Publications

Health service and systems researchers have developed knowledge translation strategies to facilitate the use of reliable evidence for policy, including rapid response briefs as timely and responsive tools supporting decision making. However, little is known about users’ experience with these newer formats for presenting evidence. We sought to explore Ugandan policymakers’ experience with rapid response briefs in order to develop a format acceptable for policymakers. Read More: Policymaker experiences with rapid response briefs to address health-system and technology questions in Uganda | Health Research Policy and Systems (springer.com)

While it is important to be able to evaluate and measure a country’s performance in health research (HR), HR systems are complex and multifaceted in nature. As such, attempts at measurement can suffer several limitations which risk leading to inadequate indices or representations. In this study, we critically review common indicators of HR capacity and performance and explore their strengths and limitations. The paper is informed by review of data sources and documents, combined with interviews and peer-to-peer learning activities conducted with officials working in health and education ministries in a set of nine African countries. Read More: Beyond the metrics of health research performance in African countries | BMJ Global Health

Although proven feasible, rapid response services (RRSs) to support urgent decision and policymaking are still a fairly new and innovative strategy in several health systems, more especially in low-income countries. There are several information gaps about these RRSs that exist including the factors that make them work in different contexts and in addition what affects their uptake by potential end users. Read More: A Process Evaluation to Assess Contextual Factors Associated With the Uptake of a Rapid Response Service to Support Health Systems’ Decision-Making in Uganda – PMC (nih.gov)

With its proven effectiveness, indoor residual spraying (IRS) as a malaria vector control strategy forms one of the reliable vector control strategies, especially when at least 80% of the population is covered. However, to date, there is uncertainty regarding the consequences of IRS withdrawal on malaria control when there is no clear exit strategy in place. Therefore, there is a need to comprehensively update literature regarding malaria burden indicators when IRS is withdrawn following sustained use. Read More: Protocol: Vulnerability of populations to malaria after indoor residual spraying is withdrawn from areas where its use has previously been sustained: a protocol for a systematic review – PMC (nih.gov)

The capacity of policy makers to use evidence was raised, and that policy makers’ background influences their ability to interpret evidence. Policymakers should understand the value of evidence in policy decisions and how to interpret it to motivate them to use the evidence. The president of Uganda is a leading proponent of public sector reforms and has on several occasions made political proclamations that set the precedent for reforms. The Evaluation Sub-Committee is an initiative within Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) to support public sector evaluations through technical guidance and is composed of experts from development partners, OPM, Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Uganda Bureau of Statistics and the Economic Policy Research Centre at Makerere University. Mechanisms critical to ensuring use of the evaluation findings included processes and structures that enabled ownership and trust in the process. Read More: The influence of local ownership and politics of the use of evaluation (taylorfrancis.com)