scholarly journals The program and policy change framework: A new tool to measure research use in low- and middle-income countries

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen Fowle ◽  
Brent Wells ◽  
Melissa Day ◽  
Anjali Kumar ◽  
Cameron Bess ◽  
...  

Abstract Organizations that fund research to address global development challenges are increasingly interested in measuring the social and economic outcomes of research. However, traditional metrics for measuring research outputs are often insufficient for capturing the outcomes targeted by international assistance organizations. To address this, the Center for Development Research (CDR), part of the U.S. Global Development Lab at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), has designed a new tool: the Program and Policy Change (PPC) framework for tracking and quantifying the influence of research on program and policy change in international development. The framework draws on existing conceptual frameworks of evidence uptake and the literature on policy change. This article describes the design of the PPC framework and presents the results of applying the framework to two USAID research programs. The benefits of the framework include applicability across research sectors, focus on evidence-informed policy at various levels of geographical influence, and inclusion of a numeric scoring system that enables quantification of outcomes.

2018 ◽  
pp. 381-389
Author(s):  
Jonathan D. Klein ◽  
Errol R. Alden

There are challenges in establishing guidelines for care and in implementing evidence-based recommendations and guidelines in many countries. This is a reflection of nationalistic approaches to governance and, more specifically, national choices governing the social strategies that are deemed acceptable to decision-makers. These challenges are not limited to low- and middle-income countries; within the United States and other high-income countries, individual state and community governmental jurisdictions can be resistant to new evidence or to examples of successes that work in neighboring governmental units.1 But despite these nationalistic tendencies, efforts to share successful models for pediatric education have helped spread innovation and quality improvements in care to many countries over the past several decades. This chapter reviews some of the factors that made this spread possible, including the rapid growth and institutionalization of global health training in US residency programs; addresses the future development of competencies and ethical standards within the current framework of the UN Sustainable Development Goals; and provides a perspective on the role of US pediatric associations in setting and supporting the agenda for global child and adolescent health research, practice, and education.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
William M. Weiss ◽  
Piya Bhumika ◽  
Althea Andrus ◽  
Robert Cohen

Abstract Background Significant levels of funding have been provided to low- and middle-income countries for development assistance for health, with most funds coming through direct bilateral investment led by the United States and the United Kingdom. Direct attribution of impact to large scale programs funded by donors remains elusive due the difficulty of knowing what would have happened without those programs, and the lack of detailed contextual information to support causal interpretation of changes. Methods This study uses the synthetic control analysis method to estimate the impact of one donor’s funding (United States Agency for International Development, USAID) on under-five mortality across several low- and middle-income countries that received above average levels of USAID funding for maternal and child health programs between 2000 and 2016. Results In the study period (2000-16), countries with above average USAID funding had an under-fiver mortality rate lower than the synthetic control by an average of 29 deaths per 1,000 live births (year to year range of 2 – 38). This finding was stable across several sensitivity analyses. Conclusions The synthetic control method is a valuable addition to the range of approaches for quantifying the impact of large-scale health programs in low- and middle-income countries. The findings suggest that adequately funded donor programs (in this case USAID) help countries to reduce child mortality to significantly lower rates than would have occurred without those investments.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
William Weiss ◽  
Bhumika Piya ◽  
Andrus Althea ◽  
Robert Cohen

Abstract BackgroundSignificant levels of funding have been provided to low- and middle-income countries for development assistance for health, with most funds coming through direct bilateral investment led by the United States and the United Kingdom. Direct attribution of impact to large scale programs funded by donors remains elusive due the difficulty of knowing what would have happened without those programs, and the lack of detailed contextual information to support causal interpretation of changes. MethodsThis study uses the synthetic control analysis method to estimate the impact of one donor’s funding (United States Agency for International Development, USAID) on under-five mortality across several low- and middle-income countries that received above average levels of USAID funding for maternal and child health programs between 2000 and 2016. ResultsIn the study period (2000-16), countries with above average USAID funding had an under-fiver mortality rate lower than the synthetic control by an average of 29 deaths per 1,000 live births (year to year range of 2 – 38). This finding was stable across several sensitivity analyses. ConclusionsThe synthetic control method is a valuable addition to the range of approaches for quantifying the impact of large-scale health programs in low- and middle-income countries. The findings suggest that adequately funded donor programs (in this case USAID) help countries to reduce child mortality to significantly lower rates than would have occurred without those investments.


2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 333-351
Author(s):  
Olga Ulybina

This article describes a policy adoption case study about deinstitutionalization of childcare in Georgia since independence. It highlights the evolving and non-homogeneous nature of transnational agency in the area of childcare deinstitutionalization, and offers insights into the complex relationship between transnational agency and national policymaking. The analysis draws on national policy documents, reports of United Nations agencies, the European Union, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and non-governmental organizations that contributed to the evolution of childcare deinstitutionalization in Georgia. We trace several developments: evolution of Georgian domestic policy versus the changing role of childcare deinstitutionalization in activities of various transnational actors. We find that Georgian childcare was shifting towards deinstitutionalization at the same time as global policy actors were developing their interventions in this policy area, showing how a lower middle-income country can develop its domestic social policies in conditions of an incoherent external environment.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (SPL1) ◽  
pp. 1367-1373
Author(s):  
Nikhil Sanjay Mujbaile ◽  
Smita Damke

The Covid illness (COVID-19) pandemic has spread rapidly all through the world and has had a drawn-out impact. The Pandemic has done incredible damage to society and made genuine mental injury to numerous individuals. Mental emergencies frequently cause youngsters to deliver sentiments of relinquishment, despondency, insufficiency, and fatigue and even raise the danger of self-destruction. Youngsters with psychological instabilities are particularly powerless during the isolate and colonial removing period. Convenient and proper assurances are expected to forestall the event of mental and social issues. The rising advanced applications and wellbeing administrations, for example, telehealth, web-based media, versatile wellbeing, and far off intuitive online instruction can connect the social separation and backing mental and conduct wellbeing for youngsters. Because of the mental advancement qualities of youngsters, this investigation additionally outlines intercessions on the mental effect of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Further difficulties in Low Middle-Income Countries incorporate the failure to actualize successful general wellbeing estimates, for example, social separating, hand cleanliness, definitive distinguishing proof of contaminated individuals with self-disconnection and widespread utilization of covers The aberrant impacts of the Pandemic on youngster wellbeing are of extensive concern, including expanding neediness levels, upset tutoring, absence of admittance to the class taking care of plans, decreased admittance to wellbeing offices and breaks in inoculation and other kid wellbeing programs. Kept tutoring is critical for kids in Low Middle-Income Countries. Arrangement of safe situations is mainly testing in packed asset obliged schools. 


Author(s):  
Harry Minas

This chapter provides an overview of what is known about prevalence, social determinants, treatment, and course and impact of depression in developing, or low- and middle-income, countries. The importance of culture in depression and in the construction and application of diagnostic classifications and in health and social services is highlighted, with a particular focus on the applicability of ‘Western’ diagnostic constructs and service systems in developing country settings. The role of international organizations, such as WHO, and international development programs, such as the SDGs, in improving our understanding of depression and in developing effective and culturally appropriate responses is briefly examined. There is both a need and increasing opportunities in developing countries for greater commitment to mental health of populations, increased investment in mental health and social services, and culturally informed research that will contribute to improved global understanding of mental disorders in general and depression in particular.


2018 ◽  
Vol 23 (10) ◽  
pp. 2086
Author(s):  
Fang Shiang Lim ◽  
Shih Keng Loong ◽  
Jing Jing Khoo ◽  
Kim Kee Tan ◽  
Nurhafiza Zainal ◽  
...  

AcknowledgmentsThis study was supported in parts by the research grants from University of Malaya, under the Research University Grants (RU016-2015) and (RU005-2017), and the Malaysia One Health University Network (MyOHUN) Seed Fund Award (MY/NCO/ACT/P001/SEEDFUND) provided by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). 


2020 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Anthony T. Fuller ◽  
Ariana Barkley ◽  
Robin Du ◽  
Cyrus Elahi ◽  
Ali R. Tafreshi ◽  
...  

OBJECTIVEGlobal neurosurgery is a rapidly emerging field that aims to address the worldwide shortages in neurosurgical care. Many published outreach efforts and initiatives exist to address the global disparity in neurosurgical care; however, there is no centralized report detailing these efforts. This scoping review aims to characterize the field of global neurosurgery by identifying partnerships between high-income countries (HICs) and low- and/or middle-income countries (LMICs) that seek to increase neurosurgical capacity.METHODSA scoping review was conducted using the Arksey and O’Malley framework. A search was conducted in five electronic databases and the gray literature, defined as literature not published through traditional commercial or academic means, to identify studies describing global neurosurgery partnerships. Study selection and data extraction were performed by four independent reviewers, and any disagreements were settled by the team and ultimately the team lead.RESULTSThe original database search produced 2221 articles, which was reduced to 183 final articles after applying inclusion and exclusion criteria. These final articles, along with 9 additional gray literature references, captured 169 unique global neurosurgery collaborations between HICs and LMICs. Of this total, 103 (61%) collaborations involved surgical intervention, while local training of medical personnel, research, and education were done in 48%, 38%, and 30% of efforts, respectively. Many of the collaborations (100 [59%]) are ongoing, and 93 (55%) of them resulted in an increase in capacity within the LMIC involved. The largest proportion of efforts began between 2005–2009 (28%) and 2010–2014 (17%). The most frequently involved HICs were the United States, Canada, and France, whereas the most frequently involved LMICs were Uganda, Tanzania, and Kenya.CONCLUSIONSThis review provides a detailed overview of current global neurosurgery efforts, elucidates gaps in the existing literature, and identifies the LMICs that may benefit from further efforts to improve accessibility to essential neurosurgical care worldwide.


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