title: Global Forum 2015 dialogue on "From evidence to policy - thinking outside the box": perspectives to improve evidence uptake and good practices in the African Region.
abstract: The Global Forum 2015 panel session dialogue entitled "From evidence to policy - thinking outside the box" was held on 26 August 2015 in the Philippines to debate why evidence was not fully translated into policy and practice and what could be done to increase its uptake. This paper reports the reasons and possible actions for increasing the uptake of evidence, and highlights the actions partners could take to increase the use of evidence in the African Region.
  
  
  
  The Global Forum 2015 debate attributed African Region's low uptake of evidence to the big gap in incentives and interests between research for health researchers and public health policy-makers; limited appreciation on the side of researchers that public health decisions are based on multiple and complex considerations; perception among users that research evidence is not relevant to local contexts; absence of knowledge translation platforms; sub-optimal collaboration and engagement between industry and research institutions; lack of involvement of civil society organizations; lack of engagement of communities in the research process; failure to engage the media; limited awareness and debate in national and local parliaments on the importance of investing in research and innovation; and dearth of research and innovation parks in the African Region.
  
  
  
  The actions needed in the Region to increase the uptake of evidence in policy and practice include strengthening NHRS governance; bridging the motivation gap between researchers and health policy-makers; restoring trust between researchers and decision-makers; ensuring close and continuous intellectual intercourse among researchers, ministry of health policy-makers and technocrats during the life course of research projects or programmes; proactive collaboration between academia and industry; regular briefings of civil society, media, relevant parliamentary committees and development partners; development of vibrant knowledge translation platforms; development of action plans for implementing research recommendations, preferably in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals; and encouragement of competition on NHRS strengthening and research output and uptake among the countries using a barometer or scorecard to review their performance at various regional ministerial forums and taking into account the lessons learned from the MDG period.
authors.affiliation: Health Systems and Services Cluster, World Health Organization, Regional Office for Africa, B. P. 06, Brazzaville, Congo. muthurijoses@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Joses Muthuri
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Kirigia
authors.affiliation: The World Bank, Washington, D.C, USA.
authors.forename: Charles Ok
authors.initials: CO
authors.lastname: Pannenborg
authors.affiliation: Research Promotion and Development, Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO), Washington, D.C, USA.
authors.forename: Luis Gabriel Cuervo
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Amore
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, University Hospital Farhat Hached, Sousse, Tunis, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Hassen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ghannem
authors.affiliation: Council on Health Research for Development (COHRED), Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Carel
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: IJsselmuiden
authors.affiliation: Health Systems and Services Cluster, World Health Organization, Regional Office for Africa, B. P. 06, Brazzaville, Congo.
authors.forename: Juliet
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nabyonga-Orem
mesh_terms: D000349:Africa; D004059:Diffusion of Innovation; D055317:Evidence-Based Practice / Q000458:organization & administration; D014943:Global Health; D006040:Goals; D006078:Government Programs / Q000458:organization & administration; D006291:Health Policy; D006302:Health Services Research / Q000458:organization & administration; D040361:Healthy People Programs / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D009042:Motivation; D011050:Policy Making; D012108:Research Personnel; D057170:Translational Research, Biomedical / Q000458:organization & administration
keywords: Diffusion of innovation; Knowledge translation; MDGs and SDGs; National health research systems; Support of research