ABSTRACT:
Despite significant investments in health research, a gap persists between research outputs and evidence-based policy-making in Zambia. The Bloomberg Data for Health Initiative’s Data to Policy (D2P) Program aims to bridge this gap by equipping public health professionals with skills to analyze data and develop actionable policy briefs, though economic integration remains underexplored. This study evaluated the D2P Program’s effectiveness in incorporating economic principles, such as cost-effectiveness and budget impact, into health policy development. Using a mixed-methods approach, we assessed purposively selected public health professionals (2016–2024) through (1) quantitative surveys measuring economic evaluation competencies, (2) qualitative interviews exploring program perceptions, and (3) policy brief reviews examining the incorporation of economic metrics. Descriptive statistics and thematic analysis were applied. Results showed over 80% of participants gained confidence in economic evaluations, though challenges like limited local data access and data complexity were noted. Policy briefs demonstrated improved economic consideration integration, particularly in resource allocation. The study highlights the D2P Program’s success in enhancing economic analysis capacity for policy-making in low-resource settings, offering lessons for global initiatives. While the D2P Program successfully enhanced economic analysis capacity, implementation of policy recommendations remains constrained by funding limitations. Nevertheless, program-specific policy recommendations emerged as a key strategy for actionable change. The study underscores the D2P Program’s role in advancing evidence-based policy in Zambia and offers transferable insights for similar initiatives in low- and middle-income countries.