Integrated Knowledge Translation for Non-Communicable Diseases: Stories from Sub-Saharan Africa

Nasreen S Jessani; Peter Delobelle; Bonny Enock Balugaba; Talitha Louisa Mpando; Firaol Mesfin Ayele; Seleman Ntawuyirushintege; Anke Rohwer

doi:10.5334/aogh.4228

Integrated Knowledge Translation for Non-Communicable Diseases: Stories from Sub-Saharan Africa

Ann Glob Health. 2023 Dec 8;89(1):87. doi: 10.5334/aogh.4228. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Nasreen S Jessani¹, Peter Delobelle^{2

3}, Bonny Enock Balugaba⁴, Talitha Louisa Mpando⁵, Firaol Mesfin Ayele⁶, Seleman Ntawuyirushintege^{5

7}, Anke Rohwer⁸

Affiliations

¹ Stellenbosch University and the Institute of Development Studies, UK.
² Chronic Disease Initiative for Africa, University of Cape Town, South Africa.
³ Department of Public Health, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium.
⁴ Department of Disease control and Environmental Health, Makerere University School of Public Health, Uganda.
⁵ School of Global and Public Health. Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, Malawi.
⁶ Non-communicable Disease Research Directorate, Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
⁷ School of Public Health of the University of Rwanda.
⁸ Centre for Evidence-Based Health Care, Stellenbosch University, South Africa.

Abstract

Integrated Knowledge Translation (IKT) is a key strategy for contextualising, tailoring, and communicating research for policy and practice. In this viewpoint, we provide examples of how partners from five countries in sub-Saharan Africa used IKT to advance interventions for curbing non-communicable diseases in their contexts and how these strategies were magnified during the COVID-19 pandemic in some cases. The stories highlight the importance of deliberate and reinforced capacity building, authentic relationship enhancement, adaptable and user-informed stakeholder engagement, and agile multi-sectoral involvement.

Keywords: Ethiopia; Malawi; Rwanda; South Africa; Uganda; citizen engagement; evidence use; evidence-informed decision-making; integrated knowledge translation; network; non-communicable disease; stakeholder engagement.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Africa South of the Sahara
Health Policy*
Humans
Noncommunicable Diseases* / epidemiology
Noncommunicable Diseases* / prevention & control
Pandemics / prevention & control
Translational Science, Biomedical

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (BMBF)) (01KA1608) as part of the Research Networks for Health Innovation in Sub-Saharan Africa funding initiative. The funder had no role in writing the manuscript.