Role and use of evidence in policymaking:an analysis of case studies from the health sector in Nigeria (original) (raw)
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Strategies to enhance the capacity for evidence-informed health policymaking in Nigeria
The Internet Journal of Healthcare Administration, 2010
In Nigeria, there is little interest in transfer and uptake of research into policy and practice. The major constraint to the use of evidence in policy and practice in Nigeria is the grossly deficient capacity development at the individual and organizational levels, particularly the lack of formally trained human resources among public health policy makers. The problem is further compounded by the existence of few relevant studies for many important health policy issues, much less systematic reviews of evidence. The most prominent reason attributed to the limited usability of existing data is that policymakers' needs do not drive research. Also conflicts over fundamental political values and interest groups can limit the relevance of evidence to the decisionmaking process and inundate the policy setting with bad-quality evidence, champion poorly designed studies, and limit the critical analysis of information through the social relations they develop with officials. The strategies to enhance evidenceinformed policy making include: enhancing supply of policy-relevant research products; enhancing capacity of policy-making organizations to use evidence; establishing new organizational mechanisms to support use of evidence in policy; promoting networking and; establishing norms and regulations regarding evidence use in policymaking.
Http Dx Doi Org 10 1080 17441692 2012 666255, 2012
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.
Health promotion perspectives, 2017
There is increasing recognition worldwide that health policymaking process should be informed by best available evidence. The purpose of this study was to review the policy documents on maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH) in Nigeria to assess the extent evidence informed policymaking mechanism was employed in the policy formulation process. A comprehensive literature search of websites of the Federal Ministry of Health(FMOH) Nigeria and other related ministries and agencies for relevant health policy documents related to MNCH from year 2000 to 2015 was undertaken. The following terms were used interchangeably for the literature search: maternal, child, newborn, health, policy, strategy,framework, guidelines, Nigeria. Of the 108 policy documents found, 19 (17.6%) of them fulfilled the study inclusion criteria. The policy documents focused on the major aspects of maternal health improvements in Nigeria such as reproductive health, anti-malaria treatment, development of adolescen...
The Pan African medical journal, 2017
In most developing countries including Nigeria, one of the most challenging issues associated with evidence-to-policy link is the capacity constraints of policymakers to access, synthesize, adapt and utilize available research evidence. The purpose of this review is to assess the efforts and various initiatives that have been undertaken to deliberately engage policymakers and other stakeholders in the health sector in Nigeria for the promotion of evidence informed policymaking. A MEDLINE Entrez Pubmed search was performed and studies that investigated policy making process, evidence to policy link, research to policy mechanism, and researchers/policymakers interaction in Nigeria in relation to health policy were sought. Of the 132 publications found, 14(10.6%) fulfilled the study inclusion criteria and were selected and included in the review. Of the fourteen scientific publications identified, 11 of the studies targeted both researchers and policymakers and the principal tool of in...
Annals of African Medicine, 2022
Background:The West African Health Organization (WAHO) is promoting the use of evidence in policy-making within West Africa. The need for increased understanding of the complexities of the evidence-to-policy process among policy-makers in West Africa necessitates the development of evidence-based policy-making (EBPM) guidance. The purpose of this study was to interact with policy-makers from West African countries to identify the necessity of EBPM guidance for the subregion.Methods:A cross-sectional qualitative study design was used to elicit the views/opinions of senior health policy-makers from across the 15 West African countries on why an EBPM Guidance is necessary for the subregion. The policy-makers were engaged during WAHO-organized regional evidence-to-policy meetings on the improvement of maternal and child health outcomes held in Senegal in 2019. Face-to-face, one-on-one interactions, interviews, and deliberations during the meeting plenary sessions were held with the policy-makers, who participated in the regional meeting.Results:Up to 23 policy-makers representing 15 West African countries participated in the study. Policy-makers who took part in the study supported the development of an EBPM Guidance to facilitate evidence-to-policy process. Among the identified reasons why an EBPM Guidance for West Africa is a necessity were to understand: (i) how to deal with barriers and facilitators that influence evidence to policy process; (ii) how to acquire, access, adapt, and apply available research evidence in policy-making; (iii) how to deal with contextual issues and broad range of evidence; and (iv) how to engage parliamentarians and policy legislators to promote policy development.Conclusion:An EBPM is a valuable tool that can provide health sector policy-makers the needed guide on the evidence-to-policy process. Studies that will evaluate the impact of EBPM guidance on the policy-making process in low- and middle-income countries are advocated.
Health research policy and systems, 2017
In Nigeria, interest in the evidence-to-policy process is gaining momentum among policymakers involved in maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH). However, numerous gaps exist among policymakers on use of research evidence in policymaking. The objective of this study was to assess the perception of MNCH policymakers regarding their needs and the barriers and facilitators to use of research evidence in policymaking in Nigeria. The study design was a cross-sectional assessment of perceptions undertaken during a national MNCH stakeholders' engagement event convened in Abuja, Nigeria. A questionnaire designed to assess participants' perceptions was administered in person. Group consultations were also held, which centred on policymakers' evidence-to-policy needs to enhance the use of evidence in policymaking. A total of 40 participants completed the questionnaire and participated in the group consultations. According to the respondents, the main barriers to evidence use in...
2016
Background: There is increasing interest globally in the use of more rigorous processes to ensure that maternal, newborn, and child health (MNCH) care recommendations are informed by the best available research evidence use. The purpose of this study was to engage Nigerian MNCH policy-makers and other stakeholders to consider issues around research to policy and practice interface and to assess their existing knowledge and capacity on the use of research evidence for policy-making and practice. Methods: The study design is a cross-sectional evaluation of MNCH stakeholders' knowledge as it pertains different dimensions of research to practice. This was undertaken during a national MNCH stakeholders' engagement event convened under the auspices of the West African Health Organization (WAHO) and the Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH) in Abuja, Nigeria. A questionnaire was administered to participants, which was designed to assess participants' knowledge, capacity and organizational process of generation, synthesis and utilization of research evidence in policy-making regarding MNCH. Results: A total of 40 participants signed the informed consent form and completed the questionnaire. The mean ratings (MNRs) of participants' knowledge of electronic databases and capacity to identify and obtain relevant research evidence from electronic databases ranged from 3.62-3.68 on the scale of 5. The MNRs of participants' level of understanding of a policy brief, a policy dialogue and the role of researchers in policy-making ranged from 3.50-3.86. The MNRs of participants' level of understanding of evidence in policy-making context, types and sources of evidence, capacity to identify, select, adapt, and transform relevant evidence into policy ranged from 3.63-4.08. The MNRs of the participants' organization's capacity to cover their geographical areas of operation were generally low ranging from 3.32-3.38 in terms of manpower, logistics, facilities, and external support. The lowest MNR of 2.66 was recorded in funding. Conclusion: The outcomes of this study suggest that a stakeholders' engagement event can serve as an important platform to assess policy-makers' knowledge and capacity for evidence-informed policy-making and for the promotion of evidence use in the policy process. Citation: Uneke CJ, Sombie I, Keita N, et al. An assessment of national maternal and child health policy-makers' knowledge and capacity for evidence-informed policy-making in Nigeria. Implications for policy makers • An assessment of policy-makers' capacity constraints regarding evidence-informed policy-making is an important first step towards the implementation of evidence-based interventions to improve the evidence-to-policy link. • Any planned intervention should place emphasis on strategies that will improve organizational capacity for adapting research evidence in policy-making. • Training of policy-makers and initiating strategies to enhance organizational capacity for the application of research evidence are a vital aspect of the interventions to improve evidence to policy process in maternal, newborn, and child health (MNCH) in low-income settings. Implications for the public There is no proper uptake of research evidence into policy-making by decision-makers in low-and middle-income countries, and this may be due to individual and organizational capacity constraints regarding evidence to policy link. The identification of the specific capacity challenges of policy-makers and their organization is the first step for developing effective health policy.
Background: Recent efforts to bridge the evidence-policy gap in low- and middle-income countries has seen growing interest from key audiences such as government, civil society, international organizations, private sector players, academia, and media. One of such engagements was a two-day virtual participant-driven unconference (the convening) in Nigeria. The aim of the convening was to develop strategies for improving evidence use in health policy. The convening witnessed a participant blend of health policymakers, researchers, political policymakers, philanthropists, global health practitioners, program officers, students and the media. Methods: In this study, we analyzed conversations at the convening with the aim to disseminate findings to key stakeholders in Nigeria. The recordings from the convening were transcribed and analyzed inductively to identify emerging themes, which were interpreted, and inferences drawn. Results: A total of 630 people attended the convening. Participa...
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 ...