Integrated multi-concept approach for Evidence-Informed Policy-Making for Health, WHO EMRO, 2019Evidence-informed policy-making is essential to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and universal health coverage, and its importance is emphasized in "WHO’s Thirteenth General Programme of Work 2019–2023" (GPW 13).
Since 2015, efforts have accelerated in this area of work, with several resolutions being presented and approved by the Regional Committee for the Eastern Mediterranean. This efforts culminated in 2019, with a technical paper on Developing national institutional capacity for evidence-informed policy-making for health“ (EM/RC66/6), that presents the innovative multi-concept approach for the integrated use of different sources of evidence and data to inform policy-making processes. The approach advocates for bringing together, in an integrated manner, all different programmes and technical expertise involved in the generation of data and evidence, to be used complementarily in policy making processes. The technical paper was followed by a landmark resolution (EM/RC66/R.5), requesting WHO to support the establishment of national mechanisms and national capacity to use evidence in national policy-making for health. The Resolution endorsed a framework for action and a regional action plan for the implementation of the Framework.
As the result, the Evidence and Data to Policy programme was established within the Department of Science, Information and Dissemination at the WHO Regional Office to coordinate and oversee the implementation of the regional action plan. In addition, as requested by the Regional Committee in resolution EM/RC66/R.5, the Regional Network of Institutions for Evidence and Data to Policy (NEDtP) was established in 2020 to support evidence-informed policy-making at the national level and enhance the institutionalization of evidence use in national policy-making.
Vision
A Region where all health-related policies and decisions on health care development, implementation and innovation are informed by the best available evidence from reliable and verifiable research and data.
Mission
Support the countries of the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region in institutionalizing the use of evidence in policy-making for health through establishing the required processes, structures and capacities at national level.
Enhance WHO support for countries in these areas, and engage regional experts and stakeholders through effective networks and partnerships at the national, regional and global level for the achievement of universal health coverage and the health-related Sustainable Development Goals.
