Building a knowledge translation platform in Malawi to support evidence-informed health policy

Health Research Policy and Systems

Damson Kathyola³  Ulysses Panisset⁴  Lisa M. Puchalski Ritchie⁵  Vanessa van Schoor⁷  Getrude Chindebvu⁷  Joep J. van Oosterhout⁸  Lonia Mwape¹  Emily Wroe⁶  Chiyembekezo Kachimanga⁶  Shiraz Khan²  Beatrice Matanje-Mwagomba³  Collins Mitambo³  Joshua Berman⁷ 

[1] Department of Nursing Sciences and Zambia Forum for Health Research, University of Zambia, School of Medicine, Lusaka, Zambia;University of North Carolina Project, Lilongwe, Malawi;Ministry of Health, Department of Research, Public Health Institute of Malawi, Community Health Sciences Unit (CHSU), Lilongwe, Malawi;Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (School of Medicine-UFMG), Belo Horizonte, Brazil;Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada;Partners in Health, Neno, Malawi;Dignitas International, Zomba, Malawi;Department of Medicine, University of Malawi College of Medicine, Blantyre, Malawi

关键词: Research uptake;    Malawi;    Knowledge translation platform;    Knowledge translation;    Evidence-informed health policy;   

Others  :  1235210
DOI  :  10.1186/s12961-015-0061-4

 received in 2015-03-12, accepted in 2015-11-17,  发布年份 2015

【 摘 要 】

With the support of the World Health Organization’s Evidence-Informed Policy Network, knowledge translation platforms have been developed throughout Africa, the Americas, Eastern Europe, and Asia to further evidence-informed national health policy. In this commentary, we discuss the approaches, activities and early lessons learned from the development of a Knowledge Translation Platform in Malawi (KTPMalawi). Through ongoing leadership, as well as financial and administrative support, the Malawi Ministry of Health has strongly signalled its intention to utilize a knowledge translation platform methodology to support evidence-informed national health policy. A unique partnership between Dignitas International, a medical and research non-governmental organization, and the Malawi Ministry of Health, has established KTPMalawi to engage national-level policymakers, researchers and implementers in a coordinated approach to the generation and utilization of health-sector research. Utilizing a methodology developed and tested by knowledge translation platforms across Africa, a stakeholder mapping exercise and initial capacity building workshops were undertaken and a multidisciplinary Steering Committee was formed. This Steering Committee prioritized the development of two initial Communities of Practice to (1) improve data utilization in the pharmaceutical supply chain and (2) improve the screening and treatment of hypertension within HIV-infected populations. Each Community of Practice’s mandate is to gather and synthesize the best available global and local evidence and produce evidence briefs for policy that have been used as the primary input into structured deliberative dialogues. While a lack of sustained initial funding slowed its early development, KTPMalawi has greatly benefited from extensive technical support and mentorship by an existing network of global knowledge translation platforms. With the continued support of the Malawi Ministry of Health and the Evidence-Informed Policy Network, KTPMalawi can continue to build on its role in facilitating the use of evidence in the development and refinement of health policy in Malawi.

【 授权许可】

   
2015 Berman et al.

【 参考文献 】

• [1]World Health Organization. The Mexico Statement on Health Research from the Mexico City Ministerial Summit on Health Research. Geneva: WHO; 2004. http://www.who.int/rpc/summit/agenda/en/mexico_statement_on_health_research.pdf. Accessed 5 February 2015.
• [2]Beijing Statement from the Second Global Symposium on Health Systems Research. 2012. http://www.healthsystemsresearch.org/hsr2012/images/stories/downloads/beijing%20_statement.pdf. Accessed 5 February 2015.
• [3]Cape Town Statement from the Third Global Symposium on Health Systems Research. http://www.healthsystemsglobal.org/upload/other/Cape-Town-Statement.pdf. Accessed on 5 December, 2015.
• [4]Hamid M, Bustamante-Manaog T, Truong VD, Akkhavong K, Fu H, Ma Y et al.. EVIPNet: translating the spirit of Mexico. Lancet. 2005; 366:1758-60.
• [5]Kasonde J, Campbell S. Creating a knowledge translation platform: nine lessons from the Zambia Forum for Health Research. Health Res Policy Syst. 2012; 10:31. BioMed Central Full Text
• [6]Ongolo-Zogo P, Lavis JN, Tomson G, Sewankambo N. Initiatives supporting evidence informed health system policymaking in Cameroon and Uganda: a comparative historical case study. BMC Health Serv Res. 2014; 14:612. BioMed Central Full Text
• [7]Oxman AD, Lavis JN, Lewin S, Fretheim A. 1. What is evidence-informed policymaking? SUPPORT Tools for evidence-informed health Policymaking (STP). Oxman AD, Lavis JN, Lewin S, Fretheim A, editors. Norwegian Knowledge Centre for the Health Services, Oslo; 2009.
• [8]World Health Organization. Supporting the Use of Research Evidence (SURE). http://www.who.int/evidence/sure/en/. Accessed 5 February 2015.
• [9]SUPPORT Tools for evidence-informed health Policymaking (STP). Health Res Policy Syst. 2009, volume 7, Supplement 1. http://www.health-policy-systems.com/supplements/7/s1. Accessed 6 February 2015.
• [10]World Health Organization. Evidence Briefs for Policy (EBP) definition. http://www.who.int/evidence/sure/policybriefs/en/. Accessed 10 February 2015.
• [11]Guyatt G, Oxman A, Vist G, Kunz R, Falck-Ytter Y, Alonso-Coello P et al.. GRADE: an emerging consensus on rating quality of evidence and strength of recommendations. BMJ. 2008; 336:924.
• [12]Shea B, Grimshaw J, Well G, Boers M, Anderson N, Hamel C et al.. Development of AMSTAR: a measurement tool to assess the methodological quality of systematic reviews. BMC Med Res Methodol. 2007; 7:10. BioMed Central Full Text
• [13]Brouwers MC, Kho ME, Browman GP, Burgers JS, Cluzeau F, Feder G et al.. AGREE II: advancing guideline development, reporting and evaluation in health care. CMAJ. 2010; 182(18):E839-42.
• [14]Lavis JN, Davies H, Oxman A, Denis JL, Golden-Biddle K, Ferlie E. Towards systematic reviews that inform health care management and policy-making. J Health Serv Res Policy. 2005; 10 Suppl 1:35-48.
• [15]Lavis JN, Hammill A, Gildiner A, McDonagh RJ, Wilson MG, Ross SE et al.. A systematic review of the factors that influence the use of research evidence by public policymakers. Final report submitted to the Canadian Population Health Initiative. McMaster University Program in Policy Decision-Making, Hamilton; 2005.
• [16]Moat KA, Lavis JN, Clancy SJ, El-Jardali F, Pantoja T. Evidence briefs and deliberative dialogues: perceptions and intentions to act on what was learnt. Bull World Health Organ. 2014; 92(1):20-8.
• [17]El-Jardali F, Lavis JN, Moat K, Pantoja T, Ataya N. Capturing lessons learned from evidence-to-policy initiatives through structured reflection. Health Res Policy Syst. 2014; 12:2. BioMed Central Full Text
• [18]World Health Organization. EVIPNet Reach. http://www.who.int/evidence/resources/country_reports/africa/en/index5.html. Accessed 5 February 2015.
• [19]EVIPNet. Report on international evidence informed health policy in low- and middle-income countries. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; 2012. http://global.evipnet.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Addisreport2012.pdf. Accessed 5 February 2015.
• [20]Campbell S. EVIPNet Africa: lessons learned 2006–2012. World Health Organization, Geneva; 2013.
• [21]Panisset U, Koehlmoos TP, Alkhatib AH, Pantoja T, Singh P, Kengeya-Kayondo J et al.. Implementation research evidence uptake and use for policy-making. Health Res Policy Syst. 2012; 10:20. BioMed Central Full Text