CABI’s Global Health database plays a significant role in informing public health policy helping to tackle current and emerging health problems across the developing world. Systematic reviews, which are increasing in scope and number, are an excellent tool for evidence-based public health and have a growing influence on policy. However, for them to be meaningful they need to draw upon trustworthy data. Through interviews with researchers and through a literature review we found that CABI’s Global Health database is able to offer significant support to systematic reviews, since it covers both print and electronic journals and offers unique content not available elsewhere.

The Global Health database, through its use in specific systematic reviews, has contributed to IHME’s (Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation) Global Burden of Disease 2013 report and to a number of WHO clinical guidelines. Its use has informed the funding agenda of international donors, such as DFID and the Wellcome Trust, who are addressing research and practice in humanitarian crisis settings. The database has also been used in developing the research and planning agenda on trachoma for the charity – Sightsavers. Moreover, we found that Global Health has a vital role to play in both disseminating locally conducted LMIC research within Africa and globally, by offering coverage of (local) papers in Africa and LMICs, and in nurturing collaboration between groups of researchers/projects.