Policy Solutions
Policies shape the environments that improve millions of lives at a time
Public health policies are the key to saving lives at scale. Vital Strategies uses “policy” precisely: targeted, specific interventions such as executive orders, new legislation, funding allocations, regulatory changes or new guidelines — aimed at a defined health issue with a measurable outcome. A policy needs political will to pass, technical rigor to survive legal challenge, and public support to outlast the officials who signed it. We help governments build all three: identifying the priorities worth fighting for, designing policies that hold up to legal and economic scrutiny, and sustaining them through implementation, enforcement and political change.
Our Expertise
Legal and regulatory analysis
In Nepal, Vital-supported analysis helped the government become the first in the world to mandate 100% health warning coverage on cigarette packs — a policy that sets a new global standard and gives other countries a replicable model.
End-to-end policy development, enactment and implementation
In Zimbabwe, data analysis revealed how many deaths were due to quality of care for obstetric emergencies. A Vital-supported policy analysis turned that evidence into concrete recommendations, which catalyzed enhanced training in emergency obstetric care.
Economic and health impact estimation
In South Africa, Vital-supported modeling helped design a tax on sugary drinks that produced a 29% decline in purchases of taxed beverages, a 51% reduction in sugar intake, and $313 million in government revenue in its first two years — with the greatest health gains among lower-income households.
Political mapping and strategy
In Brazil, Vital-supported effort helped build the coalition needed to pass a historic health tax reform on tobacco, alcohol and sugary drinks, generating public attention and engagement, more than 800 news stories and breaking decades of legislative deadlock.
Data Impact
We support countries to turn data into insights and policy action.
Data Impact partners with governments to put health data to work, turning routine health records, vital statistics and surveillance data into the evidence that shapes policies, budgets and priorities. In Peru, three decades of cause-of-death analysis informed new government policy on vaccines and cancer screening. Across 7 countries, Vital’s data-to-policy support has contributed to new initiatives for cervical cancer elimination which will prevent thousands of cases and deaths.
of the more than 200 Data to Policy briefs directly influenced government policy in 15+ countries.
Policy Accelerator
Launched in 2021, the Policy Accelerator is Vital’s applied, end-to-end model for advancing urgent public health policy — anticipating roadblocks before they stall a bill and walking local leaders step-by-step through the process that maximizes the odds of adoption. Our case study in Córdoba, Argentina illustrates how it works.
How it works
Diagnose
Identify a significant public health challenge in the jurisdiction using local data to map root causes and impact.
Design
Build context-specific, legally sound, high-impact solutions.
Deploy
Mobilize political, technical, and public support to win adoption.
Including 19 cities, supported by the Vital-run Policy Accelerator since 2021, on issues from air quality monitoring to calorie labels in chain restaurants.
Translating Data to Policy
Evidence only drives change when it reaches decision-makers in ways they can act on. We work with governments to translate data into evidence that guides policies, budgets and programs—supporting policy-relevant analyses including cost-effectiveness studies and health impact estimation, as well as interactive dashboards and data portals that make findings accessible.
Translating Data to Policy: Programs
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Data Systems and Public Health Intelligence
We support governments and civil society partners to strengthen surveillance systems, build local data capacity and apply AI and digital tools to data collection. This evidence anchors policy and program decisions in the lived reality of populations.
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Policy Solutions
We support governments to identify priorities, design cost-effective policies and sustain them through the policy processes it takes to pass and defend them. This work has secured food warning labels, health taxes and smoke-free laws covering millions of people.
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Strategic Communication and Advocacy
We support governments and civil society to treat strategic communication as a core public health competency. This builds the public trust and political will that turn evidence into action, and action into policy that lasts.
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