our study provides a user driven research agenda which would help assist researchers in identifying areas for research and research questions. There is a need to translate the identified policy-relevant research priorities into researchable research questions, as some are at present quite broad.In addition, there is a need to map out which aspects of those priorities are already addressed by existing research and which ones require additional primary research. Due to time constraints, it is essential that some of those priorities get answered through synthesis of existing evidence. Given the limited health system and policy research in the region, there is a need to look at how to assess the relevance and applicability of the international body of research to the policy concerns and priorities identified in our study