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Peer-reviewedCC BYJournal of public health in Africa

Barriers and facilitators of translating research evidence into public health policy and practice in Zambia: A scoping review.

  • Kwame Shanaube1,2
  • Sandra Chilengi-Sakala3
  • Kutha Banda4
  • Princess Chiluba1
  • Emmanuel Mukambo1
  • Chama M Kapatamoyo1
  • Emmanuel Lesa3
  • Mubanga Mulenga3
  • Victor Chalwe3
  • Godfrey Biemba5
  • Mohammed Limbada1
5 affiliations
  1. 1Research Directorate, Zambart, Lusaka, Zambia.
  2. 2School of Public Health, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia.
  3. 3National Health Research Authority, Lusaka, Zambia.
  4. 4Seed Global Health, Lusaka, Zambia.
  5. 5School of Medicine, Lusaka Apex Medical University, Lusaka, Zambia.
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Abstract

Background

Knowledge translation (KT) is increasingly recognised as a critical process for bridging the persistent 'evidence-action' gap in health systems. Despite global efforts to promote evidence-informed decision-making, the uptake and translation of public health research remain limited.Aim

To identify barriers and facilitators of translating research evidence into public health policy and practice in Zambia.Setting

The review focused on studies that explored barriers and facilitators of evidence-informed decision-making conducted in Zambia between 2000 and 2025.Method

The scoping review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses for Scoping Reviews and the Arksey and O'Malley methodological framework for scoping reviews. A systematic search of both peer-reviewed literature and grey sources was conducted across PubMed Central, BioMed Central and Google Scholar, supplemented by a direct Google search.Results

Out of 6116 records identified, 24 studies met the inclusion criteria. Key barriers to KT in Zambia included inadequate relevant information for decision-making, poor access to information by policymakers, limited KT capacity, insufficient funding, weak relationships between researchers and policymakers, the absence of national KT guidelines and the lack of centralised knowledge hubs. Despite these challenges, facilitators were identified as follows: the enactment of the National Health Research Act (2013), appointment of provincial KT focal persons, capacity-building initiatives and availability of engagement platforms.Conclusion

Zambia has made measurable strides towards strengthening KT by ensuring research findings are effectively translated into public health policy and practice. Yet significant key barriers such as the absence of national KT guidelines and central knowledge hubs, as well as sustainable financing, continue to limit the effectiveness of these efforts.Contribution

The gaps bridged by this review underscore the significance of developing national KT guidelines and a KT framework, including their evaluation.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{shanaube2026barriers,
  title = {{Barriers and facilitators of translating research evidence into public health policy and practice in Zambia: A scoping review.}},
  author = {Kwame Shanaube and Sandra Chilengi-Sakala and Kutha Banda and Princess Chiluba and Emmanuel Mukambo and Chama M Kapatamoyo and Emmanuel Lesa and Mubanga Mulenga and Victor Chalwe and Godfrey Biemba and Mohammed Limbada},
  journal = {Journal of public health in Africa},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.4102/jphia.v17i1.1837},
  url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/43011459},
  note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Barriers and facilitators of translating research evidence into public health policy and practice in Zambia: A scoping review.
AU  - Kwame Shanaube
AU  - Sandra Chilengi-Sakala
AU  - Kutha Banda
AU  - Princess Chiluba
AU  - Emmanuel Mukambo
AU  - Chama M Kapatamoyo
AU  - Emmanuel Lesa
AU  - Mubanga Mulenga
AU  - Victor Chalwe
AU  - Godfrey Biemba
AU  - Mohammed Limbada
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/21
JO  - Journal of public health in Africa
DO  - 10.4102/jphia.v17i1.1837
UR  - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/43011459
AB  - Background  Knowledge translation (KT) is increasingly recognised as a critical process for bridging the persistent 'evidence-action' gap in health systems. Despite global efforts to promote evidence-informed decision-making, the uptake and translation of public health research remain limited.Aim  To identify barriers and facilitators of translating research evidence into public health policy and practice in Zambia.Setting  The review focused on studies that explored barriers and facilitators of evidence-informed decision-making conducted in Zambia between 2000 and 2025.Method  The scoping review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses for Scoping Reviews and the Arksey and O'Malley methodological framework for scoping reviews. A systematic search of both peer-reviewed literature and grey sources was conducted across PubMed Central, BioMed Central and Google Scholar, supplemented by a direct Google search.Results  Out of 6116 records identified, 24 studies met the inclusion criteria. Key barriers to KT in Zambia included inadequate relevant information for decision-making, poor access to information by policymakers, limited KT capacity, insufficient funding, weak relationships between researchers and policymakers, the absence of national KT guidelines and the lack of centralised knowledge hubs. Despite these challenges, facilitators were identified as follows: the enactment of the National Health Research Act (2013), appointment of provincial KT focal persons, capacity-building initiatives and availability of engagement platforms.Conclusion  Zambia has made measurable strides towards strengthening KT by ensuring research findings are effectively translated into public health policy and practice. Yet significant key barriers such as the absence of national KT guidelines and central knowledge hubs, as well as sustainable financing, continue to limit the effectiveness of these efforts.Contribution  The gaps bridged by this review underscore the significance of developing national KT guidelines and a KT framework, including their evaluation.
SN  - 2038-9922
SN  - 2038-9930
ER  -