hand hygiene campaigns using the World Health Organization tools and methodology can be successfully executed in a tertiary health facility of a low-income setting with far reaching improvements in compliance.
In Nigeria, the lack of adequate understanding of the complex nature of translating research into policy and the incompatibility existing between researchers and policymakers constitute a great challenge to evidence-informed policymaking. To address these challenges a one-day evidence-to-policy training workshop was organised for policymakers, researchers and other major stakeholders in the health sector in southeastern Nigeria. Of the 104 individuals invited to the workshop 87 (83.6%) attended. The workshop training sessions focused on capacity development for evidence-informed health policy-making and building effective linkages/partnerships. The post-workshop assessment indicated significant improvements in participants' knowledge, their understanding of the health policymaking process and the use of evidence compared to their pre-workshop status. Using a focus group discussion, major strategies identified by participants that can bridge the gap between health policymakers and researchers included: involving both parties in planning and execution of health research and health programmes; promoting dialogue between researchers and policymakers; institutionalising research grants and commissioning research in health ministries; and ensuring that researchers are made to focus on the core needs of policymakers. There is need for further discussion and debate on the researchers and policymakers partnership concept in low income settings.
Background: In recent times, there has been a growing demand internationally for health policies to be based on reliable research evidence. Consequently, there is a need to strengthen institutions and mechanisms that can promote interactions among researchers, policy-makers and other stakeholders who can influence the uptake of research findings. The Health Policy Advisory Committee (HPAC) is one of such mechanisms that can serve as an excellent forum for the interaction of policy-makers and researchers. Therefore, the need to have a long term mechanism that allows for periodic interactions between researchers and policy-makers within the existing government system necessitated our implementation of a newly established HPAC in Ebonyi State Nigeria, as a Knowledge Translation (KT) platform. The key study objective was to enhance the capacity of the HPAC and equip its members with the skills/competence required for the committee to effectively promote evidence informed policy-making and function as a KT platform. Methods: A series of capacity building programmes and KT activities were undertaken including: i) Capacity building of the HPAC using Evidence-to-Policy Network (EVIPNet) SUPPORT tools; ii) Capacity enhancement mentorship programme of the HPAC through a three-month executive training programme on health policy/health systems and KT in Ebonyi State University Abakaliki; iii) Production of a policy brief on strategies to improve the performance of the Government's Free Maternal and Child Health Care Programme in Ebonyi State Nigeria; and iv) Hosting of a multi-stakeholders policy dialogue based on the produced policy brief on the Government's Free Maternal and Child Health Care Programme. Results: The study findings indicated a noteworthy improvement in knowledge of evidence-to-policy link among the HPAC members; the elimination of mutual mistrust between policy-makers and researchers; and an increase in the awareness of importance of HPAC in the Ministry of Health (MoH). Conclusion: Findings from this study suggest that a HPAC can function as a KT platform and can introduce a new dimension towards facilitating evidence-to-policy link into the operation of the MoH, and can serve as an excellent platform to bridge the gap between research and policy.
Implications for policy makers• A Health Policy Advisory Committee (HPAC) comprising policy-makers and researchers, as well as other stakeholders in the health sector, can serve as an excellent mechanism to bridge the divide between those who produce research evidence and those in the position to use research evidence for policy-making. • A HPAC can be used as a platform to promote intersectoral partnership, collaboration and networking to facilitate evidence-to-policy link in low-income setting.• Consistent training of members of a HPAC and institution of a performance measurement mechanism for the committee can contribute to improvement on its practices, processes, activities, and operational systems.
Implications for publicThe establishment of a Hea...
Développement de la recherche sur les politiques et les systèmes de santé au Nigéria : leçons à retenir pour l' élaboration de politiques et de pratiques de santé fondées sur les données probantes, xdans les pays en développement
This paper presents and discusses the outcome of an exploratory quantitative cross-sectional study of the perceptions of Nigeria health policy makers on capacity for evidence use in policy making at individual and organisational levels. The capacity for acquisition, assessment, adaptation and application of research evidence in policy making at individual and organisational levels was generally suboptimal. This capacity constraint was the major challenge to health policy and systems research (HPSR) evidence use in policy making. To address this challenge, the following strategies were identified: increased awareness of the value of HPSR, execution of training programmes to improve the skills of policy makers in evidence-based policy making, and enhancing organisational capacity for incentives in evidence use.
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