Article type
Abstract
"Background: Ethiopian Evidence Based Healthcare and Development Centre (EEBH&DC): A JBI Centre of Excellence established in Jimma University (JU) in 2007. Main aim of the center is to promote evidence use for policy making through training evidence synthesis, evidence translation, implementation and evidence utilization in Ethiopia and possibly in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).
Objective: To share the experiences of one and half years for promoting it in collaboration with Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI).
Methods: EEBHCC conducted evidence/knowledge synthesis, evidence translation and evidence utilization training/s to academicians, researchers, clinicians, policy makers and program/decision managers in Ethiopia and SSA. Mentoring these activities to produce systematic reviews, evidence implementation, conducting policy dialogues to stakeholders for evidence consumption for policy, guidelines production, and improving training.
Results: Challenges are the part of any EBHC activities with varying intensities such as initially non- availability of internet, hide and seek of electricity, turn over of the trained persons, non-motivation of the trained persons to produce the systematic reviews (SR), evidence implementation (EI), conducting policy dialogue (PD) and uptake of the best evidence. Some challenges slowly overcome to produce SRs, EI, and PDs. Funding is the foremost and persistent problem. Some activities for other projects were carved out as evidence-based activities and funds motivated researches to conduct EBHC activities. This slowly established credibility among stakeholders (academicians, researchers, policy makers, international NGOs, and funders) for EBHC activities and lead to recognition by Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH). However, sustainability and regularly conducting EBHC activities remain the challenge but consistent efforts to made FMOH initially to establish a unit called Policy Analysis Case Team (PACT) in Policy Planning Directorate (PPD) to interact regularly between researchers (evidence generators) and policy experts (evidence users). PACT generates research questions and sends to researchers for answers generally adopting co-creation methodology. Now FMOH has transformed the PACT from Unit into full-fledged department named “Policy, Strategies and Research (PSR)”. Recognizing the need of human resources for EBHC, Jimma University established is PhD program in EBHC in 2020 for availability of full-fledged EBHC experts.
Conclusion: Committed leadership with persistent efforts leads to achieve sustainable activities.
"
Objective: To share the experiences of one and half years for promoting it in collaboration with Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI).
Methods: EEBHCC conducted evidence/knowledge synthesis, evidence translation and evidence utilization training/s to academicians, researchers, clinicians, policy makers and program/decision managers in Ethiopia and SSA. Mentoring these activities to produce systematic reviews, evidence implementation, conducting policy dialogues to stakeholders for evidence consumption for policy, guidelines production, and improving training.
Results: Challenges are the part of any EBHC activities with varying intensities such as initially non- availability of internet, hide and seek of electricity, turn over of the trained persons, non-motivation of the trained persons to produce the systematic reviews (SR), evidence implementation (EI), conducting policy dialogue (PD) and uptake of the best evidence. Some challenges slowly overcome to produce SRs, EI, and PDs. Funding is the foremost and persistent problem. Some activities for other projects were carved out as evidence-based activities and funds motivated researches to conduct EBHC activities. This slowly established credibility among stakeholders (academicians, researchers, policy makers, international NGOs, and funders) for EBHC activities and lead to recognition by Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH). However, sustainability and regularly conducting EBHC activities remain the challenge but consistent efforts to made FMOH initially to establish a unit called Policy Analysis Case Team (PACT) in Policy Planning Directorate (PPD) to interact regularly between researchers (evidence generators) and policy experts (evidence users). PACT generates research questions and sends to researchers for answers generally adopting co-creation methodology. Now FMOH has transformed the PACT from Unit into full-fledged department named “Policy, Strategies and Research (PSR)”. Recognizing the need of human resources for EBHC, Jimma University established is PhD program in EBHC in 2020 for availability of full-fledged EBHC experts.
Conclusion: Committed leadership with persistent efforts leads to achieve sustainable activities.
"