See HIFA-WHO Collaboration Plan.
Since the launch of HIFA in 2006, the World Health Organization (WHO) has been HIFA's most important strategic partner - for background see How HIFA works with WHO to improve the availability of healthcare information worldwide
In January 2022 WHO approved Global Health Information Network (the UK non-profit that administers HIFA) to be a Non-State Actor in Official Relations. The collaboration is guided by a 3-year Collaboration Plan (2022-2024) which is summarised as follows:
'This plan for collaboration between WHO and The Global Healthcare Information Network CIC (GHI-net) supports WHO's work towards fulfilling its constitutional mandate to extend to all peoples the benefits of medical, psychological and related knowledge and WHO’s activities to ensure access to authoritative and strategic information on matters that affect peoples’ health in line with the 13th General Programme of Work. The activities contained in this collaboration plan inform WHO’s work to further understand and address the healthcare information needs of the public, health workers and policymakers; and specifically supports the uptake of WHO’s products, information and public health messages as an enabler for Universal Health Coverage and to support efforts towards the attainment of relevant Sustainable Development Goals. The plan also supports WHO’s efforts towards fulfilling its strategic objectives on multilingualism, in line with relevant UN and WHA Resolutions.'
The plan describes five areas of collaboration:
1. To inform WHO’s work on opportunities and challenges to improve the availability and use of reliable healthcare information...
2. To support WHO’s work on further understanding and addressing the healthcare information needs of the public, health workers and policymakers...
3. To support WHO in the dissemination and uptake of its products in WHO official languages other than English...
4. To provide WHO with knowledge on information needs and options to meet them, thereby supporting WHO's work to increase the availability and use of reliable healthcare information, including (and especially) WHO publications...
5. To support WHO’s efforts towards promoting outreach, communication and collective understanding with relevant stakeholders...
A working group has been convened to take this forward in liaison with the main HIFA Steering Group. The working group is jointly coordinated by Isabelle Wachsmuth (WHO) and Neil Pakenham-Walsh (GHI-Net/HIFA), and brings together WHO and HIFA representatives. The group will meet regularly to: identify, prioritise, implement and monitor activities that are designated in the plan; assess which activities are feasible with current resources; and secure additional resources that are needed to implement the plan.
GHI-Net/HIFA is now seeking financial support to implement the plan from appropriate funders that align with our Funding Policy. In the meantime we are focusing on one specific activity in prority area 1: "To identify best practices, opportunities and challenges from relevant health related stakeholders, towards pursuing universal access to reliable healthcare information." The working group will deliver a report to WHO by the end of 2023 'for WHO’s consideration, containing relevant findings that may inform WHO’s work to accelerate progress towards universal access to reliable healthcare information'.
We shall be counting on your support as individual HIFA members, supporting organisations and volunteers. Please contact the HIFA Coordinator, Neil Pakenham-Walsh, if you can help: neil@hifa.org
