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Mwendera CA, Mzilahowa T, Njiokou F, N'falé S, Amegee Quach J, Thomsen E, Dabire R, Ranson H, Alhassan N, Oronje R, Worrall E. Knowledge translation and evidence generation to increase the impact of vector control in Burkina Faso, Cameroon and Malawi. BMJ Glob Health 2022; 7:e008378. [PMID: 35545288 PMCID: PMC9096501 DOI: 10.1136/bmjgh-2021-008378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2021] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Lack of context-specific evidence and inadequate evidence-use for decision-making contribute to poor health. This paper reports on our work aimed at addressing the knowledge translation (KT) gap between evidence generators and users. We present our experiences of strengthening KT via technical advisory groups (TAGs) in parallel with increasing evidence generation through research fellowships and operational research. Vectorborne diseases (VBDs) impose substantial health and economic burdens in sub-Saharan Africa despite being preventable with vector control. The Partnership for Increasing the Impact of Vector Control aimed to reduce the burden of VBDs in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Malawi and at regional and global levels. TAGs can promote evidence-use in policy and practice by engaging relevant stakeholders in both research and policy processes. TAGs and related activities are best facilitated by a coordinator with skills in research and policy. Contextual factors should influence the design and governance of TAGs, which will likely evolve over time. Relevant national stakeholders should be included in TAGs and be actively involved in developing research agendas to increase the relevance and acceptability of research findings for decision-making. The countries present three differing contexts with longer-term research and evaluation necessary to draw lessons on impact.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Themba Mzilahowa
- Malaria Alert Centre, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, Blantyre, Malawi
| | - Flobert Njiokou
- Centre for Research in Infectious Diseases, Yaoundé, Cameroon
| | - Sagnon N'falé
- Centre National de Recherche et de Formation sur le Paludisme, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
| | - Jessica Amegee Quach
- Centre for Capacity Research, International Public Health Department, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK
| | - Edward Thomsen
- Vector Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK
| | - Roch Dabire
- Institut de Recherche en Sciences de la Santé, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
| | - Hilary Ranson
- Vector Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK
| | | | - Rose Oronje
- African Institute for Development Policy, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Eve Worrall
- Vector Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK
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Uneke C, Sombie I, Johnson E, Uneke B, Okolo S. Promoting the use of evidence in health policy-making in the economic commission of the West African States Region: Exploring the perception of policy-makers on the necessity of an evidence-based policy-making guidance. Ann Afr Med 2022; 21:223-230. [DOI: 10.4103/aam.aam_90_20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
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Donadel M, Panero MS, Ametewee L, Shefer AM. National decision-making for the introduction of new vaccines: A systematic review, 2010-2020. Vaccine 2021; 39:1897-1909. [PMID: 33750592 PMCID: PMC10370349 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2021.02.059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2020] [Revised: 02/22/2021] [Accepted: 02/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Competing priorities make using a transparent and evidence-based approach important when deciding to recommend new vaccines. We conducted a literature review to document the processes and frameworks for national decision-making on new vaccine introductions and explored which key features have evolved since 2010. METHODS We searched literature published on policymaking related to vaccine introduction from March 2010 to August 2020 in six databases. We screened articles for eligibility with the following exclusion criteria: non-human or hypothetical vaccines, the sole focus on economic evaluation or decision to adopt rather than policy decision-making. We employed nine broad categories of criteria from the 2012 review for categorization and abstracted data on the country, income level, vaccine, and other relevant criteria. RESULTS Of the 3808 unique references screened, 116 met eligibility criteria and were classified as: a) framework of vaccine adoption decision-making (27), b) studies that analyse empirical data on or examples of vaccine adoption decision-making (45), c) theoretical and empirical articles that provide insights into the vaccine policymaking process (44 + 17 already included in the previous categories). Commonly reported criteria for decision-making were the burden of disease; vaccine efficacy/effectiveness, safety; impact on health and non-health outcomes; economic evaluation and cost-effectiveness of alternative interventions. Programmatic and acceptability aspects were not as often considered. Most (50; 82%) of the 61 articles describing the process of vaccine introduction policymaking highlighted the role of country, regional, or global evidence-informed recommendations and a robust national governance as enabling factors for vaccine adoption. CONCLUSIONS The literature on vaccine adoption decision-making has expanded since 2010. We found that policymakers and expert advisory committee members (e.g., National Immunization Technical Advisory Group [NITAG]) increasingly value the interventions based on economic evaluations. The results of this review could guide discussions on evidence-informed immunization decision-making among country, sub-regional, and regional stakeholders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morgane Donadel
- Global Immunization Division, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA.
| | - Maria Susana Panero
- Global Immunization Division, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Lynnette Ametewee
- Global Immunization Division, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA; Department of Population Health Sciences, School of Public Health, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Abigail M Shefer
- Global Immunization Division, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
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Uneke CJ, Sombie I, Johnson E, Uneke BI. Lessons Learned from Strategies for Promotion of Evidence-to-Policy Process in Health Interventions in the ECOWAS Region: A Rapid Review. Niger Med J 2021; 61:227-236. [PMID: 33487844 PMCID: PMC7808283 DOI: 10.4103/nmj.nmj_188_20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2020] [Revised: 07/04/2020] [Accepted: 09/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Context: The West African Health Organization (WAHO) is vigorously supporting evidence-informed policymaking (EIPM) in the countries of West Africa. EIPM is increasingly recognized as one of the key strategies that can contribute to health systems strengthening and the improvement of health outcomes. The purpose of this rapid review is to examine two key examples of evidence-based strategies used to successfully implement health interventions in each of the West African countries and to highlight the lessons learned. Methods: A rapid review technique, defined as a type of knowledge synthesis in which systematic review processes are accelerated and methods are streamlined to complete the review more quickly, was used. A PubMed search was conducted using the combination of the following keywords: Health, policy making, evidence, plus name of each of the 15 countries to identify studies that described the process of use of evidence in policymaking in health interventions. Two examples of the publications that fulfilled the study inclusion criteria were selected. Results: Among the key processes used by the countries to promote EIPM in health interventions include policy cycle mechanism and political prioritization, rapid response services, technical advisory group and steering committees (SCs), policy dialog, capacity-strengthening mechanisms, local context evidence and operational guidelines, multisectoral action and consultative process. Conclusion: Various degrees of success have been achieved in by West African countries in the promotion of EIPM. As the science of EIPM continues to evolve and better understanding of the process is gained among policymakers, more studies on effective strategies to improve the evidence-to-policy process are advocated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chigozie Jesse Uneke
- Department of Health Policy/Systems, African Institute for Health Policy and Health Systems, Ebonyi State University, CAS Campus, Abakaliki, Nigeria
| | - Issiaka Sombie
- Department of Public Health and Research, West African Health Organisation, 175, Avenue Ouezzin Coulibaly, Bobo Dioulasso 01 01 BP 153, Burkina Faso
| | - Ermel Johnson
- Department of Public Health and Research, West African Health Organisation, 175, Avenue Ouezzin Coulibaly, Bobo Dioulasso 01 01 BP 153, Burkina Faso
| | - Bilikis Iyabo Uneke
- Department of Health Policy/Systems, African Institute for Health Policy and Health Systems, Ebonyi State University, CAS Campus, Abakaliki, Nigeria
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Uneke CJ, Sombie I, Johnson E, Uneke BI, Okolo S. Promoting the use of evidence in health policymaking in the ECOWAS region: the development and contextualization of an evidence-based policymaking guidance. Global Health 2020; 16:73. [PMID: 32762759 PMCID: PMC7409627 DOI: 10.1186/s12992-020-00605-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2020] [Accepted: 07/27/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The Economic Commission of the West African States (ECOWAS), through her specialised health Institution, the West African Health Organization (WAHO) is supporting Members States to improve health outcomes in West Africa. There is a global recognition that evidence-based health policies are vital towards achieving continued improvement in health outcomes. The need to have a tool that will provide systematic guide on the use of evidence in policymaking necessitated the production of the evidence-based policy-making (EBPM) Guidance. Methods Google search was performed to identify existing guidance on EBPM. Lessons were drawn from the review of identified guidance documents. Consultation, interaction and interviews were held with policymakers from the 15 West African countries during WAHO organized regional meetings in Senegal, Nigeria, and Burkina Faso. The purpose was to elicit their views on the strategies to promote the use of evidence in policymaking to be included in the EBPM Guidance. A regional Guidance Validation Meeting for West African policymakers was thereafter convened by WAHO to review findings from review of existing guidance documents and validate the EBPM Guidance. Results Out of the 250 publications screened, six publications fulfilled the study inclusion criteria and were reviewed. Among the important issues highlighted include: what evidence informed decision-making is; different types of research methods, designs and approaches, and how to judge the quality of research. The identified main target end users of the EBPM Guidance are policy/decision makers in the West African sub-region, at local, sub-national, national and regional levels. Among the key recommendations included in the EBPM Guidance include: properly defining/refining policy problem; reviewing contextual issues; initiating policy priority setting; considering political acceptability of policy; commissioning research; use of rapid response services, use of policy advisory/technical/steering committees; and use of policy briefs and policy dialogue. Conclusion The EBPM Guidance is one of the emerging tools that can enhance the understanding of evidence to policy process. The strategies to facilitate the use of evidence in policymaking outlined in the Guidance, can be adapted to local context, and incorporated validated approaches that can be used to promote evidence-to-policy-to-practice process in West Africa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chigozie Jesse Uneke
- African Institute for Health Policy and Health Systems, Ebonyi State University, CAS Campus, Abakaliki, PMB 053, Nigeria.
| | - Issiaka Sombie
- West African Health Organisation, 175, Avenue Ouezzin Coulibaly, Bobo Dioulasso, 01 01 BP 153, Burkina Faso
| | - Ermel Johnson
- West African Health Organisation, 175, Avenue Ouezzin Coulibaly, Bobo Dioulasso, 01 01 BP 153, Burkina Faso
| | - Bilikis Iyabo Uneke
- African Institute for Health Policy and Health Systems, Ebonyi State University, CAS Campus, Abakaliki, PMB 053, Nigeria
| | - Stanley Okolo
- West African Health Organisation, 175, Avenue Ouezzin Coulibaly, Bobo Dioulasso, 01 01 BP 153, Burkina Faso
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Koon AD, Windmeyer L, Bigdeli M, Charles J, El Jardali F, Uneke J, Bennett S. A scoping review of the uses and institutionalisation of knowledge for health policy in low- and middle-income countries. Health Res Policy Syst 2020; 18:7. [PMID: 31959208 PMCID: PMC6971874 DOI: 10.1186/s12961-019-0522-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2019] [Accepted: 12/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
There is growing interest in how different forms of knowledge can strengthen policy-making in low- and middle-income country (LMIC) health systems. Additionally, health policy and systems researchers are increasingly aware of the need to design effective institutions for supporting knowledge utilisation in LMICs. To address these interwoven agendas, this scoping review uses the Arskey and O’Malley framework to review the literature on knowledge utilisation in LMIC health systems, using eight public health and social science databases. Articles that described the process for how knowledge was used in policy-making, specified the type of knowledge used, identified actors involved (individual, organisation or professional), and were set in specific LMICs were included. A total of 53 articles, from 1999 to 2016 and representing 56 countries, were identified. The majority of articles in this review presented knowledge utilisation as utilisation of research findings, and to a lesser extent routine health system data, survey data and technical advice. Most of the articles centered on domestic public sector employees and their interactions with civil society representatives, international stakeholders or academics in utilising epistemic knowledge for policy-making in LMICs. Furthermore, nearly all of the articles identified normative dimensions of institutionalisation. While there is some evidence of how different uses and institutionalisation of knowledge can strengthen health systems, the evidence on how these processes can ultimately improve health outcomes remains unclear. Further research on the ways in which knowledge can be effectively utilised and institutionalised is needed to advance the collective understanding of health systems strengthening and enhance evidence-informed policy formulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam D Koon
- Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, 615 N Wolfe St, Baltimore, MD, 21205, United States of America. .,International Development Division, Abt Associates Inc, Rockville, MD, United States of America.
| | - Lauren Windmeyer
- Upstream USA, Oakland, CA, United States of America.,John F Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States of America
| | | | - Jodi Charles
- Office of Health Systems, United States Agency for International Development, Washington, D.C, United States of America
| | | | | | - Sara Bennett
- Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, 615 N Wolfe St, Baltimore, MD, 21205, United States of America
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Ba-Nguz A, Shah A, Bresee JS, Lafond KE, Cavallaro K, Shefer A, Donadel M, Seward JF. Supporting national immunization technical advisory groups (NITAGs) in resource-constrained settings. New strategies and lessons learned from the Task Force for Global Health’s Partnership for influenza vaccine introduction. Vaccine 2019; 37:3646-3653. [DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2019.05.046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2018] [Revised: 05/07/2019] [Accepted: 05/13/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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Adjagba A, Senouci K, Biellik R, Batmunkh N, Faye PC, Durupt A, Gessner BD, da Silva A. Supporting countries in establishing and strengthening NITAGs: Lessons learned from 5 years of the SIVAC initiative. Vaccine 2015; 33:588-95. [DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2014.12.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2014] [Revised: 12/13/2014] [Accepted: 12/15/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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