Public health operates in an era of unprecedented data availability and analytical sophistication, yet action on well-established health challenges is frequently delayed. We argue that evidence increasingly functions as an alibi—a means of legitimising deferral of decisions and displacing responsibility onto uncertainty rather than being a guide for decision making. Drawing on recent policy experience, we discuss how expanding evidence requirements can generate analysis paralysis, privileging refinement over implementation.
Public health operates in an era of unprecedented data availability and analytical sophistication, yet action on well-established health challenges is frequently delayed. We argue that evidence increasingly functions as an alibi—a means of legitimising deferral of decisions and displacing responsibility onto uncertainty rather than being a guide for decision making. Drawing on recent policy experience, we discuss how expanding evidence requirements can generate analysis paralysis, privileging refinement over implementation.