Case Study: Research Policy Interface Thematic Group
National Surgical, Obstetric and Anaesthesia Plan (NSOAP) Tanzania
Academics and Institutional Affiliation:
Jakub Gajewski & Chiara Pittalis
Royal College of Surgeons Ireland
Evidence of policy outcome referencing the role of the research:
The SURG-Africa Tanzania Situational Analysis contributed to the comprehensive assessment of the surgical, obstetric, and anesthesia services in Tanzania, identifying gaps, challenges, and resource limitations, and served as a critical baseline that informed the development of the NSOAP by highlighting areas requiring strategic intervention, such as workforce deficits, infrastructure gaps, and service delivery inefficiencies.
Research undertaken that informed or underpinned the policy outcome:
Gajewski J, Pittalis C, Lavy C, Borgstein E, Bijlmakers L, Mwapasa G, et al. Anesthesia capacity of district-level hospitals in Malawi, Tanzania, and Zambia: a mixed-methods study. Anesth Analg (2020) doi.org/10.1213/ANE.0000000000004363
Key learnings for you from this research-policy bridging process:
Early dissemination ensures better integration of research into policy.
Involvement of national stakeholders in the research process helped to create local ownership.
Although originally our research was not specifically intended to feed into the national surgical plan, our close collaboration with the local MoH created such an opportunity.
SDGs impacted:
SDG 3
