Table 9.

Most frequently mentioned barriers and facilitators to the use of evidence in policymaking and strategies to improve evidence to policy

Barriers to evidence-informed policies (n = 150)		Facilitators to evidence-informed policies (n = 83)		Strategies to improve evidence to policy (n = 119)
• Lack of funding for health research	30(20%)	• Communication and networking	15(18%)	• Communication, networking, and dialogue	24(20%)
• Over-riding political forces	19(13%)	• Availability of funding for health research	15(18%)	• Increase funding and investments in health research	16(13%)
• Lack of political will and corruption	15(10%)	• Availability of health research on policy priorities	10(12%)	• Build capacity of policymakers	9(8%)
• Lack of communication and insufficient dialogue	14(9%)	• Political pressure to use research in policymaking in certain fields	7(8%)	• Train researchers on conducting health systems and policy research and KTE strategies	7(6%)
• Lack of appropriately trained policymakers in use of evidence	13(9%)	• Wide dissemination of research	5(6%)	• Improve dissemination of research	7(6%)
		• Belief in the importance of evidence-informed policymaking	4(5%)	• Conduct sensitization and awareness workshops on evidence informed policymaking	6(5%)
		• Public opinion and stakeholders pressures	4(5%)	• Provide incentives or legislations for policymakers to use evidence in policymaking	6(5%)

n = total number of responses to each question, respondents listed up to three responses.