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Strengthening capacity in developing countries for evidence-based public health:: the data for decision-making project

Author

Listed:
  • Pappaioanou, Marguerite
  • Malison, Michael
  • Wilkins, Karen
  • Otto, Bradley
  • Goodman, Richard A.
  • Churchill, R. Elliott
  • White, Mark
  • Thacker, Stephen B.

Abstract

Public health officials and the communities they serve need to: identify priority health problems; formulate effective health policies; respond to public health emergencies; select, implement, and evaluate cost-effective interventions to prevent and control disease and injury; and allocate human and financial resources. Despite agreement that rational, data-based decisions will lead to improved health outcomes, many public health decisions appear to be made intuitively or politically. During 1991-1996, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention implemented the US Agency for International Development funded Data for Decision-Making (DDM) Project. DDM goals were to: (a) strengthen the capacity of decision makers to identify data needs for solving problems and to interpret and use data appropriately for public health decisions; (b) enhance the capacity of technical advisors to provide valid, essential, and timely data to decision makers clearly and effectively; and (c) strengthen health information systems (HISs) to facilitate the collection, analysis, reporting, presentation, and use of data at local, district, regional, and national levels. Assessments were conducted to identify important health problems, problem-driven implementation plans with data-based solutions as objectives were developed, interdisciplinary, in-service training programs for mid-level policy makers, program managers, and technical advisors in applied epidemiology, management and leadership, communications, economic evaluation, and HISs were designed and implemented, national staff were trained in the refinement of HISs to improve access to essential data from multiple sources, and the effectiveness of the strategy was evaluated. This strategy was tested in Bolivia, Cameroon, Mexico, and the Philippines, where decentralization of health services led to a need to strengthen the capacity of policy makers and health officers at sub-national levels to use information more effectively. Results showed that the DDM strategy improved evidence-based public health. Subsequently, DDM concepts and practices have been institutionalized in participating countries and at CDC.

Suggested Citation

  • Pappaioanou, Marguerite & Malison, Michael & Wilkins, Karen & Otto, Bradley & Goodman, Richard A. & Churchill, R. Elliott & White, Mark & Thacker, Stephen B., 2003. "Strengthening capacity in developing countries for evidence-based public health:: the data for decision-making project," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 57(10), pages 1925-1937, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:57:y:2003:i:10:p:1925-1937
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    Cited by:

    1. David Lewis & M. Feisal Rahman & Revocatus Twinomuhangi & Shababa Haque & Nazmul Huq & Saleemul Huq & Lars Ribbe & Asif Ishtiaque, 2023. "University-Based Researchers as Knowledge Brokers for Climate Policies and Action," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 35(3), pages 656-683, June.
    2. Crocker, Jonny & Shields, Katherine F. & Venkataramanan, Vidya & Saywell, Darren & Bartram, Jamie, 2016. "Building capacity for water, sanitation, and hygiene programming: Training evaluation theory applied to CLTS management training in Kenya," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 166(C), pages 66-76.
    3. Nemia Sucaldito & Enrique Tayag & Maria Roces & Michael Malison & Brian Robie & Elizabeth Howze, 2014. "The Philippines Field Management Training Program (FMTP): strengthening management capacity in a decentralized public health system," International Journal of Public Health, Springer;Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH+), vol. 59(6), pages 897-903, December.
    4. Impoinvil, Daniel E. & Ahmad, Sajjad & Troyo, Adriana & Keating, Joseph & Githeko, Andrew K. & Mbogo, Charles M. & Kibe, Lydiah & Githure, John I. & Gad, Adel M. & Hassan, Ali N. & Orshan, Laor & Warb, 2007. "Comparison of mosquito control programs in seven urban sites in Africa, the Middle East, and the Americas," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 83(2-3), pages 196-212, October.
    5. Sogoric, Selma & Dzakula, Aleksandar & Rukavina, Tea Vukusic & Grozic-Zivolic, Sonja & Lazaric-Zec, Danijela & Dzono-Boban, Ankica & Brborovic, Ognjen & Lang, Slobodan & Vuletic, Silvije, 2009. "Evaluation of Croatian model of polycentric health planning and decision making," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 89(3), pages 271-278, March.
    6. Nicholas Generous & Kristen J Margevicius & Kirsten J Taylor-McCabe & Mac Brown & W Brent Daniel & Lauren Castro & Andrea Hengartner & Alina Deshpande, 2014. "Selecting Essential Information for Biosurveillance—A Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 9(1), pages 1-15, January.
    7. Djibuti, Mamuka & Rukhadze, Natia & Hotchkiss, David R. & Eisele, Thomas P. & Silvestre, Eva A., 2007. "Health systems barriers to effective use of infectious disease surveillance data in the context of decentralization in Georgia: A qualitative study," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 83(2-3), pages 323-331, October.
    8. Tolib N. Mirzoev & Andrew Green & Ricky Van Kalliecharan, 2015. "Framework for assessing the capacity of a health ministry to conduct health policy processes—a case study from Tajikistan," International Journal of Health Planning and Management, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(2), pages 173-185, April.

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