RIPSEC Democratic Republic of the Congo - Awareness workshop of stakeholders and decision makers on the use of evidence

On May 11^th 2018, the “Centre de Connaissance en Santé au Congo (CCSC)” organised a workshop to sensitize stakeholders to use scientific evidence for public health decision making. The primary aim was to obtain commitment from participants to use scientific evidence in the decision-making process by seeking support of CCSC. This activity, organised under the auspices of the Minister of Health, was attended by representatives of the main central directorates of the Ministry of Public Health, Scientific Research and Higher and University Education, the World Bank, the European Union, the World health Organization and civil society.

The opening ceremony was marked by the Minister of Health's speech after the participants had completed a questionnaire on the knowledge, attitudes and practices of decision-makers and stakeholders on how to use evidence in decision making.

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The workshop started with a theoretical framework explanation and continued with discussions and groups work. Thereafter, there was a plenary discussion with all participants, where CCSC provided support through several means such power point presentations, leaflets or policy briefs. After the presentations, there was a debate about the strategies to support the political authorities in the effective implementation of the recommendations developed by CCSC experts. These strategies focused on an implementation plan to disseminate CCSC results nationally, and advocacy activities together with different donors to establish a research fund that can capitalize on the projects’ outcomes.

It was also an opportunity to present RIPSEC project and especially to discuss the redefinition of CCSC’s role in the context of a large country with limited resources.

In the workshop, the various thematic groups (governance, care services, human resources, finances, medicines) proposed nine research questions to CCSC. Relevant questions will feed the work of the CCSC and will be selected taking into account a prioritisation criteria previously established. The next CCSC agenda will consist on disseminating the selected themes to relevant stakeholders.

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