Health dept, SAMRC and Stellenbosch Uni to transform healthcare policy decision-making in South Africa
A groundbreaking collaboration between the Department of Health, the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) and Stellenbosch University aims to transform healthcare policy decision-making in South Africa. The Evidence to Decision (E2D) initiative, launched in November 2024, will ensure that healthcare policies are informed by the best available evidence, supporting the implementation of the National Health Insurance (NHI).
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According to the joint statement, the NHI rollout will bring significant changes to South Africa’s health system, including funding mechanisms, management structures, healthcare delivery platforms, and the scope of healthcare benefits.
Optimising evidence use
To address these challenges, the E2D partnership unites SAMRC’s Health Systems Research Unit and Cochrane South Africa with Stellenbosch University’s Centre for Evidence-Based Health Care (CEBHC).
The initiative is funded by the Department of Health.
The department's deputy director-general for NHI, Professor Nicholas Crisp, highlighted the importance of collaboration in optimising evidence use.
“Key to the success of any evidence-support initiative is an ongoing collaborative working relationship.
"Such government-academic partnerships ensure timely research-evidence products,” he said.
The E2D initiative focuses on producing and translating evidence to support efficient, effective, and equitable health services.
It also aims to build capacity for health and social care decision-making, while learning from the process of establishing this infrastructure.
Dean of Stellenbosch University’s Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Professor Elmi Muller, stressed the university’s commitment to advancing evidence-informed health policy.
“The E2D initiative marks a pivotal evolution in our long-standing collaboration with the SAMRC and the national Department of Health, building a national infrastructure for systematic evidence synthesis and translation,” she said.
President and CEO of the SAMRC, Professor Ntobeko Ntusi, expressed the council’s dedication to evidence-based research.
“The SAMRC has been involved in promoting the highest standards in evidence-based research work via our work with Cochrane and others for decades, and remains committed to improving the health of all South Africans by ensuring that high-quality, responsive research informs healthcare practices and policies,” he said.
Ntusi believes that, as a health and medical research council in the country, the SAMRC is well placed to provide research leadership to this vital initiative.
This partnership is set to play a vital role in shaping South Africa’s healthcare system, ensuring that decisions are guided by rigorous research and evidence.
The collaboration underscores the importance of government-academic partnerships in addressing national health priorities.