Evidence synthesis

The evidence-to-policy gap in Ghana and across Africa

A synthesis of what is known about why health research fails to reach decision-making, and what the evidence says about closing the distance between the two.

Why this synthesis

Across many settings, research uptake for health policymaking remains limited. The common barriers are well documented: weak stakeholder engagement, inadequate dissemination platforms, and poor contextualisation of evidence.

This synthesis draws that literature together and asks what it implies for institutional practice in Ghana and across the continent: not only what the barriers are, but what an independent institute can actually do about them.

What it covers

  • The scale and shape of the evidence-to-policy gap in African health systems
  • Where implementation loses what policy intends
  • What the literature says about knowledge translation platforms and their limits
  • Practical implications for how evidence is timed, framed and delivered

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Suggested citation

Africa Health Discourse (forthcoming). The evidence-to-policy gap in Ghana and across Africa. Africa Health Discourse. https://africahealthdiscourse.org/publications/evidence-to-policy-gap/

  • Governance and accountability
  • Health financing

All publications

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