Bridging the Science-Policy Gap

Slow decision-making all too frequently results in a substantial lag between availability and access to life-saving interventions in developing countries. Researchers and scientists working on new health interventions can help to close this costly gap between the availability of new vaccines and their use.

Minding the Gap

The global malaria vaccine community’s goal of developing and licensing a first-generation vaccine by 2015 is fast approaching. To help make this goal a reality, The PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative (MVI) is collaborating with African malaria vaccine researchers and scientists to ensure that policymakers have the information they need to make early decisions on vaccine use.

A number of factors contribute to the science-policymaking gap. For example, scientists and researchers may not:

  • Take the time to communicate progress and challenges of vaccine development.
  • Know how to communicate the policy implications of their work.
  • Know who their key audiences are.
  • Understand how to frame their messages.
  • Provide information that policy audiences need.

Developing Policy Champions

MVI collaborates with malaria vaccine researchers and scientists working in African countries to develop a cadre of “policy champions” for malaria vaccine development.

The program helps participants to:

  • Communicate progress and challenges related to malaria vaccine development.
  • Develop the skills to communicate their research beyond technical circles.
  • Influence policy debates.
  • Engage the media about the drive for an effective malaria vaccine.
  • Encourage African policymakers to begin to gather the information they need to make early decisions on malaria vaccine use.
  • Advocate for increased and sustained funding for malaria vaccine R&D.

The Malaria Vaccine Advocacy Fellowship is a program of the PATH Malaria Vaccine Intiative (MVI) supported by the ExxonMobil Foundation’s Africa Health Initiative. The program aims to bridge the worlds of science and policymaking at the national, regional, and international levels.

Read a brief history of the program, learn about past fellows and their accomplishments.