In 2023, the GELA Consortium published landscape analyses for these three countries on the Cochrane-Africa website. These analyses review the current extent of clinical practice guidelines for neonatal and child health in each country, the quality of the guidelines and key gaps. These findings provide an essential foundation for identifying the clinical practice guideline needs in each of the three countries.

In addition, the GELA research team has collated and analysed existing guidelines for neonatal and child health in the three countries, using a validated tool (the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation instrument, AGREE II). This analysed identified significant shortcomings in the processes used to develop guidelines, particularly with regard to rigour of development and editorial independence.

In further work, the project team has applied good practice methodology for priority setting in each of the three countries. Through extensive consultation, priority-setting surveys and consensus meetings, and development of national steering groups, long lists of priority topics were generated and then refined to Identify the top three priorities. These priorities differed between countries, emphasising the importance of local context and engagement with key local decision-makers.

Although there has been great progress in reducing neonatal and child mortality in sub-Saharan Africa, the region is not on course to achieve Sustainable Development Goal targets in this area. The GELA Consortium, including representatives from Malawi, Nigeria, Norway, South Africa and the UK, aims to improve healthcare for these groups by building national capacity to use and apply global evidence.

These efforts are leveraging the global clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) developed by WHO. The GELA team is working with the WHO Regional Office for Africa, national policymakers and civil society representatives in Malawi, Nigeria and South Africa to support the adaptation of guidelines according to local context and implementation.

The EDCTP-funded GELA project has published landscape analyses of clinical practice guidelines for newborn and child health in three African countries, as part of its efforts to strengthen the use of evidence in national health policymaking and practice.