Dear HIFA colleagues, I would like to thank HIFA volunteer Jackeline Alger (Honduras) for her help in preparing this blog for Rising Scholars, a global network of researchers. Jackeline is the lead person for HIFA-Spanish and for our partnership with Rising Scholars. Read online (including graphic for global evidence ecosystem): https://risingscholars.net/en/news/details/2180/
I am sharing it in three parts wioth HIFA forum.
Health researchers, the global evidence ecosystem and HIFA, Part 1/3
Health researchers are fundamental to knowledge translation and health care. HIFA, Healthcare Information For All, is a global campaign working in official relations with the World Health Organization (WHO). The HIFA vision is universal access to reliable healthcare information, which we define as a world where every person and every health worker have access to the reliable healthcare information they need to protect their own health and the health of others and is protected from misinformation. From our perspective and experience, we believe that sharing this information about HIFA could be of interest and benefit to Rising Scholars members.
Access to reliable healthcare information
Access to relevant, reliable, unbiased, up-to-date and evidence-based healthcare information is crucial for the public, patients and health personnel to support every aspect of health. Lack of access to reliable healthcare information is a major contributor to morbidity and mortality, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), and among vulnerable groups in all countries. Every day, thousands of children and adults die needlessly due to failure to provide simple, low-cost interventions. These interventions are often locally available but simply not provided in time. A major contributing factor is that the person, their caregiver and/or health worker do not have access to the reliable healthcare information and knowledge they need, when they need it, to make appropriate decisions and save lives.
The global evidence ecosystem
The availability and use of reliable information is dependent on the global evidence ecosystem, which has six components. Health research is the first component. Robust research is a prerequisite for evidence-informed policy and practice. The second component is to publish research, mostly in peer-reviewed journals. The third component is evidence synthesis to produce systematic reviews and clinical guidelines, based cumulatively on all available evidence. The fourth is the repackaging of evidence into formats that are readily usable, whether by health professionals, the general public, or policymakers. The fifth component is to avail such resources, to help people find the information they need and to protect them from misinformation. The sixth component is to apply evidence in policy and practice.
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