Dear CHIFA colleagues,
More info, including CHIFA RSS feed with latest messages, is here:
https://www.hifa.org/forums/chifa-child-health-and-rights
https://www.hifa.org/rss-feeds/10
ICHG, ISSOP and HIFA are now finalising a new MOU for CHIFA. Next step is to convene CHIFA steering group meeting to plan coming months. Priorities include: growth in membership, increase in number of forum messages, ideas from ICHG and ISSOP on how CHIFA can support their activities (eg ICHG winter meeting?), external funding. We continue to look for a coordinator to replace Tony Waterston, who is ready to stand down (after more than 10 years in the role).
We invite applications to be our next CHIFA Coordinator! This is a voluntary role that is very rewarding. Contact neil@hifa.org for details
Also, new developments in HIFA are relevant also to CHIFA. We are finalising our 3-year collaboration plan with WHO as an NGO in official relations. HIFA has recently published its global consultation for WHO.
https://www.hifa.org/news/press-release-global-health-advocates-call-wor...
HIFA has recently published its global consultation for WHO, not specific but relevant to CHIFA
https://www.hifa.org/news/press-release-global-health-advocates-call-wor...
The above report was presented at the Global Evidence Summit in Prague on 10 September.
The current issue of The Lancet Global Health has a lead editorial about our work:
Editorial| Volume 12, ISSUE 9, e1370, September 2024
Contemporary challenges to health information for all
The Lancet Global Health
Published: September, 2024 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S2214-109X(24)00336-X
The editors conclude: 'We support the championing role of WHO as recommended in the Health Information For All report and stand ready to play our part in strategy development.'
Promoting the HIFA and CHIFA vision. Our focus is now to encourage WHO to commit to universal access to reliable healthcare information. We invite support from ICHG and partners to promote the CHIFA vision of ‘A world where every child, every parent and every health worker has access to the health information they need to protect their own health and the health of children for whom they are responsible’.
HIFA has already persuaded the world’s doctors (World Medical Association) and LIS professionals (IFLA) to commit to universal access to reliable healthcare information. We are now actively nudging WHO towards an explicit commitment, and there are signs that they may do so in the foreseeable future. This would open the way to convene stakeholders to develop a global strategy, which we consider would be a game changer in terms of the political and financial commitment needed to improve the availability and use of reliable healthcare information.
Best wishes, Neil
CHIFA 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