22nd November 2022
Own Correspondent
The Ministry of Health and Wellness hosted the 2nd National Health Research Symposium of 2022 based on theme, ‘“Unearthing Health Research for Better Uptake: Linking Research and Policy Practice,’ which officials believe dovetails with opportunities for researchers to share evidence-based research outputs and to challenge policy-makers to translate this information into action.
“This theme demands that we draw greater attention to research-informed policy-making. I am fully aware that sometimes the inclusion of research and evidence into policy making, can be met with several competing factors, which may at the end of the day compromise the quality of the decision making process. Despite this, I wish to emphasize that the inclusion of research and evidence into policymaking though complex, remains vital and a critical necessity,” said Dr Edwin G. Dikoloti, Minister of Health and Wellness.
He said, ”We therefore, have to discuss and explore different models of research utilisation and guidelines to maximise the use of evidence in policy-making. The success of reform activities in many countries has demonstrated that appropriate, quality, and timely information can guide government decisions.”
Officials say it is necessary to discuss and explore different models of research utilisation and guidelines countries use to identify appropriate, quality, and timely information which can be used by government to guide decision making process.
There is a strong need for linkages facilitating discoveries to health and to take research from the labs to surgeries and transform basic-science breakthroughs into clinical applications.
The capacity for Botswana to enjoy good health has been compromised by major pandemics, which created some socio-economic, political, and fiscal challenges. According to the UN SDG progress report of 2022, COVID-19 disrupted essential health services by 92%, and this has halted progress towards achieving universal health coverage for many countries.
Despite these challenges, Botswana has made commendable progress and achievement in health science research. This success is anchored on the advantage of the presence of collaborative arrangements with specialized research institutes and centres of excellence.
“ To demonstrate this success, let me highlight some statistics on a paper by Juma, et.al, on the governance of health research in four Eastern and Southern African countries (Botswana, Zambia, Kenya and Uganda), published in the Health Research and Systems journal in 2021. The study shows that – Botswana had 784 number of publications per one (1) million inhabitants, compared to Kenya with 294, Uganda with 198 and Zambia with 166,” said Dikoloti.
He said,”On the number of first author publications per one (1) million inhabitants, Botswana stood at 335 compared to Kenya with 125, Uganda with 84 and Zambia with 51. Authors from Botswana and Kenya, were named in more publications and first authored publications on health per million inhabitants, relative to other countries surveyed.”
Dikoloti revealed that Botswana also had a notably higher number of clinical trials per million inhabitants, at 41 compared to 13, 15 and 15 for Kenya, Uganda and Zambia, respectively.
It also indicates that Botswana and Kenya, likewise, spent more on research and development (as a percentage of GDP and per capita) in general, although the gross expenditure on research and development data were not specific to health.
According to officials these achievements are supported by the strong history of HIV/AIDS research collaborations since the early days of the epidemic.
This was largely driven by specialized research institutes and centres of excellence, who are important knowledge producers in the institutional landscape.
“Looking at this modest achievement that Botswana has made in healthcare, without collaborations, co-operation and support from our friends and partners in academia, health services sector and health research institutions, it would not have been possible. And indeed the advancement of science, the saving of lives, the advancement of quality of life of the people and the improvement of health of the people of Botswana would not be possible,” said Dikoloti.
Decisions are made all the time in all these sectors. They should be based on something say officials. This something is expected to be generated through research.
Decisions can be very costly because they involve allocation of scarce resources. Resources must be allocated where they will make a difference in addressing situations.
“That public policy is a response of a government to a matter of public concern. It’s a RESPONSE. A decision on how some issue will be addressed. If this response is based on wrong information and data, the opportunity to address the issue will be missed and resources wasted,” said Dr Gloria Somolekae, Acting Executive Director for the Botswana Institute for Development Policy Analysis(BIDPA).
Somolekae says research may be available but of poor quality and therefore evidence is needed to be of high quality and have credibility. Credibility comes from the professional robustness of the study and whether the source is trusted.
Research worldwide shows where the political system is accountable and open, research is valued and empirical research is often used to help shape action and influence policy.
