NPC POPLINE: A Tool for Population and Reproductive Health Evidence-Based Decisions in Egypt

Walaa Ahmed Khairy; Nesreen Mohamed Kamal Elden

doi:10.3889/oamjms.2019.212

Authors

Walaa Ahmed Khairy Public Health and Community Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
Nesreen Mohamed Kamal Elden Public Health and Community Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9060-0824

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3889/oamjms.2019.212

Keywords:

Population, Reproductive health, Research, Database, Evidence-based, Decision making

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Population and Reproductive Health Research (PRHR) should have a crucial role in the policy process in Egypt, providing the evidence for problem identification, priority setting, laying out the alternatives, monitoring and evaluation of implemented evidence-based decisions. Minimally, the practice of evidence-based population and reproductive health requires the access and visibility of such information.

AIM: In response to the current situation, the Egyptian National Population Council in collaboration with the Information and Decision Support Centre of the Egyptian Cabinet developed the first online bilingual PRHR database entitled "NPC POPLINE" aiming at providing a tool for evidence-based decisions in the field of population and reproductive health in Egypt

METHODS: NPC POPLINE is operated by the electronic Library Information System using MARC21 format. Data was collected from all research centres and institutions conducting PRHR in Egypt; the Egyptian Universities Library Consortium and the international POPLINE database by using structured data collection forms.

RESULTS: NPC POPLINE combines a unique coverage in terms of language (English and Arabic); subject (population and reproductive health) and publication type (peer-reviewed research and grey literature), in addition to the marked search flexibility and the availability of different formats to display the search results.

CONCLUSION: NPC POPLINE goes beyond the definition of an advanced search engine; it can be used to perform bibliometric studies to evaluate the quantitative and qualitative aspects of PRHR conducted in Egypt. Further studies should be initiated to assess the alignment of the database content to the national and international priorities regarding population and reproductive health.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Metrics

Metrics Loading ...

Plum Analytics Artifact Widget Block

References

Lansang MA, Dennis R. Building capacity in health research in the developing world. Bulletin of the World Health Organization. 2004; 82:764-70. PMid:15643798 PMCid:PMC2623028

Remme JH, Adam T, Becerra-Posada F, D'Arcangues C, Devlin M, Gardner C, Ghaffar A, Hombach J, Kengeya JF, Mbewu A, Mbizvo MT. Defining research to improve health systems. PLoS medicine. 2010; 7(11):e1001000. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1001000 PMid:21124816 PMCid:PMC2993153

Weatherall D, Greenwood B, Chee HL, Wasi P. Science and technology for disease control: past, present, and future. Disease control priorities in developing countries. 2006; 2:119-38.

Collins FS, Varmus H. A new initiative on precision medicine. New England Journal of Medicine. 2015; 372(9):793-5. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMp1500523 PMid:25635347 PMCid:PMC5101938

Adanu R, Mbizvo MT, Baguiya A, Adam V, Ademe BW, Ankomah A, Aja GN, Ajuwon AJ, Esimai OA, Ibrahim T, Mogobe DK. Sexual and reproductive health research and research capacity strengthening in Africa: perspectives from the region. Reproductive health. 2015; 12(1):64. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12978-015-0055-2 PMid:26226944 PMCid:PMC4521375

Arunachalam S. Information for research in developing countriesâ€”Information technology, a friend or foe? The International Information & Library Review. 2003; 35(2-4):133-47. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1057-2317(03)00032-8

Pang T, Sadana R, Hanney S, Bhutta ZA, Hyder AA, Simon J. Knowledge for better health: a conceptual framework and foundation for health research systems. Bulletin of the World Health Organization. 2003; 81:815-20. PMid:14758408

Mitton C, Adair CE, McKenzie E, Patten SB, Perry BW. Knowledge transfer and exchange: review and synthesis of the literature. The Milbank Quarterly. 2007; 85(4):729-68. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-0009.2007.00506.x PMid:18070335 PMCid:PMC2690353

Hanney SR, Gonzalez-Block MA, Buxton MJ, Kogan M. The utilisation of health research in policy-making: concepts, examples and methods of assessment. Health research policy and systems. 2003; 1(1):2. https://doi.org/10.1186/1478-4505-1-2 PMid:12646071 PMCid:PMC151555

Lee K, Mills A. Strengthening governance for global health research: the countries that most need health research should decide what should be funded. BMJ: British Medical Journal. 2000; 321(7264):775. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.321.7264.775 PMid:11009495 PMCid:PMC1118594

Population Division, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, United Nations. World Population Prospects: The 2015 Revision.

Basera, United Nations Population Fund, National Population Council: Population situation analysis: 2016 Egypt. Basera, Egypt: Cairo, 2017.

Kiefer L, Frank J, Di Ruggiero E, Dobbins M, Manuel D, Gully PR, Mowat D. Fostering evidence-based decision-making in Canada: examining the need for a Canadian population and public health evidence centre and research network. Canadian Journal of Public Health/Revue Canadienne de Sante'e Publique. 2005; 96(3):I1-9.

Robinson WC, El-Zanaty FH. The evolution of population policies and programs in the Arab Republic of Egypt. The Global Family Planning Revolution. 2007:15.

Landolt LK. USAID, population control, and NGO-led democratization in Egypt: The fate of the ICPD programme of action. Democratization. 2007; 14(4):706-22. https://doi.org/10.1080/13510340701449585

Mohamed KA, Hassan A. Web usage mining analysis of federated search tools for Egyptian scholars. Program. 2008; 42(4):418-35. https://doi.org/10.1108/00330330810912098

POPLINE: About POPLINE. https://www.popline.org/about. Accessed on 25th March, 2017.

Glasgow RE, Emmons KM. How can we increase translation of research into practice? Types of evidence needed. Annu Rev Public Health. 2007; 28:413-33. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.publhealth.28.021406.144145 PMid:17150029

Hardee K, Wright K, Spicehandler J. Family planning policy program and practice decision-making: The role of research evidence and other factors. Working Paper. Washington, DC: Population Council, The Evidence Project, 2015. https://www.popline.org/node/650612

Armstrong R, Waters E, Moore L, Dobbins M, Pettman T, Burns C, Swinburn B, Anderson L, Petticrew M. Understanding evidence: a statewide survey to explore evidence-informed public health decision-making in a local government setting. Implementation Science. 2014; 9(1):188. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13012-014-0188-7 PMid:25496505 PMCid:PMC4314798

Nabyonga-Orem J, Nanyunja M, Marchal B, Criel B, Ssengooba F. The roles and influence of actors in the uptake of evidence: the case of malaria treatment policy change in Uganda. Implementation Science. 2014; 9(1):1. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13012-014-0150-8 PMid:25294279 PMCid:PMC4193992

Smith E. Evidence for Family Planning Advocacy: An Assessment of Decision makers' and Advocates' Needs and Strategies in East Africa. Washington, DC: Futures Group. Health Policy Project, 2013.

Askew I, Matthews Z, Partridge R. Going beyond research: a key issues paper raising discussion points related to dissemination, utilisation and impact of reproductive and sexual health research. New York: Population Council, FRONTIERS, 2002. https://www.popline.org/node/251427

El Lawindi MI, Galal YS, Khairy WA. Health Research and Millennium Development Goals: Identifying the Gap From Public Health Perspective. Global journal of health science. 2015; 8(5):1. https://doi.org/10.5539/gjhs.v8n5p1 PMid:26652084 PMCid:PMC4877206

Amano T, GonzÃ¡lez-Varo JP, Sutherland WJ. Languages are still a major barrier to global science. PLoS biology. 2016; 14(12):e2000933. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.2000933 PMid:28033326 PMCid:PMC5199034

Meneghini R, Packer AL. Is there science beyond English?: Initiatives to increase the quality and visibility of nonâ€English publications might help to break down language barriers in scientific communication. EMBO reports. 2007; 8(2):112-6. https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.embor.7400906 PMid:17268499 PMCid:PMC1796769

Kushner E. English as global language: problems, dangers, opportunities. Diogenes. 2003; 50(2):17-23. https://doi.org/10.1177/0392192103050002002

Al-Shorbaji N. Index medicus for the Eastern Mediterranean region. Emerging themes in epidemiology. 2008; 5(1):14. https://doi.org/10.1186/1742-7622-5-14 PMid:18826568 PMCid:PMC2565659

Cortner HJ. Making science relevant to environmental policy. Environmental Science & Policy. 2000; 3(1):21-30. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1462-9011(99)00042-8

Kates RW, Parris TM, Leiserowitz AA. What is sustainable development? Goals, indicators, values, and practice. Environment (Washington DC). 2005; 47(3):8-21.