Extracts below. Full text: https://www.thinkglobalhealth.org/article/atul-gawande-global-healths-pa...
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"Trust in institutions has eroded enormously for reasons that go well beyond health," Gawande noted.
He spoke with particular concern about attempts to "turn the world against the global health enterprise in fundamental ways." From July to December 2024, USAID tracked at least 81 foreign propaganda campaigns targeting its work in local languages in every region of the world. Using social media accounts, a website, and other digital tools, Russia's intelligence services spread "baseless claims" about USAID's global health work, including that the agency was carrying out biological testing on African communities...
Building relationships and clear communication will be crucial. Referencing the immense impact vaccines have had in reducing mortality—and alluding to global health's impact as a whole—Gawande said, "It's going to be our job to continue to make sure that's well known."
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COMMENT (NPW): To counter the spreading of 'baseless claims', there is a pressing need not only to combat 'misinformation' but also to improve the availability and use of actionable *reliable* healthcare information and for this to readily identifiable. There are no short-cuts, although artificial intelligence promises to be a major part of the solution. What is needed is political will and financial commitment from WHO and funders for the goal of universal access to reliable healthcare information. HIFA's global consultation of 2410 people in 236 countries calls for WHO to *explicity* champion universal access and convene stakeholders to develop a global strategy for its realisation, with support from HIFA and partners. Current action is fragmented and needs to be complemented with a systems-thinking approach to strengthen the global evidence ecosystem. www.hifa.org/report www.hifa.org/infographic
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