The Health System Collaborative (HSC) group hosted a landmark event from 24 to 26 March 2025, as global frontline health research staff and managers met in Oxford. This inaugural meeting focused on understanding the nature, drivers and consequences of moral distress faced by frontline staff, and the functioning of institutional processes aimed at minimising and managing this distress.
The Rethinking Organisational Opportunities to Tackle Distress (ROOTs) Network is a programme funded by Professor Sassy Molyneux’s prestigious five-year NIHR Global Health Research Professorship to study how to better protect frontline staff in international health research from moral distress. The main goals of this research are to create evidence-based guidelines that promote fairer international research practices, foster a more inclusive and innovative research culture, and strengthen research systems to enhance health system resilience.
The three-day event drew frontline researchers from a diverse range of countries, including Vietnam, Bangladesh, Kenya, India, Malawi, the United Kingdom, Zimbabwe and Thailand. Facilitated by a diverse team of experts, including Sassy Molyneux, Yingxi Zhao, Rita Njeru, Mehrunisha Suleman, Rob Vincent and Stephanie Nzekwu, the issues discussed included ethical research practices, supportive management interventions, and regional health challenges.
The meeting offered a dynamic platform for several activities that encouraged knowledge sharing, interdisciplinary dialogue, and the exploration of global health partnerships aimed at strengthening research systems and building health system resilience.
The gathering marked a significant step towards fostering mutual learning and advancing shared goals in minimising moral distress in global health research endeavours. As the event concluded, participants expressed optimism about the future of global collaboration and reaffirmed their commitment to driving impactful health research in their various countries and worldwide.