Dear Chris an all,
You say: "Worse, we are even less prepared for the associated infodemic."
This reminds me of the words of Dr Tedros early in the COVID-19 pandemic:
“We’re not just fighting an epidemic; we’re fighting an infodemic. Fake news spreads faster and more easily than this virus, and is just as dangerous" [and if we don’t tackle this head on] “we are headed down a dark path that leads nowhere but division and disharmony”.
This week, 6 years later, Dr Tedros opened the World Health Assembly with the words "we live in difficult, dangerous and divisive times".
The world's next pandemic could be influenza (especially bird flu), a coronavirus (such as COVID-19), Disease X (an as yet unknown virus) or many other possibilities.
Is the world better prepared to deal with a new pandemic? In some ways, yes, in others no.
Is the world better prepared to deal with an infodemic? Again in some ways, yes, in others no.
Advocating for a world where every person has access to reliable healthcare information and can tell the difference between this and misinformation is the central purpose of HIFA. This can only be achieved by strengthening the global evidence ecosystem - there are no shortcuts. In 2024 we published a global consultation with 2400 respondents worldwide calling for WHO to explicitly commit to universal access to reliable healthcare information and to convene stakeholders to develop a strategy to strengthen the global evidence ecosystem. Later that year WHO launched the Global Coalition for Evidence, which commits to strengthen the global evidence ecosystem.
HIFA and the Global Coalition for Evidence are the only two initiatives to my knowledge whose purpose is to strengthen the global evidence ecosystem. The problem is that neither HIFA nor the Coalition have the resources to make a difference. HIFA has just one staff member. The lead for the Coalition is responsible also for several other initiatives.
HIFA will be making a statement at the World Health Assembly today or tomorrow under agenda item 12.4 Universal health coverage. In it, we shall commend WHO for launching the Coalition and we shall call for others to work with us to strengthen the global evidence ecosystem. Contact: neil@hifa.org
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