Brazilian Ministry of health promoted, on November 21 and 22, in Brasília/Federal District/Brazil, a immersion in the use of scientific evidences in health, focusing on the support in decision-making in the Brazilian Health System (SUS). Organized by the Secretariat of Science, Technology, Innovation and Health Complex, of the Department of Science and Technology, of the Brazilian Ministry of Health, the II EVIPNet Brazil National Meeting was marked by the return of the activities of the Executive Secretariat and the Advisory Board, besides articulating and engaging the multiple actors involved in the process of generating, summarizing and disseminating evidences in health.

The Secretary of Science, Technology, Innovation and Health Complex, Carlos Gadelha, explained how science, technology and innovation can be used in benefit of a sustainable and equitable health system and its relation to the evidence production for support in decision-making in SUS: “EVIPNet Brazil has a huge potential to collaborate in the development of research in this country, through the scope of action that aims to elaborate evidence synthesis to support the decision-making of managers, seeking to contribute to the improvement of the application of resources and more effectiveness in the health promotion, prevention and health care.

The event discussed Brazil’s performance on the Evidence-Informed Network, of the World Health Organization (WHO), on its actions and products. Tanja Kuchenmuller (WHO) presented the Evidence-Informed Policy Network and pointed out the work developed in Brazil in the Network’s management and in the production of evidence synthesis.

Ludovic Reveiz, representing Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), highlighted the importance of health systems to enhance leadership, governance, government structures, priorities, principles and guidelines, ensuring the capacity of human resources, the establishment of alliances and networks, keeping in mind that the product must be personalized for the final user.

Through the event’s schedule it was possible to present the successful experiences of Brazil’s Evidence Centers (Nev) institutionalized for the network sustainable empowerment, share experiences among other networks and create the opportunity to know perceptions and challenges of institutes interested in implementing new Nev centers. Yet, collaborative proposals were made for the future of EVIPNet Brazil. One of the milestones of the event was the launch of the Guide “How to implement an evidence center and integrate the network”.

The EVIPNet Brasil Network can help identifying knowledge gaps and carry out the survey of the options to face the problems according to each territory’s reality, thus, optimizing the investments of health resources, supporting the manager’s decision-making process and corroborating for the sustainability of the system. In addition, can produce evidence synthesis to cooperate with the elaboration of public policies, subsidizing its formulation and implementation, so that they are effective and contribute to each local reality. This way, Brazilian state may ensure the social rights of the population.

EVIPNet Brasil Network

The Evidence-Informed Policy Network (EVIPNet) is an initiative of the World Health Organization (WHO) together with its regional representations and Ministries of Health of the member countries, to promote a systematic and transparent use of scientific evidence in the development and implementation of health policies. This initiative provides exchanges of experiences between managers, researchers and civil society representatives, facilitating policy formulation and implementation, as well as the the management of health services and systems informed by scientific evidence.

Source: Ministry of Health.