Three new publications on evidence-informed policy

31 March, 2022

Three important new publications on evidence-informed policy, with thanks to Emma Farrow, convenor of the Evidence for Global and Disaster Health group.

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December 2021: Together on the road to evidence-informed decision-making for health in the post-pandemic era: publication of a new call for action. World Health Organization, Evidence to Policy Network (EVIPNet)

https://www.who.int/news/item/30-12-2021-together-on-the-road-to-evidenc...

'Evidence-informed decision-making (EIDM) is essential for improving the health and well-being of populations. The newly published Evidence-informed Policy Network (EVIPNet) Call for Action charts the way forward for EIDM, both for future health emergencies and more routine societal challenges in view of building a more resilient, equitable and sustainable world.'

January 2022: The Evidence Commission report: A wake-up call and path forward for decision-makers, evidence intermediaries, and impact-oriented evidence producers. The Global Commission on Evidence to Address Societal Challenges
https://www.mcmasterforum.org/networks/evidence-commission/report/english

'COVID-19 has created a once-in-a-generation focus on evidence among governments, businesses and non-governmental organizations, many types of professionals, and citizens. There has been an unparalleled demand for evidence to address rapidly evolving challenges, as well as remarkable efforts to meet this demand with the best evidence under very tight timelines. Not all went well, of course. Some decision-makers wilfully ignored best evidence, while others trafficked in mis- and dis-information...'

February 2022: Preparing for and responding to global health emergencies: Learnings from the COVID-19 evidence response and recommendations for the future. Cochrane Convenes
https://convenes.cochrane.org/report

Drawing on experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic, the inaugural Cochrane Convenes brought together leaders in health research and health evidence to explore and recommend the changes needed in evidence synthesis to prepare for and respond to future global health emergencies. This report presents reflections and recommendations from seven roundtable meetings and incorporates points from discussions at the subsequent open plenary in October 2021.
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HIFA welcomes discussion and debate around the issues raised.

Neil Pakenham-Walsh, Global Coordinator HIFA, www.hifa.org neil@hifa.org