The evidence governance system in Oman.

Abstract

Background: In addition to the general question about what works, policymakers consider whether health interventions will work in their context, and consider the social values such as affordability, acceptability, equity, equality, and human rights.

Aims: To highlight the importance of having and using an evidence governance system to inform health policymaking in Oman.

Methods: We reviewed the literature and analysed local documents on evidence governance systems in Oman.

Results: The Government of Oman has shown increasing interest in research and innovation in the past few decades. This interest was reinforced through the announcement in November 2021 of the intention to establish a decision-making support unit. Oman's strategies for evidence-informed policymaking provide direct and well-integrated channels for expert advice, however, the capacity for implementation remains challenging, and there is a lack of clarity in the evidence use mandate. It is not clear how evidence was selected, synthesized and used to inform some of the government policies on health. This can limit the scope of operation and subsequent achievements.

Conclusion: Efforts to strengthen evidence-informed policymaking should focus on building a system for good governance of evidence to ensure that rigorous, systematic, and technically valid evidence is used for policymaking.