USAID's pursuit of evidence-based global health agenda

Mar 16 2013

As part of the Global Health Research & Development blog series, E. Callie Raulfs-Wang, research adviser at USAID's Center for Accelerating Innovation and Impact, writes in the agency's "IMPACTblog," "Whether testing the efficacy of an HIV vaccine or the marketing strategy of a new contraceptive technology, quality research, careful methodology and rigorous analysis are fundamental for acquiring evidence useful in decision-making." She continues, "USAID places a strong emphasis on evidence for informing development policies, practice and strategy." She discusses the agency's dedication to implementation research, provides examples, and concludes, "Solid evidence based on rigorous research is an indispensable ingredient for the successful introduction and scale of health products and services. As the 2012 health research report to Congress attests, USAID remains committed to pursuing an evidence-based agenda in global health" (3/12).