On the 30 November 2023, the ICAI Team visited the North India Site of the NIHR GHRU on Diabetes and Cardovascular Disease. The site is located at the Devki Devi Foundation (DDF), New Delhi. The ICAI delegation met with the DDF team to understand the working relationship between the units consortium partners, autonomy to sites for execution of projects and the effectiveness of aid for global health research capacity building and larger social impact of NIHR projects on India as a country. The DDF team provided examples of how this was positively impacting our larger cause through continued community engagement activities and capacity building of community health workers. The visiting team later shared relevant learnings with the UK team on their return to continue to support and facilitate high quality research and remove any barriers for the same to improve health outcomes for all.

The Independent Commission for Aid Impact (ICAI) scrutinises UK aid spending. ICAI works to ensure that UK aid is spent effectively for those who need it most and that it delivers value for UK taxpayers. Its mandate covers all UK Official Development Assistance (ODA). In September 2023, ICAI began a new review scrutinising the UK’s contribution to global health research. The review will assess how relevant the strategy and approach of the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) is to global health research priorities (including how equitable partnerships are being supported), how effectively the increase in aid for global health research is being spent (with a focus on research capacity building and impact), and how well learning operates within and between ODA-funded global health (and other) research programmes.