SURE · Supporting the Use of Research Evidence (SURE) for Policy in African Health Systems

Inadequate access to and use of research evidence to inform health policy limits the achievement of universal and equitable access to healthcare, hinders quality improvement and makes it difficult to use healthcare resources wisely. Poorly informed decision-making about health policies and systems is one of the reasons why services fail to reach those most in need, health indicators are off track, and it appears unlikely that many countries in Africa will meet the health MDGs. SURE will support improvements in health policies and systems in low and middle-income countries (LMIC) by improving access to and use of policy-relevant syntheses of research evidence that are contextualized and tailored to meet the needs of decision makers. SURE will develop, pilot and evaluate five strategies designed to strengthen access to and use of reliable and timely research syntheses in policymaking: user friendly formats for research syntheses, clearing houses for syntheses and policy relevant research, mechanisms for responding rapidly to policymakers’ needs for research evidence, methods for organizing and managing deliberative forums involving policymakers, researchers and others, and methods for involving civil society and the public in policy development. SURE will develop capacity for evidence-informed healthcare policy and undertake a comparative evaluation of initiatives between policymakers and researchers using these and other strategies. SURE will collaborate with the Evidence-Informed Health Policy Network (EVIPNet) and the Regional East African Community Health (REACH) Policy Initiative–two international efforts to improve the use of research evidence in policy and health systems decisions via partnerships between policymakers, researchers and civil society. SURE will use a range of dissemination strategies. Global dissemination will be coordinated by and capitalise on WHO, with the aim of maximising the project’s impact on health policy in Africa and othe