Research to Policy

OUR APPROACH

Bridging evidence and decision‑making

Research that never reaches policymakers cannot improve health systems. At Utafiti Wellness, we actively bridge the gap between research findings and policy action. We work directly with government ministries, county health departments, and parliamentary committees to ensure that evidence is not just produced — but understood, trusted, and applied.

Our approach is practical: we synthesise complex evidence into clear policy briefs, hold engagement sessions with decision‑makers, and co‑develop actionable recommendations that are feasible within existing systems.

                         What we deliver
                         Policy briefs and evidence summaries
 Stakeholder workshops and dialogues
 Cost‑benefit and feasibility analyses
 Technical assistance to policy teams
 Monitoring and evaluation of policy implementation

                    

How we work with policymakers

Co‑design: We involve policymakers from the start to ensure relevance and ownership.
Contextualisation: We tailor evidence to local political, fiscal, and cultural realities.
Timely delivery: We align with policy cycles and decision windows.
Follow‑up: We support implementation, monitor progress, and evaluate impact.

HOW IT WORKS

Our research‑to‑policy process

We follow a structured, participatory process to ensure evidence leads to real policy change.

Identify policy windows

We work with policymakers to identify urgent health challenges and upcoming decision moments.

Synthesize evidence

We review and synthesize the best available research, adapting it to the local context.

Engage stakeholders

We facilitate dialogues between researchers, practitioners, and decision‑makers to build consensus.

Develop recommendations

We co‑create clear, actionable policy options with costings and implementation roadmaps.

Support adoption & implementation

We provide technical assistance, training, and monitoring to ensure policies are effectively rolled out.

OUR FOCUS

Where our evidence influences policy

We engage with policy at national and county levels across critical health areas.

Maternal & Child Health

Advocating for evidence‑based antenatal care, skilled birth attendance, and postnatal support.

Mental Health

Supporting integration of mental health into primary care and school‑based programmes.

Health Systems Strengthening

Informing resource allocation, workforce planning, and quality improvement strategies.

Climate & Health

Generating evidence on climate‑sensitive diseases to guide adaptation policies.

Digital Health

Providing evidence for the scale‑up of mHealth and data interoperability solutions.

WASH & Nutrition

Linking water, sanitation, and nutrition interventions to health outcomes.

Health Financing & UHC

Analysing fiscal space, insurance coverage, and resource allocation to support Universal Health Coverage implementation.

Adolescent Health & Youth

Addressing sexual and reproductive health, mental health, and substance use among young people through evidence‑informed policies.

Non‑Communicable Diseases

Informing prevention, early detection, and management strategies for diabetes, hypertension, and cancers through policy.

CURRENT WORK

Ongoing policy engagement

Here are three live examples of how we are moving evidence into policy right now.

Adolescent Sexual & Reproductive Health

We are synthesising evidence on effective interventions for adolescent health and developing a policy brief for submission to the Ministry of Health. The brief is being drafted with input from the National Adolescent Health Technical Working Group and will be submitted upon completion.

Forwarding: Ministry of Health, County Health Departments

Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Financing

We are analysing health financing data from three counties to identify gaps and recommend sustainable UHC funding models. Findings will be presented to the National Treasury and the Senate Health Committee in a high‑level dialogue scheduled for 2027-2028.

Forwarding: National Treasury, Senate Health Committee