International Network for the Availability of Scientific Publications
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Health Information Forum: Special Session at ICML

The Health Information Forum held a session at the International Congress of Medical Librarianship, London, July 3rd, chaired by Dr Richard Smith, Editor of the British Medical Journal. Our thanks to the many participants who took part in this lively event. This was a great opportunity to ask some fundamental questions to a group of distinguished librarians from around the world.

Here are the questions:

1. What three actions should international organizations take to improve access to information for health professionals in developing countries?

2. What three international organizations could undertake these actions?

3. What three things could the Health Information Forum do to help make this happen?

This is how people responded at the Congress:

1. What three actions should international organizations take to improve access to information for health professionals in developing countries?

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

• reliable access to electricity, hardware, software, internet connectivity, PC maintenance, costs of consumables (paper, print cartridges), and internet service provider charges

HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT

• training in IT skills, building capacity to adapt source information to local needs, building capacity to harness and disseminate knowledge generated in developing countries

ADVOCACY

• lobby governments

INFORMATION PROVISION

• improve access to print materials
• improve access to information about what ALREADY exists and is affordable, relevant, and reliable

PARTNERSHIPS

2. What three international organizations could undertake these actions?

WHO, WHO, WHO, WHO, WHO, WHO, World Bank, World Bank, UNESCO, UNESCO, UN, UNICEF, British Council, Microsoft, INASP-Health

[Unfortunately there wasn't enough time at the meeting to find out who should do what, but WHO is clearly a firm favourite!]

3. What three things could the Health Information Forum do to help make this happen?

PROVIDE ACCESS TO INFORMATION ABOUT HEALTH INFORMATION ORGANIZATIONS AND THEIR ACTIVITIES – [This is the remit of the INASP-Health Directory, currently available free of charge to institutions in developing countries. See < http://www.inasp.info/health/directory.html > for further details]

PROVIDE AN INTERNET `CHAT ROOM' - [Join 'HIF-net at WHO']

Work with AHILA to help develop national health information policies

PROMOTE UNDERSTANDING OF INFORMATION NEEDS AND PRIORITIES

Promote international development commitment to health information activities

Promote analysis of national health information systems

Lobby commercial publishers

Promote library partnerships