In April HIFA member Richard Fitton kindly shared his observations on the launch of the new WHO publication Evidence, policy, impact: WHO guide for evidence-informed decision-making
https://www.hifa.org/dgroups-rss/webinar-evidence-policy-impact-introduc...
The publication is available here: https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/350994
The publication describes 'The evidence ecosystem' which it defines as “a system reflecting the formal and informal linkages and interactions between different actors (and their capacities and resources) involved in the production, translation, and use of evidence”. Health research evidence is produced and taken up in an ecosystem that includes actors from different domains and with diverse agendas. The formulation and adoption of effective policies and programmes depends on a functional evidence ecosystem. The actors that are part of the WHO evidence ecosystem include WHO staff at headquarters, regional and country offices as well as stakeholders, including governments, nongovernment organizations (NGOs), civil society, researchers, and collaborating centres.'
This 'evidence ecosystem' is similar to the 'evidence-based knowledge system' described by Fiona Godlee, myself and others in our 2004 Lancet paper 'Can we achieve health information for all by 2015?' [ https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(04)16681-6/fulltext ] We developed a comparable circular graphic and said: 'The development of reliable, relevant, usable information can be represented as a system that requires cooperation among a wide range of professionals including health-care providers, policy makers, researchers, publishers, information professionals, indexers, and systematic reviewers.' Since then, HIFA has used a simplified version of the graphic [see the 'Global healthcare information system' at https://www.hifa.org/about-hifa/hifa-vision-and-strategy ]
It is good to see convergence. What is needed now is for WHO to 'take the lead in championing the goal of universal access to essential health-care information' (Lancet 2004) and convene all stakeholders to develop a road map to accelerate progress. HIFA stands ready to assist.
Best wishes, Neil
Neil Pakenham-Walsh, Global Coordinator HIFA, www.hifa.org neil@hifa.org
Global Healthcare Information Network: Working in official relations with WHO
