Latest news with #evidencebased
Al Bawaba
11-07-2025
- Business
- Al Bawaba
J-pal Mena at AUC Celebrates Five Years of Evidence Policymaking in the Middle East and North Africa
The Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab Middle East and North Africa (J-PAL MENA) at The American University in Cairo (AUC) marked its fifth anniversary this week, celebrating five years of harnessing the power of evidence to design cost-effective and large-scale policies that address poverty and enhance lives across the region. Held at AUC's Malak Gabr Theater, the event brought together policymakers, researchers, donors, and community leaders to celebrate J-PAL MENA's achievements using data and rigorous research to inform policies addressing some of the region's most pressing challenges. The event featured a keynote speech by Nobel Laureate and J-PAL co-founder Abhijit Banerjee and opening remarks by Egypt's Minister of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation Rania Al Mashat. Engaging panel discussions explored the future of evidence-based policymaking in Egypt and the MENA region and showcased success stories from J-PAL's partners, including government officials and its launch in 2020, J-PAL MENA, hosted at the Onsi Sawiris School of Business, has built a strong foundation of success, partnering with governments, NGOs, and donors to generate and disseminate evidence that improves policies and transforms lives.'Since 2020, when Community Jameel supported the establishment of J-PAL MENA, we have been in awe of the speed and scale of its impact in improving the lives of people across the region – from Morocco to Saudi Arabia and, of course, here in Egypt. Today, marking J-PAL MENA's fifth anniversary, we remain committed to supporting J-PAL MENA in driving forward the use of rigorous evidence in tackling grave challenges, from poverty and hunger to air pollution and water scarcity,' said George Richards, director of Community 2022, J-PAL MENA launched the Egypt Impact Lab, in collaboration with the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development, and with support from Community Jameel, the Sawiris Foundation for Social Development, and additional support from UNICEF Egypt. The aim was to strengthen the effectiveness of Egypt's poverty reduction policies by rigorously evaluating promising and innovative government programs and using results to inform scale decisions. The Egypt Impact Lab was officially integrated into the National Institute for Governance and Sustainable Development, the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development's training arm, in 2024.'As we celebrate our fifth anniversary, we reflect on the incredible journey of building a culture of evidence-informed policymaking in Egypt and the Middle East. Over the past five years, J-PAL MENA has collaborated closely with governments, NGOs, and donors to generate research that directly improves people's lives,' said Ahmed Elsayed, executive director of J-PAL MENA. 'This milestone is not just a celebration of our achievements but a moment to look ahead—to deepen our partnerships, expand our impact, and continue tackling the region's most pressing challenges with rigorous evidence and actionable solutions,' Elsayed 2025, J-PAL MENA announced the launch of the Hub of Advanced Policy Innovation for the Environment (HAPIE), as part of the global network of J-PAL Air and Water Labs with Community Jameel, which aims to tackle critical air and water issues through evidence-based Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) is a global research center working to reduce poverty by ensuring that policy is informed by scientific evidence. Founded at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 2003, J-PAL has seven regional offices at host universities in Africa, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, the Middle East and North Africa, North America, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. J-PAL MENA was launched in 2020, in partnership with Community Jameel, and is based at AUC. It currently has more than 60 completed and ongoing evaluations across eight sectors in seven countries in the MENA region: Egypt, Morocco, Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar.
Globe and Mail
05-06-2025
- Business
- Globe and Mail
Manfred Stapff's Breakthrough Book Hits #1 on Amazon, Tackles Misinformation with Real-World Evidence
Summary: Dr. Manfred Stapff's newly released book, Real-World Evidence Unveiled: Navigating the Maze of Modern Misinformation, has soared to #1 on Amazon in multiple categories. New York, New York--(Newsfile Corp. - June 5, 2025) - Candid-Advisory founder and renowned physician-scientist Dr. Manfred Stapff has made a notable impact in the publishing world with the release of his new book, Real-World Evidence Unveiled: Navigating the Maze of Modern Misinformation. Since its debut on April 23, 2025, the book has become an Amazon bestseller, currently ranked #1 in multiple categories, including Anthropology, Civil Rights and Liberties, Social Theory, Sociology Research and Measurement, Communication Reference, and Social Sciences Research. Image Credit: Real-World Evidence Unveiled by Dr. Manfred Stapff To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: Dr. Stapff's much-needed book has arrived at a time when society is flooded with misleading headlines, viral misinformation, and biased reporting. Through Real-World Evidence Unveiled, he introduces readers to the concept of Real-World Evidence (RWE). This is a powerful approach based on real-life data rather than experimental trials or curated information. Though the term is rooted in healthcare, Stapff broadens its scope to help readers evaluate news, social media narratives, and policy debates through an evidence-based lens. With this book, Stapff refines and filters years of work in regulatory science, quality management, and global medical operations by turning it into an accessible guide for students, professionals, and informed citizens alike. He uses compelling case studies and practical strategies, using the book to show readers the way to distinguish reliable data from noise, break down media narratives, and apply critical thinking in everyday life. Real-World Evidence Unveiled is already earning praise across academic, corporate, and consumer audiences as it continues to climb bestseller charts. The book has become a must-read for anyone interested in truth, transparency, and data-driven thinking. Misinformation prevails in public health, democracy, and social cohesion; Real-World Evidence Unveiled is a warning and a solution. It reminds readers that rigorous thinking and sound data are not just tools for scientists but the foundation of a functional society. About the Author Dr. Manfred Stapff, MD, PhD, is the founder of Candid-Advisory and a leader in clinical research, regulatory science, and real-world data analytics. His career spans over three decades, including senior roles in top pharmaceutical firms across Germany and the United States. He helps individuals and organizations make informed, evidence-based decisions. About Candid-Advisory Candid-Advisory is a life sciences consultancy that offers expert solutions in clinical trials, regulatory affairs, quality management, and real-world data utilization. Headquartered in New York and Boston, the firm partners with healthcare innovators to deliver strategic, unbiased counsel across therapeutic areas and business functions.
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Wolters Kluwer Launches Lippincott Nursing Advisory Board to Elevate Clinical Excellence in India
Launched at ANEICON 2025, the initiative unites India's top nursing minds to shape the future of care through collaboration, innovation, and evidence-based practice NEW DELHI, May 30, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Wolters Kluwer is proud to announce the launch of the Lippincott Nursing Advisory Board, a groundbreaking initiative committed to advancing nursing excellence, standardizing care, and enhancing patient outcomes through evidence-based knowledge and clinical decision support. Launched today at ANEICON, the largest nursing conference in India, this Advisory Board is driven by a commitment to continuous professional development and the 'Make it Better' mission of Wolters Kluwer (Lippincott Solutions). The Lippincott Nursing Advisory Board brings together a distinguished panel of nursing leaders and experts from both academic and clinical practice settings. Their collective expertise will guide the evolution of Lippincott Solutions, ensuring that the tools and resources offered are aligned with the real-world challenges and aspirations of the nursing community. The board will play a pivotal role in advising on clinical and professional trends, offering insights into leadership challenges such as compliance, onboarding, and education, providing feedback on product development and messaging strategies, identifying and addressing knowledge and technology gaps, sharing perspectives on health economics, and encouraging data and information management for predictive intelligence and forecasts. Commenting on this development, Ruchi Tushir, VP & General Manager, GGM India, at Wolters Kluwer, expressed, "We are incredibly excited about the launch of the Lippincott Nursing Advisory Board. This initiative represents a significant step forward in supporting the nursing community and enhancing patient care through collaboration and innovation. The insights and expertise of our Nursing Advisory Board will be invaluable in developing solutions that address the evolving needs of the healthcare industry." This initiative is rooted in Wolters Kluwer's mission to "Make it Better" by fostering collaboration, innovation, and advocacy within the nursing profession. By creating a platform for dialogue and shared learning, the Lippincott Nursing Advisory Board aims to elevate the standards of care and support the professional growth of nurses across India. The launch of the board is timed to coincide with ANEICON, one of the country's most prominent nursing conferences, underscoring the importance of this endeavor within the broader healthcare landscape. Providing clinical, evidence-based content trusted across India Lippincott Solutions is a trusted partner for healthcare organizations, providing evidence-based tools and resources to support clinical decision-making, enhance patient care, and advance professional development. With a commitment to excellence and innovation, AI- powered Lippincott Solutions empowers healthcare professionals to deliver the highest quality care. Learn more about Wolters Kluwer: About Wolters Kluwer Wolters Kluwer (EURONEXT: WKL) is a global leader in information solutions, software and services for professionals in healthcare; tax and accounting; financial and corporate compliance; legal and regulatory; corporate performance and ESG. We help our customers make critical decisions every day by providing expert solutions that combine deep domain knowledge with technology and services. Wolters Kluwer reported 2024 annual revenues of €5.9 billion. The group serves customers in over 180 countries, maintains operations in over 40 countries, and employs approximately 21,600 people worldwide. The company is headquartered in Alphen aan den Rijn, the Netherlands. For more information, visit follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram. View source version on Contacts Media Apoorva SharmaExternal CommunicationsWolters Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Fast Company
28-05-2025
- Business
- Fast Company
We don't need to defund education
Every four years, the National Assessment for Educational Progress (NAEP) provides a snapshot of how students across the country are performing in math and English. It doesn't tell us about individual students; instead, it gives us information about how well our public schools are preparing students. The 2024 results showed that 28% of 8th graders were proficient in mathematics (on grade level), and 30% were proficient in reading. In both, the average scores and proficiency rates are still below 2019 rates. One explanation for this dismal reality? Public schools simply aren't capable of delivering results for students. But look closely at historical trends in NAEP Reading results from Mississippi. In 1998, only 18% of the state's 4th graders were at least proficient in reading, relative to 29% across the nation. By 2024, Mississippi was beating the nation, with 32% of their 4th graders at proficient or advanced proficiency in reading compared to 30% nationally. Why? They will tell you they invested heavily in evidence-based approaches and programs for teaching reading—the 'science of reading.' Unfortunately our states and districts often don't have a supply of effective, useful and usable products and solutions to choose from. What's broken is not our schools; it's the lack of investment in education research and innovation that develops and delivers better solutions to them. If we care about education, we must invest in education R&D like we do in other sectors vital to our nation's well-being. Let's start by dispelling the myth that we don't know how to help young people learn. In fact, we have decades of science from fields like psychology and neuroscience telling us a lot about how children learn and how learning progresses within fields like math or reading. The science of learning and human development tells us about the many factors that shape a student's ability to learn, from their motivation and interests to environmental forces around them. The real problem The problem is that we don't have a coherent system for translating basic scientific research in education fields into research and development. We lack a clear system for innovating new solutions and scaling them for sustained outcomes. Education R&D funding in the U.S. has historically been a tiny fraction of R&D funding compared to defense, health, energy, and agriculture sectors. Those other fields have structures that support and sustain such efforts. For instance, DARPA in the defense industry, or ARPA-E in energy define bold 'what if?' questions and then catalyze funding so that researchers, builders, and industry collaborate toward future-oriented solutions. The Department of Education's Institute for Education Sciences, prior to its effective dismantling by the current administration, historically funded basic research and program evaluation, but as a tiny (less than 1%) portion of the Department's overall budget. That program evaluation budget goes quickly when spread across the many entities that deliver products and services across 50 states. It results in lots of one-off studies of solutions versus a truly problem-driven approach, focusing and directing resources to finding the solution. One problem with the solution-centric approach is that the solutions often originate from an education product marketplace that's disconnected from the education research sector. Entrepreneurs and companies launch products, then gather data to see how they perform in classrooms. Imagine if a pharmaceutical company had its product teams (not researchers) develop a new drug, market it to a wide audience, then gathered data from 'users' to see what happened. That's the norm in education. We also often fail to scale what works. Take the science of reading: That research—much of it federally funded—has been around for decades. It eventually took a few well-informed state leaders and a podcast to finally bring the science of reading to scale in products, practices, and state-level policies. What real investment in education R&D looks like There's a better way. We can create structures that enable and encourage problem- and research-driven innovation, align policies to desired outcomes, and sustain these efforts through ample and reliable funding. It's long past time for an ARPA-Ed that builds on all we've learned from DARPA and other advanced research project agencies, adapted for the unique needs of K-12 education. At AERDF we have built such a model to demonstrate how actively managed R&D, done in close collaboration with educators and learners, can lead to breakthrough science and technology to power new solutions. An ARPA-Ed, or its equivalent, can build on this template. Sustained, well-funded research and development in other fields has shaped how we live today. GPS technology, the internet, and the mRNA vaccine all came out of DARPA projects. They've changed the way we navigate, communicate, and protect ourselves from disease. What might similar investment in education R&D do to transform how people learn? The aim is not to control where schools spend their money or what happens in classrooms. A strong education innovation system ensures that communities have a wide range of already-proven options to select, making the best choices for their students. This is really about what our young people need in order to thrive. Every child deserves an opportunity to pursue their educational and career goals. Let's make the necessary investments because when we succeed at educating every child, we create a prepared workforce, our next generation of leaders, and stronger communities. It's time to act Education is essential infrastructure for our economy and our communities. Let's approach it that way. This is not the time to dismantle and defund NSF and the Department of Education. And this isn't just a call for more federal funding. Philanthropy and the private sector also must think differently if we are to catalyze capital systematically in the way fields like energy and health have done. Lastly, we need policies at the state and local level that hold the market accountable for the solutions delivered.
Telegraph
21-05-2025
- Health
- Telegraph
Prof Tim Spector: ‘Big Food flings around health halos with impunity'
At Zoe, the personalised nutrition company that I co-founded, we've consistently faced challenges in communicating the science behind what we do. Terms such as 'personalised nutrition' or 'evidence-based' are often met with scepticism – not because they lack substance, but because they don't slot neatly into outdated regulatory frameworks. The wholefood fibre supplement that we've created, the Daily30+, does contain some very minimally processed ingredients, namely chicory root inulin and nutritional yeast (both of which are widely accepted as beneficial for health and as culinary ingredients – both nutritious and helpful). And, because of this, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) have upheld that we were misleading customers by using the phrase 'no ultra-processed pills, no shakes, just real food' in one of our ads. Daily30+ is an innovative supplement designed for public health and tested for efficacy in a human trial. It is the first of its kind, so naturally, we face scrutiny. While other companies produce concoctions and powders with no evidence to support their benefits, Zoe ran a randomised controlled trial with 399 participants to test our product – we put our money where our mouth is. Yet, we are the ones facing backlash as huge food companies use labelling and marketing tactics to actively mislead consumers into buying unhealthy products dressed in health halos – wolf in sheep's clothing on every aisle. I won't dwell on the details or relitigate the matter further. Instead, I want to use this wrong-headed decision to frame one of the many issues with our broken food system: While a product that is high in fibre (something more than 90 per cent of us are deficient in and we're all desperately lacking) gets penalised, other brands (particularly the big food companies) are free to make blatantly misleading claims on categorically unhealthy products with no pushback whatsoever. Next time you're in a supermarket, look at the claims on highly-processed pre-packaged food items. You will soon see that virtually all of them carry vague or misleading health claims on the front of the pack with bright colours and fancy fonts. For instance, the trendy 'high in protein' claim is almost ubiquitous alongside 'only 99 calories' on unhealthy snacks. When a consumer reads this on a label, they are hoodwinked into thinking that if it's higher in protein or lower in calories, it must be healthier and better to eat than other foods. What you are not told is that the average person in the UK already consumes more protein than they need: protein deficiency is not an issue in the UK or most of the developed world. Unless you have a specific health condition, are an older adult, or are working incredibly hard at the gym, you probably get enough protein. Importantly, these food labels don't tell you that when you consume much more protein than you need, some of it is converted into energy, which, if it isn't used, is stored for later use as body fat. Before the advent of the high-protein craze, you probably remember the shelves overflowing with 'low-fat' products. Again, in the consumer's mind, fat is the enemy – 'fat makes you fat' is the common misconception. Meanwhile, these low-fat products are often worse than the full-fat versions and high in added sugars, emulsifiers, and other unhealthy additives. Casting our minds even further back, you may remember the 'low-sugar' craze. Again, these products were often high in unhealthy fats, sweeteners and other chemicals that do not support good health. Take CocoPops, for example, where the front of the box promises to 'support your family's health' yet it contains around 20 per cent of your child's added sugar intake in a tiny portion. How absurd. We refer to these claims as 'health halos'. They signal to the consumer that a product is healthy when the reality is often the opposite. This is what regulatory bodies should be tackling head-on. Health halos mislead customers who want to eat well, but are confused by the bombardment of mixed messages. We saw this cause absolute outrage following a BBC Panorama investigation which highlighted how baby food pouches and snacks are lacking in key nutrients and can be as high in sugar as Coca-Cola, all the while marketing themselves as 'ideal as finger food' or as a good 'first taste' from four months old, before children should start complementary feeding. Food labelling, marketing and advertising are not delivering the right guardrails to protect public health, even for the most vulnerable groups like babies, so consumers have no choice but to take matters into their own hands, and spend their hard earned money on foods that will actually support their health. The ASA is an important body; it intends to ensure transparency in advertising, which is vital work. Manufacturers are free to use health halos with wanton abandon demonstrates that the food industry and its regulation is not set up with consumers' health in mind. People are vulnerable to misinformation, and Big Food capitalises on it. With obesity and diabetes rates on the rise, we sorely need change. Today, there is a substantial disconnect between the rules that guide food advertising and the recent advances in nutrition science. The ongoing debate surrounding processed and ultra-processed foods is highly nuanced, and scaremongering doesn't help. The latest research shows that some ultra-processed foods are robustly associated with health risks, including fizzy drinks and processed meat products. However, other ultra-processed products, such as wholewheat bread or fortified, low-sugar and high-fibre breakfast cereals, can support health. Blanket bans and demonising all processed foods are unhelpful and simply miss the mark. This is what happens when we're still tied to old-fashioned rules – unlike Switzerland, for example, who have updated their frameworks, the UK has missed the chance to modernise. It's a classic case of clinging to an old system and outdated science instead of embracing the rare opportunities Brexit could offer to improve our food system and labelling. At a time when our national health is in serious decline, it's deeply frustrating to see truly nutritious, health-promoting products being treated in the same way as processed junk such as sugary cereals, synthetic energy drinks, protein bars and sweets devoid of any nutritional value. Once again, we're seeing how regulation fails to keep pace with science or to serve public health. It's time for a change.
