Experts have said that researchers, journalists and policy makers need to work together to make research findings accessible and useful to communities.
They were speaking during a panel session at The Star’s National Science Research Translation Congress held at the African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC) campus in Nairobi.
Moderated by Radio Africa Group Head of Electronic News, Susan Kimachia, the session explored how research can move beyond academic journals to inform policy and improve lives.
Panelists included Dr Dorothy Njoroge from the United States International University (USIU), Defrontera Editor-in-Chief Anne Mawathe, Director of the Center for Epidemiological Modeling and Analysis (CEMA) University of Nairobi, Dr Loice Achieng Ombajo and Dr Chris Baraza** from the Christian Health Association of Kenya (CHAK).
Dr Njoroge said universities need to redefine how they conduct research to ensure it directly responds to the needs of the community rather than being driven solely by funding opportunities.
“Universities need to be intentional about their research agenda to make sure it makes a difference,” he said.
“Instead of being complacent and just responding to requests for funding, it’s important that we have a clear position that addresses real social problems.”
He called on academic institutions to align their work with global priorities, such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and at the same time develop their own action program that meets local challenges.
“We need to move beyond doing research for administrative or promotional purposes,” he said.
“We need to engage policy makers and communities to ensure that research really changes lives.”
He echoed concerns previously raised in Congress that more than 80 percent of research goes unused, saying that producing low-impact publications drains valuable resources.
Regarding the role of communication, Mawathe said that poor storytelling and limited collaboration between researchers and journalists have widened the gap between science and society.
“The science is complex, and the language is often impossible to get,” he said.
“Storytelling is an Act of Translation between the worlds of information, what scientists know and what the public needs to understand.”
Mawathe, a veteran journalist, said science communication should be human-centred, relatable and timely.
He urged researchers to see journalists as partners and not outsiders.
“We are allies working towards the same goal,” he said.
“If researchers inform us in time about the work in progress, we can better plan and tell these stories to the public in a way that makes sense.”
He added that editors can help researchers simplify findings into digestible information across multiple platforms
“We have tools like Instagram, Facebook and TikTok to package your work and make it available.”
Mawathe said. “We just need stronger relationships and trust.”
He also challenged researchers to embrace social media despite their reservations, saying that credible experts must rid the digital space of misinformation.
“Unfortunately, misinformation spreads faster than science,” he said.
“Researchers should not be afraid to use digital platforms to combat lies and make evidence visible.”
Dr Ombajo, who is the director of the Center for Epidemiological Modeling and Analysis (CEMA), said engagement with policy makers should start at the beginning of any research process, not after the results are ready.
He said based on his experience during the COVID-19 pandemic, CEMA was established to help the government respond to pressing policy questions with evidence-based insights.
“The best answer you can give to a decision maker is to the question they are asking,” Dr. Ombajo said.
“If research does not influence policy, it is useless.”
He called on researchers to work closely with the Ministry of Health’s technical working groups to ensure research addresses real gaps in service delivery and patient outcomes.
“We need to understand what the ministry and hospitals are struggling with – their pain points – and design research that fits their needs,” he said.
He added that at the heart of translation is partnership:
“It’s not about a lot of evidence, it’s about how they fit into people’s lives and government priorities.”
From a faith-based perspective, Dr Baraza said faith-based institutions, which provide nearly 40 per cent of healthcare services in Kenya, are a vital but often overlooked platform for translating research into real results.
“We serve communities at the national, institutional and community levels,” he said.
“Faith-based hospitals like Tenwek provide about half of all heart and chest surgeries in the country, but few know this story.”
Dr Baraza called for stronger partnerships with researchers and the media to document and share such successes.
He also called for more investment in research in the field of faith-based healthcare.
“We often think about how to pay nurses, not how to create new knowledge,” she said.
“But research can help us improve the quality of care and even strengthen our financial sustainability.”
Linking research findings to measurable service improvements could change the industry’s approach to both health care and accountability, he said.
“We need to start thinking about outcomes, not just costs,” he said.
“How do we turn research results into performance indicators for hospitals and communities?”
Kimachia acknowledged that the discussion highlighted the need to strengthen collaboration between researchers and communicators to ensure that research findings influence both public understanding and government policy.
The panelists agreed that bridging the gap between research and real-world application requires continued engagement, open dialogue, and intentional investment in communication.
“When we make science clear, contextual and human, the public not only listens, but also acts,” Mawathe said.
Organized by The Star under Radio Africa Group, the inaugural congress brought together academics, policy makers, media leaders and development partners to discuss how Kenya can bridge the gap between science, politics and society.