Thank you for your input so far on our updated "About HIFA" page which you can review here: https://www.hifa.org/about-hifa
I would now like to review the section on the global evidence ecosystem.
Our vision is universal access to reliable healthcare information: a world where every person and every health worker has access to the reliable healthcare information they need to protect their own health and the health of others, and is protected from misinformation. This would help save millions of lives every year and would dramatically reduce human suffering. associated with poor quality care.
Achieving the HIFA vision can only be achieved by strengthening the global evidence ecosystem. There is no short-cut.
The global evidence ecosystem represents the totality of global efforts to generate, publish, synthesise, package, signpost and apply evidence.
HIFA's unique remit is to strengthen the global evidence ecosystem by addressing three intrinsic weaknesses in the system:
- poor communication among stakeholders in the system;
- poor understanding of information needs and how to meet them; and
- a profound lack of advocacy for universal access to reliable healthcare information as a global health issue.
Ref Lancet 2004: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(04)16681-6/abstract
How does HIFA make a difference?
1. HIFA supports communication through global discussion FORUMS in multiple languages. Every component of the global evidence ecosystem is represented among our 20,000 members in 180 countries.
2. HIFA supports understanding through a range of sponsored PROJECTS (in-depth explorations of priority topics), leading to publications in peer-reviewed journals
3. HIFA's forums and projects provide the basis for evidence-informed ADVOCACY for universal access to reliable healthcare information. To date we have secured official endorsement for the HIFA vision from more than 400 organisations worldwide; we have obtained official policy statements on universal access to reliable healthcare information from two key stakeholder groups in the global evidence ecosystem, namely the World Medical Association (representing 10m doctors) and the International Federation of Library Associations.
We are too small to address this enormous challenge alone. This is why we collaborate with our 23 partner organisations (see their logos on the HIFA home page) and why we are in official relations with the World Health Organization.
We invite all organisations concerned with quality healthcare to collaborate with HIFA: www.hifa.org/collaborate
Together we can build a world where every person and every health worker has access to the reliable healthcare information they need to protect their own health and the health of others, and is protected from misinformation.
Best wishes, Neil
HIFA profile: Neil Pakenham-Walsh is coordinator of HIFA (Healthcare Information For All), a global health community that brings all stakeholders together around the shared goal of universal access to reliable healthcare information. HIFA has 20,000 members in 180 countries, interacting in four languages and representing all parts of the global evidence ecosystem. HIFA is administered by Global Healthcare Information Network, a UK-based nonprofit in official relations with the World Health Organization. Email: neil@hifa.org