News

The 2014 Research-to-Policy Dialogue on ‘Use of Research Results for Dialogue, Action and Change‘ takes place from June 19-21, 2014 at the Windsor Golf and Country Club Nairobi, Kenya.  The theme of this year’s conference is “˜Mobilizing and sensitizing national stakeholders on the need for a demand-driven generation, uptake and utilization of research evidence in Kenya’.

Over the three days, the question that will be guiding discussions is “What specific strategic health research evidence should be generated in order to stimulate its demand, uptake and utilization in policy development that is responsive to the challenges of devolving health care delivery in Kenya?”

Context and rationale of the Conference

The use of evidence, which includes research findings and rigorous use of data, is critical in revealing which development issues should be prioritized and identifying the most effective and impact-driven intervention strategies. Evidence also helps decision makers assess and evaluate the effectiveness of their policy and program responses, enabling them to refine their approaches over time and maximize impact. Key decision makers globally”•and especially in Africa”•increasingly recognize the importance of applying and using evidence in policy and practice, and its value for sustaining and expanding the progress achieved in health and overall economic development over the last decade. Despite this recognition, the demand for and utilization of evidence in policymaking, however, remains sub-optimal, and research on how to improve evidence-informed policymaking in developing countries, such as Kenya, is inadequate.

AFIDEP is co-hosting the conference with the Ministry of Health, Consortium for National Health Research (CNHR) and the National Commission for Science, Technology and Innovation (NACOSTI).