"what's HIFA position about advocating Open Access as essential"
We have discussed this previously on HIFA and on the HIFA steering group and we do not have a fixed position. I think most of us would see open access to research as being an important enabler of the global evidence ecosystem, but there is a wide range of views.
Your question is timely because we are currently preparing an in-depth discussion on open access, which will run from 13 October to 14 November. This new project is sponsored by Oxford PharmaGenesis, a HealthScience communications consultancy based near Oxford UK. We shall be sending further information about it here in the next few days.
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