Dear Joseph,
Thank you for your suggestions:
"i) HIFA should intensify efforts to leverage the benefits that can accrue from being 'an NGO in Relations with the W.H.O.', because if I am right, the WHO holds the largest repository of accurate health information, and using its Global reach will do HIFA mission a great deal of good."
Yes indeed. Global Healthcare Information Network, the small non-profit that administers HIFA, is now in official relations with WHO since January 2022 and this opens up huge opportunities for HIFA. We have an agreed collaboration plan 2022-2024 and we have just established a HIFA-WHO Collaboration Working Group to take this forward. I shall be sending more information about this to HIFA in the coming days. We shall be asking for support and engagement from all our members and supporting organisations to drive this forward.
"ii) HIFA should do the same with the gratifyingly large number of supporting organisations (400). Can HIFA arrange to have meetings with these organisations by way of webinars for example, say once or even twice a year? That will provide a cost-effective platform for consultation and exchange of ideas for achieving HIFA mission, any challenges, solutions and future progress."
Yes, we are very keen to do this. HIFA member Vikram Patel has kindly renewed his sponsorship of the HIFA Zoom room for our use 24/7/365 and we have been using this a lot internally. As you suggest, it would be very helpful to specifically engage our 441 supporting organisations in live discussion 'for achieving HIFA mission, any challenges, solutions and future progress'.
Meanwhile, we would like to thank all HIFA members who responded to our call for a volunteer to become HIFA Supporting Organisation Coordinator. The HIFA Steering Group welcomed Hari Govind into this role a few days ago: https://www.hifa.org/support/members/sri-hari We look forward to working with him to convene and mobilise our SOs worldwide.
We look forward to hear further ideas and suggestions from HIFA members.
Best wishes, Neil
Neil Pakenham-Walsh, Global Coordinator HIFA, www.hifa.org neil@hifa.org
Global Healthcare Information Network: Working in official relations with WHO
