EVIPNet Brazil encourages a narrowing of the gap between scientific knowledge and health policies

September 27, 2013 10:25 , Leave a Comment , SciELO

EVIPNet – Evidence –Informed Policy Network – is an initiative of the World Health Organization (WHO) whose objective is the promotion of the systematic use of health research evidence in the formulation of health related policies, in order to improve the quality of work undertaken and the implementation of resources. In Brazil, EVIPNet was set up in 2007, by means of a partnership between the Ministry of Health, working through the General Coordination of Knowledge Management of the Department of Science and Technology (Coordenação Geral de Gestão do Conhecimento do Departamento de Ciência e Tecnologia – CGGC/DECIT/SCTIE/MS) and the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) working through the Latin American and Caribbean Centre for Information in Health Sciences (BIREME).

This alliance of managers, researchers and civil society aims to establish mechanisms which facilitate the use of the results of scientific research in the process of the formulation and implementation of health policies, with the engagement of professionals in the field of Information Science, who can act, as well, in the work groups which are composed of representatives from the different institutions and specialists who have been selected and invited to develop different topics in the training workshops carried out by EVIPNet Brazil. The major task given to the work groups is the production and dissemination of evidence briefs for health policies.

Evidence briefs for policy are one of the products of EVIPNet. Their preparation is based on the SUPPORT methods – Tools for Evidence-Based Policies. The best evidence available concerning options to address problems which are relevant to health policy are identified, evaluated and synthesized for use by decision makers. The texts produced adopt the language and the formats suitable for the different publics and media, and aim to strengthen communication and increase the capacity for the use of scientific knowledge in the management of SUS is the Public Health System (Sistema Único de Saúde) of Brazil which provides free access to public health services.

Brazil produced its first evidence-based synthesis in 2010. The focus of this work was the reduction of the perinatal mortality rate in the north and northeast regions of the country, with policy options in the area of primary care. In 2013, three new evidence-based syntheses for policy making were proposed, covering the following topics: maternal mortality and near miss, hypervitaminosis A and combating crack cocaine, in addition to the revision and expansion of the first synthesis of perinatal mortality.

Aiming to support these actions and bringing researchers, decision makers and civil society more closely together, EVIPNet Brazil, in partnership with PAHO/Bireme, is supporting the creation of the Nuclei of Evidences and Stations of the Virtual Health Library (Núcleos de Evidências e Estações da Biblioteca Virtual de Saúde – NEv/EBVS) with the objective of building up local capacities for the incorporation of scientific knowledge to the management of health systems and services. To date, four NEv’s have been implemented in different Brazilian municipalities: Piripiri (PI), Sobral (CE), Recife (PE) and Brasília (DF).