To Action Global Projects Put Evidence to Work

he people of Swaziland—a small, landlocked nation in southern Africa—have among the worst life expectancy measures in the world, a result of the twin epidemics of HIV and tuberculosis. While much has been done to confront HIV among pregnant Swazi women, fully 41 percent have the retrovirus. And while high-quality HIV health services and evidence-based treatments are widely accessible at primary healthcare facilities in Swaziland, it remains di cult for women and their families to remain in longterm treatment. Such conundrums exist throughout the field of public health, says Wafaa El-Sadr, MD, MPH, professor of Epidemiology and founding director of icap, the Mailman School’s global health center. “We have a lot of evidence about what works,” she says, “but there is a gap between the research findings and the ultimate health outcomes we want to achieve.” El-Sadr is a leader among a cadre of scholars intent on identifying the most effective means for translating public health evidence into practice. Working around the globe with their in-country partners, such researchers are developing packages of interventions to support long-term care Epidemiologist Wafaa El-Sadr (right, in blue wrap) seeks methods to boost the translation of research into practice, including tactics to increase participation in long-term HIV treatment at high-quality clinics—like the one in Swaziland where this child and her mother wait for a relative.