against both existing and emerging threats.
• Climate change and sustainability: We will improve our understanding of the complex relationships between climate change and human health, helping people to better cope with the health impacts of climate change.

Our commitments

• Innovate in methods: we will build on our world-leading expertise developing innovative research methods, including harnessing the power of artificial intelligence (AI).
• Promote health equity: we will be guided in everything we do by our desire to promote health equity, shaping the questions we address and how we share our findings.
• Collaborate and involve: we will collaborate with global partners, national agencies and local healthcare consumers to drive transformative change.
• Champion research integrity: we will maintain and strengthen our leadership in research integrity so that we continue to produce evidence that everyone can trust.

Maternal, newborn, and child health

We will improve the health and wellbeing of mothers and children worldwide and tackle the vast health equity gap between different populations.

Despite significant advances, the World Health Organization reports nearly 300,000 maternal deaths annually. 95% of maternal deaths happen in low- and middle-income countries, a severe health equity gap that we must urgently address.

We will assess strategies aimed at preventing illnesses and deaths related to pregnancy and childbirth, enhance prevention and treatment for diseases in babies and children, and help improve sexual health and fertility services.

Multiple chronic conditions

We will improve the lives of people living with multiple chronic conditions, identifying effective approaches to provide person-centred care and prevent further illness.

The increasing prevalence of people with multiple chronic conditions poses a significant global health challenge. Factors such as aging populations, lifestyle risks and long-term infections exacerbate this issue. Socially and economically disadvantaged individuals are disproportionately affected,
contributing to health inequity.

We will evaluate how health systems can best provide coordinated, person-centred care, promote prevention through lifestyle modifications and risk-profiling, and develop innovative methods to address emerging complex issues.

Infectious diseases and pandemics

We will equip people across the world with the evidence they need to protect themselves against both existing and emerging threats.

Infectious diseases caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites are among the worldʼs leading causes of death, disproportionately affecting the socially and economically disadvantaged. New infectious diseases frequently emerge due to human-animal contact and climate change, while antimicrobial resistance further exacerbates these threats.

We will evaluate strategies to reduce illness and deaths from major infectious diseases, emerging threats, and neglected tropical diseases, and respond effectively to outbreaks and potential pandemics.

Climate change and sustainabliity

We will improve our understanding of the complex relationships between climate change and human health, helping people to better cope with the health impacts of climate change.

One of societyʼs greatest challenges is the combined threat of climate change and environmental degradation. Rising carbon emissions can increase temperatures, severe weather events, and respiratory illness, and the most immediate impacts are felt by those least equipped to cope.

We will support efforts to reduce the environmental impact of health systems, create innovative methods for climate and health research, and assess evidence-based approaches to mitigate or adapt to the health impacts of climate change, focusing on protecting vulnerable populations.