Improving evidence informed policy-making for health in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (Editorial).

Health policies should be based on a sound understanding of the problems, issues and context in which they operate, for which they require reliable data and information for action. The policies should also be informed by the best available research evidence, which also helps in better capturing the problem, understanding existing trends and patterns, and setting reasonable objectives that can be achieved using effective interventions. More importantly, research can provide evidence of comparative effectiveness of alternative interventions for a given public health issue; the costs and feasibility of implementing each intervention; and efficiency of the proposed interventions (policies) in comparison with alternative interventions.