Table 3 Policy impact of research conducted in DHRC. Comparison between studies
Studies selected | Budget | Type of research | Conception/support and collaboration | Dissemination | Policy impact (level, type, nature, policy networks, political capital and references in policy documents) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Deployment of rectal artesunate in the Dangme West district for severe malaria in children under five (2005) | 258,000$ | Behavioural research* | WHO call. Malaria program (NMCP), Tanzania and Mozambique research centres, district health team and community. Policy makers involved since the beginning. | Power point at local, regional and national and international level. Formal and informal communications. No policy brief. 1 article (not published at the time of our study). | Level: national. Type: clinical practice policies. Nature: supportive way. Policy networks: Participation on the existing dissemination mechanism. Political capital: researcher involved in a technical committee for Home Management of Malaria. |
Individually randomized trial of rapid diagnostic tests in rural Ghana (2007) | 170,500$ | Clinical research | PI initiative. GMP and ACT funds. NMCP, LSHTM, and district health team and ACT consortium. Policy makers involved since the beginning. | Power point at local, regional and international level. Report to the NMCP. No policy brief. 4 articles. | Level: National and international. Type: clinical practice policies. Nature: supportive way. Policy networks: Participation on the existing dissemination mechanism. Political capital: researcher involved in task force for malaria diagnosis in Ghana and in the ACT consortium. |
Home management of fevers (malaria and pneumonia) in children under-five: a cluster randomized controlled trial in southern Ghana (2007) | 856,000$ | Clinical research | WHO call. Makerere, Amsterdam and Maastricht Univ., NMCP, Child Health program and district health team. Policy makers involved since the beginning. | Power point to local and International level. No policy brief. 2 articles. | Level: national and international. Type: Service and clinical practice policies. Nature: supportive way. Policy networks: links with INDEPTH, TDR and iCCM. Political capital: mainly at international level. Findings support the home based care strategy and the Malaria, ARI and Diarrhoea Home based care guidelines [36]. |
Assessments of male involvement in family planning decision making and practice and its influence on the uptake of Family Planning in the Dangme West district (2005) | 5400$ | Behavioural research | Ghana–Dutch collaboration. District health team involved since the beginning | Power point at local and national level. No Policy brief. No article. | Level: local. Type: service policies. Nature: redefining/widening accepted believes on FP. Policy networks: participation on the existing dissemination mechanism. Political capital: none. District annual reports reflect an increase of community sensitization campaigns. Indicators showed increased on FP acceptors: from 8.7 in 2007 to 47% in 2011 [38,39,40,41,42]. |
Examination of the TB Enablers Package in the Dodowa sub-district of the Dangme West District in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana (2009) | 6000$ | Health system research | Georgetown University. District health team involved since the beginning. | Power point at local level. No Policy brief. No article. Informal communication at national level. | Level: local. Type: governance policies. Nature: redefining/widening practices related to TB enablers. Policy networks: participation on the dissemination mechanism at local level. Political capital: increased links with TB program coordinator (new research came to the centre in 2011). District annual report in 2011 showed more detailed description on who benefitted from TB enablers [42]. |
Mutual health Organizations (MHO’s) in Ghana and implications for improving the success of health Insurance in Ghana (2004) | 6081$ | Health system research | Ghana–Dutch collaboration. Erasmus Univ., GHS and District health team, involved since the beginning. | Power point at national and international level. Policy brief to GHS. 1 article. | Level: National and international. Type: governance policies. Nature: instrumental use of research designing and implementing the NHIS. Policy networks: participation on the dissemination mechanism at national level. Participation in a team for the NHIS implementation. Political capital: authors are reference people on insurance in Ghana. No policy documents were found that reflect research findings. |