Advocacy for Evidence-Based Policy-Making in Public Health: Experiences and the Way Forward

Abstract

Evidence-informed policy action has improved the health of populations for decades; however, in many contexts, there is limited evidence that it does, mostly because of shortcomings in the process of policy-making. Evidence-based policy-making assists in making decisions about projects and programmes at every stage by using evidence to inform the policy process, rather than directly targeting the objectives of the policy. Although health policy in itself is defined distinctively by experts, it encompasses aspects of ‘public policy in health’ and ‘health in all policies’. By focussing on factors like laws and regulations, and by gaining political commitment for a specific goal, health policies and the resulting programmes can be changed and improved to enhance the health of communities. This process first involves the identification and description of the problem and the evidence-based interventions to solve it. While planning policy, the major actors involved should be identified but all stakeholders should participate in this process. Policy change requires a pragmatic shift in the rules to allow new ways of doing things, deriving programmes with stronger measures, or revising standards for a positive health outcome. These changes involve a very complex process as policymakers need to think of various factors which influence their decision-making, such as evidence of feasibility, stakeholders’ priorities, health impact, socio-political considerations and their effect on the process, and efforts of advocacy groups. A mechanism needs to be developed to evaluate the impact of current policies and every effort should be made to include evidence and research findings in the formulation of new and improved policies, for better health service delivery and to improve the health of the people.