Sixty-sixth Regional Committee for Europe: Copenhagen, 12–15 September 2016: resolution: action plan to strengthen the use of evidence, information and research for policy-making in the WHO European Region

W ORL D H E A LT H O RG A N I Z AT IO N R EG I ON A L O F F I C E FO R EU R O P E UN City, Marmorvej 51, DK-2100 Copenhagen Ø, Denmark Telephone: +45 45 33 70 00 Fax: +45 45 33 70 01 Email: eugovernance@who.int Web: http://www.euro.who.int/en/who-we-are/governance Regional Committee for Europe EUR/RC66/R12 66th session Copenhagen, Denmark, 12–15 September 2016 15 September 2016 160776 ORIGINAL: ENGLISH Resolution Action plan to strengthen the use of evidence, information and research for policy-making in the WHO European Region The Regional Committee, Having considered the Action plan to strengthen the use of evidence, information and research for policy-making in the WHO European Region;1 Recognizing the need to systematically and effectively use and generate evidence, information and research, building on existing data, for the formulation of policies to improve the health of individuals and populations and coordinating efforts with other relevant partners such as the European Union, the Organisation for Economic Co- operation and Development and the Commonwealth of Independent States; Recalling resolution WHA58.34 on the ministerial summit on health research to strengthen knowledge translation, and resolutions WHA58.28, WHA60.27 and WHA66.24 on strengthening health information systems as a core strategy for strengthening national health systems; Recalling resolution WHA63.21 on improving the quality of research within WHO, including technical, ethical and methodological aspects, and its translation into 1Document EUR/RC66/12. EUR/RC66/R12 page 2 practice, and resolution WHA66.22 on strengthening the financing and coordination of health research and development; Further recalling the strategic document on Priorities for health systems strengthening in the WHO European Region 2015–2020,2 which identifies health information systems as a foundation to strengthen health systems in order to ensure that they are people-centred, accelerate health gains, reduce health inequalities, guarantee financial protection and ensure an efficient use of societal resources; Mindful of the Health 2020 policy framework,3 adopted in resolution EUR/RC62/R4, and its use of evidence as a prerequisite in the development of health policies and decision-making; Building on the WHO European Health Information Initiative to support the development of an integrated health information system for the European Region; Understanding that this resolution does not replace any existing Regional Committee resolutions; 1. ADOPTS the Action plan to strengthen the use of evidence, information and research for policy-making in the WHO European Region; 2. URGES Member States:4 (a) to initiate or advance the activities presented in the Action plan to strengthen the use of evidence, information and research for policy-making in the WHO European Region; (b) to strengthen national health information systems and support the process of improving coordination and aligning health indicators in order to improve comparability across the European Region; 2 Document EUR/RC65/13. 3 Documents EUR/RC62/8 and EUR/RC62/9. 4 And, where applicable, regional economic integration organizations. EUR/RC66/R12 page 3 (c) to promote national health research systems to generate evidence on priority issues to support the formulation of health policy; (d) to set up mechanisms for increasing the use of evidence, as well as building capacity and developing new tools for promoting knowledge translation within the health system; (e) to document, report and evaluate the experience of evidence-informed policy formulation; (f) to ensure that evidence, information and research are used, inter alia, in the formulation of national Health 2020 policies and all other health policy agendas; 3. REQUESTS the Regional Director: (a) to support the implementation of the Action plan to strengthen the use of evidence, information and research for policy-making in the WHO European Region by providing leadership, strategic direction and technical guidance to Member States while respecting national, regional and international legislation and the mandates of relevant bodies; (b) to intensify collaboration and knowledge exchange of all institutional stakeholders4 towards an integrated health information system and to strengthen public health research systems in the European Region; (c) to monitor and evaluate progress towards strengthening the use of evidence, information and research through regular reporting and analysis, documenting national strategies and experience; (d) to report to the Regional Committee at its 68th and 70th sessions in 2018 and 2020, respectively, on the implementation of the Action plan to strengthen the use of evidence, information and research for policy-making in the WHO European Region. = = =