World Evidence-based Heathcare Day is held on 20 October each year. It is a global initiative that raises awareness of the need for better evidence to inform healthcare policy, practice and decision making in order to improve health outcomes globally. It provides an opportunity to participate in debate about global trends and challenges, but also to celebrate the impact of individuals and organisations worldwide, recognising the work of dedicated researchers, policymakers and health professionals in improving health outcomes.

Cochrane has partnered with JBI, Campbell Collaboration, the Institute for Evidence-Based Healthcare, the Centre for Evidence-based Health Care, the Institute for Development Studies and the Applied Health and Research Unit (AHRU) at the University of Oxford to launch the 2024 campaign for World Evidence-Based Healthcare (EBHC) Day, called ‘Health and Beyond: From Evidence to Action’.

By facilitating dialogue and knowledge-sharing across sectors, World EBHC Day 2024 serves as a global platform to share and access collective knowledge and wisdom for health and beyond, moving from evidence to action, while highlighting that intersectoral collaboration and innovation is pivotal to transformative change.

Cochrane’s Editor-in-Chief, Karla Soares-Wesier, spoke with the campaign partners at the Global Evidence Summit, where she said that:

“Cochrane has long led the way in evidence synthesis, but we recognize we can’t do it alone. Collaboration is essential, and working closely with our partners is key. There is a growing movement to create more opportunities for joint efforts in producing evidence that supports decision-making and ultimately saves lives. To achieve this, we need to be present at the table and ensure our partners—whether from high-income or low- and middle-income settings—are there with us.”

This was at part of the Connected Conversations series, which is a new initiative that aims to provide the global evidence community with a glimpse of people's professional and personal journeys using evidence-based approaches to take action for health and beyond. Cochrane received contributions from Dr Celeste Naude the Director Cochrane Nutrition, Dr Carlotte Kiekens the Co-Director Cochrane Rehabilitation, Dr Ali Akbar Haghdoost the Ex-Director Cochrane Iran, Dr Vignesh Kumar Chandiraseharan from Cochrane India, and Jack Nunn from the Cochrane Consumer Network.

Cochrane World EBHC Day events

Cochrane Croatia hosted a in-person symposium titled Modern Views on Mental Health: Incorporating Evidence-Based Medicine for Effective Health Care. Held at the Faculty of Medicine in Split, it included discussions on better evidence for mental health, supporting mental health in the community, and the use of chatbots in psychiatry, among a wide variety of other topics.

Cochrane Y3 mentees from the Cochrane US Network hosted a free webinar titled 'Beyond a Publication: How Evidence-Based Healthcare Changes Communities.'

Cochrane World EBHC Day blogs

• Including people with lived experience in evidence-informed approaches
• Global health requires embracing planetary health from an early age
• The importance of knowledge translation (and trust) in polycrisis times
• Maternal mortality in Ecuador: more than just a health care problem
• Intersectoral action: Including local economic considerations in health guidelines
• How Cochrane Germany is Advocating for Clinical Trial Transparency through Collaboration

Cochrane World EBHC Day vlogs

World Evidence-Based Healthcare Day 2024 is an opportunity to engage with a global community dedicated to advancing evidence-informed health policies and practices. We invite you to join the conversation, share your insights, and take action for health and beyond.

If you have Cochrane-related events to add to our listing above, please contact Mia Parkinson.

For more information about World EBHC Day 2024 and how you can participate, please contact Mariam Salman or visit the official campaign website: https://worldebhcday.org/