In a major step toward improving health outcomes through data-driven decision-making, the Countdown Zimbabwe country collaboration team held a five-day Operational and Implementation Research Data Analysis Workshop from September 1 to 5, 2025 in Harare.

The workshop brought together researchers from across Zimbabwe with the goal of strengthening sub-national operational and implementation research capacity in the field of Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, and Adolescent Health and Nutrition (RMNCAH+N). The initiative emphasized a shift away from passive data reporting towards transforming raw data into actionable insights that can inform and accelerate real-time interventions.

The training was jointly hosted by the University of Zimbabwe’s Department of Global, Public Health and Family Medicine, the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC), the African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC), and the Global Financing Facility (GFF). These institutions provided both technical leadership and policy context to the hands-on training.

Unlike traditional training formats, this workshop was designed to build a culture of evidence use, equipping participants with advanced data analysis skills that are directly applicable to improving RMNCAH+N outcomes. The focus was on enhancing the capacity of local researchers and program implementers to independently analyze, interpret, and use health facility data to inform decisions.

As Zimbabwe and other African countries strive to achieve national and global health goals, the ability to use data not just for reporting, but for decision-making is critical. This workshop laid the groundwork for more responsive, effective programming that can address persistent maternal and child health challenges.

This workshop forms part of a broader capacity-building agenda under the Countdown to 2030 initiative. By institutionalizing data use practices, the partners hope to foster a long-term shift in how evidence informs health policy and practice at the sub-national level.