The 2nd edition of the International Course on Health Evaluation concluded on 7 February 2026, reinforcing the role of training and evidence-based evaluation in strengthening health systems. The course was coordinated and taught by professors Isabel Craveiro, from the PPS-GHTM Research Group at the Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa (IHMT NOVA), and Tania Rehem, who participated as a Visiting Professor.
Funded by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO/WHO), the course was delivered in a hybrid format and brought together 24 professionals from the Secretaria de Estado de Saúde (SES) of São Paulo, including coordinators and technical experts working in areas such as health regionalization, the Unified Table of the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS), transitions to new management models, and municipal management incentives.
The opening session took place at the São Paulo State Health Secretariat on 4 November 2025 and was attended by the São Paulo State Secretary of Health, Eleuses Vieira de Paiva, and OPAS advisor Renilson Rehem, highlighting the institutional importance of the initiative and the collaboration between international organizations and academic institutions.
Designed to strengthen professional capacity and support the institutionalization of health evaluation practices, the course aimed to equip technical staff and health managers with the knowledge and tools needed to assess health policies, programmes, and interventions within the Brazilian Unified Health System.
A training programme to strengthen health system evaluation
The programme was structured into three modules, delivered between 4–7 November, 12 November and 10 December 2025, and 2–7 February 2026, combining online sessions with in-person activities.
Throughout the course, participants explored different evaluation approaches and methodological frameworks suited to the complexity of health interventions and the diverse contexts in which they operate. Particular emphasis was placed on supporting the evaluation of the Health Regionalization Project of the State of São Paulo, a key initiative aimed at improving coordination and governance within the state’s health system.
From training to practical application
By the end of the course, participants developed skills to:
- Select and apply appropriate evaluation methodologies for complex health interventions
- Conduct systematic reviews of policy and programme documentation
- Develop Evaluability Studies related to the health regionalization process in São Paulo
- Communicate and share evaluation results with stakeholders
- Apply ethical and normative standards in evaluation practice
- Promote the use of evaluation to improve health interventions
- Prepare scientific outputs to disseminate the evaluability studies developed during the course
Reflecting on the experience, Isabel Craveiro highlighted the strong engagement of participants throughout the programme:
“The course took place as planned, with highly motivated students committed to learning and to acquiring new competencies in health evaluation, whose usefulness for their daily professional practice was unanimously recognised.”
She also noted the expectations expressed by participants regarding the continuation of the initiative:
“All participants highlighted their expectation that this course—whose final outcome consists of evaluability studies in areas considered priorities by the State Health Secretariat—will be followed by the next step: conducting the evaluations that have now been designed, as a strategy to institutionalise evaluation practice.”
Through this initiative, GHTM | IHMT NOVA and its researchers contribute to strengthening evidence-informed decision-making and evaluation capacity in health systems, supporting professionals and institutions in improving the design, implementation, and assessment of health policies and programmes.
