Translating evidence to policy is a slow, often hard, process, but is of great significance in addressing global challenges, as delegates at the 2023 WHO Evidence-to-Policy (E2P) Summit discussed on the Summit’s inaugural day. Sir Jeremy Farrar, WHO Chief Scientist, noted in his opening remarks “it is at the interface between [science and policy] that real progress is made”.
The Summit featured four keynote speakers, all of whom have played prominent roles in shaping national and international health response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Prof Salim Abdool Karim outlined the components of effective evidence-informed decision-making (EIDM) including rigorous research, effective communication, establishing trust, and consensus building. Sir Patrick Vallance, former Chief Scientific Advisor to the UK Government, shared four key questions to help science advisors decide to consider whether evidence 1) is adequate, 2) is understood, 3) has been framed for policy-makers and 4) can be monitored.
Across sessions, participants discussed the need for leadership and coordination to advance collaborative efforts and collective learning in E2P globally. The need for extensive mapping of existing E2P evidence and the areas where more evidence is needed was underscored. The sessions highlighted the need to build sustainable, inclusive and impactful E2P initiatives, and reflected on the progress made since the EVIPNet Call for Action in 2021.
Hon. Ximena Aguilera Sahueza, Chile’s Minister of Health and the final keynote speaker, underscored the importance of this topic to the entire global health community and emphasized the need for transparency in decision-making to counter misinformation.
The second day of the WHO E2P Summit will focus on cross-evidence ecosystem collaboration and engaging citizens in evidence-informed decision-making.