Friday, May 21, 2010

[EQ] Supporting the Use of Research Evidence (SURE)

Supporting the Use of Research Evidence (SURE)
for policy in African health systems


SURE is a collaborative project that builds on and supports the Evidence-Informed Policy Network (EVIPNet) in Africa and the
Region of East Africa Community Health (REACH) Policy Initiative

Website: http://www.evipnet.org/local/SURE%20Website/Videosaudios.htm

These educational video and audio documentaries let people describe in their own words how the SURE project, a collaboration of EVIPNet Africa and REACH, is working to improve health systems in Africa by making better use of research evidence to inform decisions. The audience can hear this and see the context in which people are working.

The documentaries can be downloaded and used in meetings or broadcasts to introduce concepts, raise awareness and generate discussion about evidence-informed health policymaking. They are targeted at a broad audience, including policymakers, researchers, stakeholders and the general public.

To download the video or audio files right click on the link and select "Save Target As..." from the pop-up menu that appears.

Title

   Version

    Length

SURE

Short introduction to the project and the video documentaries for a general audience

   Video

   English

2:28

Introduction to SURE, EVIPNet and REACH

   Video

   English

5:37

Using evidence to improve health financing in Cameroon

   Video

   English
   French
   Portuguese

   Audio
   English

12:23

 

 

15:48

Using evidence to fight malaria in Uganda

   Video

   English
   French
   Portuguese

   Audio
  
English

10:51

 

 

14:24

Using evidence to improve mental health in Zambia

   Video

   English
   French
   Portuguese

   Audio
   English

12:31

Interview with Joseph Kasonde, Executive Director, Zambia Forum for Health Research (ZAMFOHR)

   Video

   English
   French
   Portuguese

3:54

Interview with Andy Oxman, SURE coordinator

   Video

   English
   French
  Portuguese

3:43

 

Guides for preparing & using policy briefs

The SURE guides provide guidelines and resources for preparing and using policy briefs
http://www.evipnet.org/local/SURE%20Website/guides.htm

Draft guides in English and French can be downloaded by clicking on the title of each guide.  

Background

1. What is a policy brief? - NOT AVAILABLE

2. Setting priorities for policy briefs

Preparing policy briefs

3. Clarifying the problem

4. Deciding on and describing options to address the problem
4. Détermination et description des options en vue de la résolution des problèmes

5. Identifying and addressing barriers to implementing the options
5.
Identification et élimination des obstacles à la mise en œuvre de l'option

6. Clarifying uncertainties, and needs and priorities for monitoring and evaluation - NOT AVAILABLE 

Using policy briefs/

7. Organising and running policy dialogues
7.
Organisation et tenue des réunions de concertation

8. Informing and engaging stakeholders

.

SURE: The project involves teams of researchers and policymakers in 11 African countries and is supported by research teams in four European countries and Canada.
SURE  Funded by the European Commission's 7th Framework Programme (Grant agreement no 222881).
SURE will contribute to strengthening, supporting and evaluating EVIPNet in Africa
(in Burkina Faso
, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Ethiopia, Mozambique and Zambia) and the  REACH Policy Initiative (in Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Kenya and Burundi).


 
*      *     *
This message from the Pan American Health Organization, PAHO/WHO, is part of an effort to disseminate
information Related to: Equity; Health inequality; Socioeconomic inequality in health; Socioeconomic
health differentials; Gender; Violence; Poverty; Health Economics; Health Legislation; Ethnicity; Ethics;
Information Technology - Virtual libraries; Research & Science issues.  [DD/ KMC Area]

"Materials provided in this electronic list are provided "as is". Unless expressly stated otherwise, the findings
and interpretations included in the Materials are those of the authors and not necessarily of The Pan American
Health Organization PAHO/WHO or its country members".
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[EQ] Tuberculosis control and elimination 2010-50: cure, care, and social development

Tuberculosis control and elimination 2010—50: cure, care, and social development

Dr Knut Lönnroth PhD a , Kenneth G Castro MD b, Jeremiah Muhwa Chakaya MD c, Lakhbir Singh Chauhan MD d, Katherine Floyd PhD a, Philippe Glaziou MD a, Mario C Raviglione MD a

The Lancet, Volume 375, Issue 9728, Pages 1814 - 1829, 22 May 2010

Website: http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(10)60483-7/fulltext

“…..Rapid expansion of the standardised approach to tuberculosis diagnosis and treatment that is recommended by WHO allowed more than 36 million people to be cured between 1995 and 2008, averting up to 6 million deaths. Yet tuberculosis remains a severe global public health threat.

 

There are more than 9 million new cases every year worldwide, and the incidence rate is falling at less than 1% per year. Although the overall target related to the Millennium Development Goals of halting and beginning to reverse the epidemic might have already been reached in 2004, the more important long-term elimination target set for 2050 will not be met with present strategies and instruments. Several key challenges persist. Many vulnerable people do not have access to affordable services of sufficient quality.

 

Technologies for diagnosis, treatment, and prevention are old and inadequate. Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis is a serious threat in many settings. HIV/AIDS continues to fuel the tuberculosis epidemic, especially in Africa. Furthermore, other risk factors and underlying social determinants help to maintain tuberculosis in the community.

 

 Acceleration of the decline towards elimination of this disease will need invigorated actions in four broad areas: continued scale-up of early diagnosis and proper treatment for all forms of tuberculosis in line with the Stop TB Strategy; development and enforcement of bold health-system policies; establishment of links with the broader development agenda; and promotion and intensification of research towards innovations….”

 

This article is part of The Lancet Series on tuberculosis, which was developed and coordinated by Alimuddin Zumla (University College London Medical School, London, UK); Mario C Raviglione (Stop TB Department, WHO, Geneva, Switzerland); and Ben Marais (University of Stellenbosch, Stellenbosch, South Africa).



Multidrug-resistant and extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis: a threat to global control of tuberculosis

Dr Neel R Gandhi MD a b , Paul Nunn FRCP c, Keertan Dheda PhD d e, Prof H Simon Schaaf MD f, Matteo Zignol MD c, Dick van Soolingen PhD g, Paul Jensen PhD h, Jaime Bayona MD i
The Lancet, Volume 375, Issue 9728, Pages 1830 - 1843, 22 May 2010
URL: http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(10)60410-2/fulltext

 “….…..Although progress has been made to reduce global incidence of drug-susceptible tuberculosis, the emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) and extensively drug-resistant (XDR) tuberculosis during the past decade threatens to undermine these advances. However, countries are responding far too slowly.
Of the estimated 440 000 cases of MDR tuberculosis that occurred in 2008, only 7% were identified and reported to WHO. Of these cases, only a fifth was treated according to WHO standards.

Although treatment of MDR and XDR tuberculosis is possible with currently available diagnostic techniques and drugs, the treatment course is substantially more costly and laborious than for drug-susceptible tuberculosis, with higher rates of treatment failure and mortality. Nonetheless, a few countries provide examples of how existing technologies can be used to reverse the epidemic of MDR tuberculosis within a decade.

 

Major improvements in laboratory capacity, infection control, performance of tuberculosis control programmes, and treatment regimens for both drug-susceptible and drug-resistant disease will be needed, together with a massive scale-up in diagnosis and treatment of MDR and XDR tuberculosis to prevent drug-resistant strains from becoming the dominant form of tuberculosis. New diagnostic tests and drugs are likely to become available during the next few years and should accelerate control of MDR and XDR tuberculosis.

 

Equally important, especially in the highest-burden countries of India, China, and Russia, will be a commitment to tuberculosis control including improvements in national policies and health systems that remove financial barriers to treatment, encourage rational drug use, and create the infrastructure necessary to manage MDR tuberculosis on a national scale.

 *      *     *
This message from the Pan American Health Organization, PAHO/WHO, is part of an effort to disseminate
information Related to: Equity; Health inequality; Socioeconomic inequality in health; Socioeconomic
health differentials; Gender; Violence; Poverty; Health Economics; Health Legislation; Ethnicity; Ethics;
Information Technology - Virtual libraries; Research & Science issues.  [DD/ KMC Area]

“Materials provided in this electronic list are provided "as is". Unless expressly stated otherwise, the findings
and interpretations included in the Materials are those of the authors and not necessarily of The Pan American
Health Organization PAHO/WHO or its country members”.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PAHO/WHO Website
Equity List - Archives - Join/remove: http://listserv.paho.org/Archives/equidad.html
Twitter http://twitter.com/eqpaho







IMPORTANT: This transmission is for use by the intended
recipient and it may contain privileged, proprietary or
confidential information. If you are not the intended
recipient or a person responsible for delivering this
transmission to the intended recipient, you may not
disclose, copy or distribute this transmission or take
any action in reliance on it. If you received this transmission
in error, please dispose of and delete this transmission.

Thank you.