Influencing Policy: Widening the Scope of Science Communication

Scientific knowledge generated at Universities by researchers should be shared beyond academic circles to advance science in policymaking. Policymakers should strengthen their capacity to make informed decisions upon outputs from scientific research in order to efficiently respond to local communities’ needs. However, a lack of communication between scientists and policymakers is observed across African countries. This is because not every researcher has the ability to master the art of science communication or even so, all researchers do not have the skill to communicate clearly and concisely that society representatives would appreciate. Moreover, most policymakers do not easily understand the importance of scientific research nor have the patience to wait for scientific results. It is recognised that scientific research must primarily address each country’s issues and underpin the country’s development. Thus, to move African societies forward, it is necessary to break down the barrier between the researcher who does the science and the policy maker. This webinar aims to provide insights into the importance of the relationship between scientific research and policymaking and to shed light on how research can be involved in supporting policymakers to solve urgent health challenges in Africa.
 

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