Welcome

We hope you had a successful time at the Summit and enjoyed Cape Town!

More than 1300 people from 75 countries gathered together for the first ever Global Evidence Summit.

The Global Evidence Summit was the first time that Cochrane, The Campbell Collaboration, Guidelines International Network, International Society for Evidence-based Health Care, and Joanna Briggs Institute have joined forces to create this premiere event in evidence-based policy.

The theme of the Summit was ‘Using evidence. Improving lives’ and aimed to advance the use of reliable research evidence in addressing some of the world’s most serious health and social challenges. Attendees from across the world were exposed to an illuminating line-up of content and world-class speakers and facilitators that intrigued and engaged wide audiences. We were also treated to an astonishing array of social events and entertainment including talented performers from the Drum Café, gumboot dancing and the Marimba band . Here are just a few highlights from the week that was, The Global Evidence Summit 13 – 17th September 2017.

Highlights: 

  1. Listen to 'How does science help us?' the radio interview by the COSAT/Childrens Radio Foundation made at the Summit: soundcloud.com/childrensradiofoundation/cosat-attends-the-global-evidence-summit

  2. Some of the donated conference bags were given to children from a crèche in Delft. These little ones will be starting school next week. The attached photo is of the one group from the crèche run by the ACVV (Afrikaans Christelike Vroue Vereeniging) for the past 30 years  They take care of children up until they go to school.  In the pre-school year an accredited programme is used to prepare the children for school ensuring they are able to read and write their names. On behalf of the children I want to say a big thank you for being able to provide them with new schoolbags. As we know Delft is one of the most underprivileged areas in Cape Town and without the donated bags they might not have had a bag when they go to school.

  3. Great Storify wrap-up of the Summit: https://storify.com/JoG13/thingswelearnt-at-gesummit17. A social media story, storified by Jo Thompson Coon
  4. Taryn Young, part of the Global Organizing Committee, ran networking sessions between senior health researchers and students, read the short report
  5. Quote from Centre Director, Malgorzata Bala from Cochrane Poland: “From my point of view (as guideline process is starting to be more organized in Poland) such a meeting was a great opportunity to meet people who develop and use systematic review for clinical guidelines or as a part of another organisation. I had a chance to meet people from Czech Republic who are Joanna Briggs Excellence Centre and we may be able to engage in future collaboration (this centre is a few hours drive from Krakow). Although the meeting of Directors itself was very short as were other Cochrane meetings, in this case I think the value of the meeting was very much in possibilities to exchange ideas and experience with people from outside of Cochrane."
  6. Wrap-up blog from the PenCLAHRC Evidence Synthesis Team (EST), UK: evidsynthteam.wordpress.com/2017/09/19/if-you-want-to-go-fast-go-alone-if-you-want-to-travel-far-travel-together/
  7. Blog on Plenary 4 from Heidi Gardner, PhD student, UK: hheidirgardner.wordpress.com/2017/09/19/evidence-in-a-post-truth-world-global-evidence-summit-2017/
  8. Cochrane Africa – was launched: southafrica.cochrane.org/cochrane-african-network-can also: cochrane.org/news/cochrane-africa-network-healthcare-decision-making-launches-across-sub-saharan-africa
  9. Cochrane Croatia celebrate the Summit: http://croatia.cochrane.org/hr/news/global-evidence-summit-using-evidence-improving-lives
  10. Student reporters from the Cape Town’s Children’s Radio Foundation interviewed the leading plenary speakers on the topic of evidence in a post-truth world.
  11. Great summary blog of the Summit from Cochrane Australia's Shauna Hurley: croakey.org/global-evidence-summit-croakey-wrap/
  12. Students 4 Best Evidence blog: www.students4bestevidence.net/thoughts-from-the-global-evidence-summit/
  13. Blog: What I learned about evidence networks at the Global Evidence Summit: researchforevidence.fhi360.org/what-i-learned-about-evidence-networks-at-the-global-evidence-summit
  14. Blog from PhD student, Roxanne Keynejad: blogs.bmj.com/ebmh/2017/10/06/gesummit17-reflections-from-cape-town/
  15. Blog from Monica Nyamusi Mochama: gesiinitiative.com/gesi-blog/details/MY-EXPERIENCE-AT-THE-2017-GES-IN-CAPETOWN-SA#.WdeKcJDgFu8.twitter?platform=hootsuite
  16. Blog from Rhona Mijumbi-Deve: africaevidencenetwork.org/the-2017-global-evidence-summit-big-fun-and-informative/
  17. TDR blog: Exploring how to communicate, use and evaluate health research - who.int/tdr/news/2017/health-research-how-to-communnicate/en/
  18. TDR blog: Is evidence used for policy? who.int/tdr/news/2017/evidence-used-for-policy/en/
  19. PHISICC blog: From Switzerland to South Africa: A new dawn for global evidence - paperbased.info/swisstph-south-africa-global-evidence/
  20. Guidelines International Network's newsletter: epaper.g-i-n.net/engine/files/assets/basic-html/page-1.html

Let us know your highlights. We will add to the list, so do check back soon!

Useful info:

Thank you to all who attended the Global Evidence Summit. We hope you had a successful Summit and enjoyed visiting Cape Town! Your feedback is important, please fill in our short survey on your experiences of the event: surveymonkey.com/r/GESummit