I am writing this hot on the heels of one of the HIFA Social Media Working Group’s regular connects. As with so much that defines HIFA, we are a small group of volunteer advocates and champions who come together, under the thoughtful leadership of Ben Nicholls, to consider how we can most effectively leverage social media towards the HIFA vision.
During the call, I found myself revisiting the HIFA website and was struck by the fact that we are fast approaching the twentieth anniversary (28 January) of the publication in The Lancet of A 15th grand challenge for global public health, by Tikki Pang, Muir Gray and Tim Evans. [ https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(06)68050-1/abstract ]
One sentence from that paper has stayed with me for many years, and was in part what first drew me to HIFA in the late 2000s: “The challenge is to ensure that everyone in the world can have access to clean, clear, knowledge.”
Twenty years on, this challenge not only remains unresolved, it feels more urgent, and more complex, than ever. If anything, the case for HIFA’s global campaign is stronger now than it was in 2006. Pang and colleagues were writing at a time when social media was still in its infancy. Facebook had only just launched, LinkedIn was a few years old, YouTube was emerging, and Twitter would appear later that same year. The potential of these platforms to democratise access to health information was immense, and in many ways, that promise has been realised. Information can now travel faster and further than ever before.
Yet alongside this expansion has come a profound challenge: the scale, speed, and impact of misinformation. Access alone is no longer enough.
The question is how to ensure that clean, clear, reliable health knowledge is not only available, but visible, trusted, and used. Many of you will know that HIFA now has an active presence on LinkedIn, X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. These platforms are potentially powerful tools. Their value lies in how we, collectively, choose to use them to amplify evidence, to support health workers and communities, and to advance the shared goal of health information for all.
If you are active on any of these channels, your support by following, sharing, commenting, and engaging can make a tangible difference to our reach and impact. Details of how to access each platform are shared below.
As we mark this twentieth anniversary year, we would be very interested to hear your reflections. How do you see the role of social media in advancing the HIFA vision today? What responsibilities and opportunities does this moment place on us as a global community committed to equity in health information?
With thanks for your engagement and continued commitment,
Jules
HIFA on social media: LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/healthcare-information-for-all-hifa X: twitter.com/hifa_org Facebook: facebook.com/HIFAdotORG Instagram: instagram.com/hifa_org YouTube: youtube.com/HIFAGlobalHealth
HIFA profile: Jules Storr is CEO and co-founder of S3 Global Healthcare and past president of the Infection Prevention Society of the UK and Ireland. Her core subject matter expertise lies in infection prevention and control (IPC) which has been used as the foundation for developing strengths in strategy, leadership, behaviour change and implementation across diverse national and global programmes, including IPC, patient safety, quality health care, partnership working, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) and antimicrobial resistance. As a respected global healthcare leader and influencer Jules has a record of achievement in the development, implementation and evaluation of initiatives, guidelines and improvement resources in both high and low income countries. During the West Africa Ebola outbreak of 2014-15 Julie worked with colleagues in Sierra Leone to develop their national IPC programme. Previously, she led the award winning national cleanyourhands campaign, as assistant director of IPC at the English National Patient Safety Agency. She currently serves as an honorary advisor to Global Health Partnerships (formerly THET) and is on the steering group of HIFA and a member of HIFA Partnerships and Projects Working Group and Social Media Group. Jules is a champion of person-centred, compassionate care. Her recent work explores the social and behavioural dimensions of IPC, blending clinical expertise with human-centred care. Through her boutique consultancy she works as a consultant and adviser to a number of organisations including WHO, WaterAid and other development partners and charitable organisations. https://www.hifa.org/support/members/julie-0 email: julesstorr AT me.com