Regarding question 1 on "What do we mean by "Effective communication of health research to policymakers? How do we measure it?", I want to comment on what is considered by the PAHO/WHO Policy on Research for Health.
The Policy on Research for Health document is available at:
https://iris.paho.org/handle/10665.2/54411?locale-attribute=es
The Policy is based on principles that guide the achievement of its goals and objectives including the principle related to Communication and Accessibility which means communicating to the public effectively and in a timely and pertinent manner the research activities and allowing free and unrestricted access to the research that PAHO/WHO supports and also urging that other agencies and allies that fund or conduct research do the same. It is explained that to achieve the objectives, the Secretariat of the Pan American Sanitary Bureau, Member States and partners must work together to benefit from science, technology, innovation and broader knowledge. It also notes that the implementation of the Policy will result in a number of tangible benefits for countries, including improved production, use and communication of reliable, relevant and timely information and evidence.
The Policy has six objectives, one each for the aspects of Quality, Governance, Human Resources, Partnerships, Standards, and Impact. In terms of impact, the Policy declares: “Information and communications technologies can be used to give visibility to Regional research and to disseminate and promote the use of knowledge to improve health, equity, and development. Researchers, policy makers, health practitioners, and the public require timely and equitable access to research evidence. Strategies to bolster understanding of the essential links between research, policy, and action need to be developed, implemented, and evaluated.”
Since 2009, when the Policy on Research for Health was published, it has been promoted that member countries can integrate the policy and adapt it to local and national health research needs. As we can see, the Policy provides a broad framework on communication to policy makers and other actors.
Best regards
Jackeline
HIFA-Spanish Moderator
HIFA profile: Jackeline Alger, MD, PhD, is a parasitologist associated to the Department of Clinical Laboratory of the University Hospital; Executive Director of the Antonio Vidal Institute for Infectious Diseases and Parasitology; Tegucigalpa, Honduras. HIFA Country Representative of the Year for the years 2015 and 2018. Email jackelinealger AT gmail.com
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