Launch of the Global Coalition for Evidence

13 September 2024 09:00 – 10:30 UTC Time

The Global Coalition for Evidence will be launched on 13th September during the second Global Evidence Summit in Prague.

The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the critical role of evidence-informed decision-making (EIDM), where the rapid uptake and effective implementation of evidence were pivotal in guiding decision-making processes. Accurate and timely translation of evidence remains essential for promoting population health and protecting them from current health threats, including antimicrobial resistance, climate change, and increasing economic and social inequalities, as well as future crises. The Coalition, which emerged from a joint call of the Global Evidence-to-Policy Summits held in 2021 and 2023, aims to strengthen the global evidence ecosystem for improved health decision-making. It seeks to streamline efforts among EIDM players, break down silos, and maximize the impact of EIDM to improve health outcomes and greater equity across global communities.

The Coalition's strategy is built around three key pillars:

  1. Foster Collaboration: By promoting joint priority setting, capacity building, and knowledge exchange, the Coalition will enhance collaboration among EIDM players, leveraging complementary capabilities for greater impact.
  2. Enhance Coordination: The Coalition will work to align stakeholders around a shared agenda, developing unified strategies to institutionalize EIDM and ensure that global efforts are complementary and not duplicative.
  3. Drive Consolidation: Efforts will be made to harmonize norms, standards, and methodologies across the evidence ecosystem, reducing fragmentation and enhancing the quality and consistency of evidence used in health decision-making.

Launch event

As the Coalition takes shape, interested institutions and organisations, especially those working in knowledge generation, translation, and use, are invited to be part of this transformative movement. To learn more, join the launch session at the upcoming Global Evidence Summit in Prague.

Programme

The session ‘Catalyzing collective action for impact: Role of the Global Coalition for Evidence’ will take place in Hall C1 on 13 September from 9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. CEST. It will launch the Coalition, discuss strategies and actions needed to drive momentum in EIDM, and conclude with a call to action to join the Coalition.

Speakers will include:

  • Tanja Kuchenmüller, Unit Head, Evidence to Policy and Impact, Research for Health Department, Science Division, WHO
  • Fadi El-Jardali, Professor of Health Policy and Systems, Health Policy and Management Department, Faculty of Health Sciences, American University of Beirut, Lebanon
  • Laura dos Santos Boeira, Executive Director of Veredas, Brazil
  • Sandy Oliver, Co-Director, Evidence for Policy & Practice Information Centre, UCL Social Research Institute, United Kingdom
  • Shelly-Ann Hunte, Research Fellow, Caribbean Centre for Health Systems Research and Development, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago
  • Firmaye Bogale Wolde, Director, Knowledge Translation Directorate, Ethiopian Public Health Institute, Ethiopia
  • Laurenz Mahlanza-Langer, Executive Director: Pan-African Collective for Evidence, South Africa
  • Yodi Mahendradhata, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Public Health and Nursing, Gadjah Mada University, Indonesia

Commentators will include:

  • Marge Reinap, Technical Officer, Evidence for Policy and Development, Division of Country Health Policies and Systems, WHO Regional Office for Europe
  • Arash Rashidian, Director, Science, Information and Dissemination, WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean

The workshop abstract and agenda are available here

Let’s unite to build a world where evidence consistently guides policy decisions.

For more information on the Global Coalition for Evidence, please contact the WHO team at EIDM@who.int