HIFA2015 Supporting Organisation Translators Without Borders and Wikipedia’s Wikiproject Medicine have announced a partnership to improve the free global access to high quality health information. James Heilman, from Wikipedia, said: “I would like to thank HIFA2015 for bringing myself from Wikipedia and Lori Thicke from Translators Without Borders together. This has led to an exciting new collaboration to improve free global access to high quality health information.”

The text below is reproduced from the announcement circulated on the HIFA2015 forum.

Wikipedia, as many are aware, is one of the foremost health care information resources. It is freely usable by all people globally and can be re-purposed or changed for other uses as long as Wikipedia is acknowledged and the resulting product is released under a license that allows the same. Wikipedia’s 26,000 medical articles receive approximately 150-200 million page views a month in English alone with some content available in over 280 other languages. The top 300 medical articles receive more than 100,000 page views a month and it is used extensively by both health care providers and the lay public with between 50-70% of physicians using it in clinical practice.

Availability of high quality content is however limited in many languages. Even in English less than 1% of articles have passed a semi formal peer review process. Our efforts are attempting to both improve the English content and translation articles on humankind’s 80 most important health care conditions to as many other languages as possible (including simple English). This will be for many people the first time high quality health information becomes available in their own language. We are looking for people to both help us at Wikipedia improve articles in English and people to help Translators Without Borders do translation. We are also needing people with both language abilities and the ability or desire to learn how to edit Wikipedia to integrate the translated material back in the Wikipedia edition in question. This project is just beginning and we are planning on caring it out over the next three to five years. If you wish further details or want to become involved feel free to contact me either via email or on my Wikipedia talk page.

James Heilman
MD, CCFP-EM, Wikipedian
“Wikipedia, Come Write Where it Matters”

HIFA2015 profile: James Heilman is a Wikipedian and Board Member of Wikimedia Canada (the Canadian Chapter of Wikimedia). He is an Emergency Room Physician in Cranbrook, British Columbia, a Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Saskatchewan and a Clinical Instructor at the University of British Columbia. jmh649 AT gmail.com

We are delighted to announce the award of HIFA2015 Country Representative of the Year 2011 to Princess Uju E. Nwafor-Orizu, Nigeria, in recognition of her outstanding achievements.

Princess Uju Nwafor-Orizu is Medical Librarian at the Medical Library, College of Health Sciences, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Nnewi, Anambra State, Nigeria. She has enrolled more than _200_ new HIFA members in Nigeria. Amazing!

It is largely thanks to the efforts of Princess Nwafor-Orizu and other HIFA2015 Country Representatives that we have such a high representation of members in Africa, South Asia and other regions. We now have 41 HIFA2015 Country Representatives in 24 countries:

http://www.hifa2015.org/support/hifa2015-country-representatives/

Princess – we thank you for your magnificent support and we look forward to continue working with you in 2012.

Here’s to Healthcare Information For All by 2015!

Neil Pakenham-Walsh
Coordinator, HIFA2015

The HIFA2015 Steering Group is delighted to announce the ratification of five new HIFA2015 Supporting Organisations:
End Water Poverty, Global Health Media Project, International Journal of Students’ Research, South African Association for Responsible Health Information & Advertising, Translators without Borders.

1. End Water Poverty

http://www.endwaterpoverty.org

‘We’re a coalition campaign, made up of 185 members in 55 countries. We campaign and advocate to decision makers, the media and other development organisations to take action to end the water and sanitation crisis… our strategic aims to:
- make water and sanitation a higher priority for governments who give aid and for governments in the poorest countries who can raise the availability of sanitation and water to millions more people
- strengthen the Sanitation and Water for All (SWA) partnership so that the poorest communities get access to sanitation and water
- campaign for better delivery of sanitation and water through joined policies with health, education and nutrition’

2. Global Health Media Project

http://globalhealthmedia.org/

‘The Global Health Media Project is developing effective clinical videos that will be widely accessible to health workers in low-resource settings. These videos will address the critical gap in knowledge transfer and best practices that is a root cause of poor health outcomes in these regions. Our goal is to help health workers save lives and reduce morbidity by reaching a large number of them with easily understood, memorable visual images using a very low-cost approach. “Providing access to reliable health information for health workers is potentially the single most cost effective and achievable strategy for sustainable improvement in health care in developing countries.” (Pakenham-Walsh, et al. British Medical Journal)’

3. International Journal of Students’ Research

http://www.ijsronline.com/index.php/IJSR

‘IJSR is an online, open access journal purely dedicated to students’ research from the fields of medicine and allied health sciences. It traverses all boundaries and acknowledges the work done by students from different parts of the world. It is a platform for young and budding researchers to allow them to be read and evaluated globally. The journal is a quarterly scientific magazine and follows the international guidelines for journals and scientific publication. The journal is an endeavor which is dedicated to the cause of students’ research. The journal publishes high quality editorials, reviews, original research articles, case reports, feature articles, letters etc. It is a peer reviewed journal with an open and easy access to all.’

4. South African Association for Responsible Health Information & Advertising (ARHIA)

http://www.arhiasa.info

‘The main objectives are to: i) ensure that health information given to South African citizens is responsible and accurate; ii) protect South African citizens from health products and services that are in any way misrepresented in terms of efficacy, safety or quality.’

5. Translators without Borders

http://translatorswithoutborders.com/

‘Translators without Borders facilitates the transfer of knowledge from one language to another by creating and managing a community of NGOs who need translations and professional, vetted translators who volunteer their time to help. Through the sophisticated Translators without Borders platform, important aid groups easily connect directly with professional translators, breaking down the barriers of language and building up the transfer of information to those who need it, one brick at a time.’

In addition, the Journal of Pakistan Medical Students has become a HIFA2015 Supporting Journal.

128 organisations worldwide have now officially declared their commitment to the HIFA2015 goal!

If the goals of YOUR organisation align with the HIFA2015 goal, please join us!

- HIFA2015 Supporting Organisations are under no obligation to provide financial support (However, we shall be introducing a voluntary annual contribution scheme in January 2012, in response to recommendations made in the recent Evaluation of HIFA2015, funded by the Rockefeller Foundation – more details to follow shortly)
- HIFA2015 Supporting Organisations are promoted on HIFA2015 publications and website
- HIFA2015 Supporting Organisations are invited to present and discuss their work live with other HIFA2015 members in the HIFA2015 virtual conference room (please contact us if you are interested to explore options).

Download an application form from our home page: www.hifa2015.org

“HIFA2015 is an ambitious goal but it can be achieved if all stakeholders work together” (Dr Tikki Pang, WHO, 2006)

With thanks,

Neil Pakenham-Walsh
Coordinator, HIFA2015

On behalf of the HIFA2015 Steering Group

http://www.hifa2015.org/about/administration/

The HIFA2015 Steering Group is delighted to announce the ratification of six new HIFA2015 Supporting Organisations:
Asian Medical Students Association, Medical Aid Films, Medicalopedia, Pakistan Medical Students Research Society, Radcliffe Publishing, and
Sweet Motherhood International.

Asian Medical Students Association
‘The Asian Medical Students’ Association (AMSA International) is a peak representative organisation for medical students from across Asia, the Asia-Pacific and beyond. Training doctors from 13 Member Chapters, 8 Observer Chapters and 2 Associate Chapters to combine to share knowledge, undertake activities and social services and create international and trans-continental friendships. AMSA was officially founded in Manilla, Philippines in 1985 and from this day has been an active, dynamic and exciting student-led, not-for-profit, non-political organisation.’

Medical Aid Films
‘MAF wants to use advances in media and communication technologies to provide culturally sensitive practical medical training, up-to-date focussed information and exchange platforms to address the specific problems of healthcare in the developing world. Our philosophy is based on two Chinese proverbs: ‘Give a man a fish; you have fed him for today. Teach a man to fish; and you have fed him for a lifetime’ & ‘A picture is worth a thousand words’.’

Medicalopedia
‘Founded in October 2010 Medicalopedia is having a goal of bringing medical students, interns, residents & attending physicians and surgeons to make world’s largest medical database of information.’

Pakistan Medical Students Research Society
‘Pakistan Medical Students’ Research Society (PMSRS) is an initiative taken by the students of Dow Medical College, Karachi, Pakistan, to promote research in Pakistan. Its mission is to help medical students to do their researches from the initial years of their career. Hence, by the time of graduation, they will have a resume full of published papers in reputable journals.’

Radcliffe Publishing
‘Radcliffe Publishing is committed to the publication of books that help and encourage professionals in healthcare to provide the best possible care. Whatever your role within healthcare – GP, allied health professional, medical student or doctor in training, nurse, midwife, educator, healthcare manager or administrator – Radcliffe has books, journals and educational materials to support your career and development.’

Sweet Motherhood International
‘Sweet Mother International assists displaced or refugee mothers affected by war or disaster. SMI provides volunteer services and provision of relief materials. The organization also, embarks on rehabilitation and care for widow, destitute, aged women and old-women-without-children. Mothers with HIV/AIDS are assisted to regain confidence in their homes. SMI provide these women with basic resource, knowledge and tools to enable them cope with their challenges.’

123 organisations worldwide have now officially declared their commitment to the HIFA2015 goal.

If the goals of your organisation align with the HIFA2015 goal, please join us!

- HIFA2015 Supporting Organisations are under no obligation to provide financial support (However, we shall be introducing a voluntary annual contribution scheme in January 2012, in response to recommendations made in the recent Evaluation of HIFA2015, funded by the Rockefeller Foundation – more details to follow shortly)
- HIFA2015 Supporting Organisations are promoted on HIFA2015 publications and website
- HIFA2015 Supporting Organisations are invited to present and discuss their work live with other HIFA2015 members in the HIFA2015 virtual conference room (please contact us if you are interested to explore options).

Download an application form from our home page.

“HIFA2015 is an ambitious goal but it can be achieved if all stakeholders work together” (Dr Tikki Pang, WHO, 2006)

With thanks,

Neil Pakenham-Walsh
Coordinator, HIFA2015

On behalf of the HIFA2015 Steering Group.

London, UK, 25 October 2011 – Healthcare Information For All by 2015 1 (HIFA2015) is pleased to announce the publication of the report Evaluation of HIFA2015 2 funded by the Rockefeller Foundation through its Transforming Health Systems Initiative.

The report’s main conclusion is that “HIFA2015 achieves an extraordinary level of activity on minimal resources from which many people around the world benefit. However, its ultimate success will depend on external funders providing additional funding”. This echoes calls in the BMJ earlier this year for a major funder to support HIFA2015 3.

Dr Najeeb Al-Shorbaji, Director of Knowledge Management and Sharing at WHO in Geneva, responded to the report by commenting: “HIFA2015 is already making a difference globally by bringing information providers and users together on an equal footing and promoting equitable and sustainable access to health information as a right. The report is right to highlight the power of knowledge networks and the need for funding for HIFA2015, especially as we work towards the Millennium Development Goals. These require targeted funding of effective networking initiatives such as HIFA2015 to enable it to continue to function as a change agent”.

HIFA2015 Coordinator, Dr Neil Pakenham-Walsh, said, “We welcome this report. We find it valuable and we are already starting to act on its conclusions and recommendations. However, without additional funding we shall not be able to roll out our strategy in full 4. We urge funders to show us the same support that 5000-plus HIFA2015 members and 117 health and development organisations have already demonstrated. Together we can realise our vision of a world where people are no longer dying for lack of healthcare knowledge.”

He continues, “As we learn and therefore improve our services to global health, we trust that we shall demonstrate that it is indeed possible to bring together many thousands of stakeholders around specific, yet complex, international health and development goals. Inclusive, multi-professional communication frameworks, such as HIFA2015, will play an increasingly important role in shaping our common future, not only in global health, but in all areas of international development”.

For further information or interview, please contact:
Dr Neil Pakenham-Walsh
Coordinator HIFA2015, Co-director, Global Healthcare Information Network
neil.pakenham-walsh@ghi-net.org
Tel: +44 (0)1608 811338

Notes for Editors:
1. Healthcare Information For All by 2015 (www.hifa2015.org) is the flagship project of Global Healthcare Information Network – a non-profit organisation based in the UK. HIFA2015 is a global campaign and discussion forum that brings together more than 5000 health professionals, information technologists, publishers, librarians, researchers and policymakers from over 2000 organisations in 158 countries worldwide. HIFA2015 is supported by organisations such as the British Medical Association, Royal College of Midwives and Royal College of Nursing.

2. The HIFA2015 Evaluation Report was prepared by Communications for Development Ltd. (evaluators: Teresa Hanley and Jackie Davies). The full text of the Report, Annexe (Case studies, Methodology, Glossary) and Response from Global Healthcare Information Network / HIFA2015 Steering Group are available here: http://www.hifa2015.org/publications#evaluation

3. The full text of the BMJ Editorial by Richard Smith and Tracey Pérez Koehlmoos is available at: http://www.bmj.com/content/342/bmj.d4151.full?sid=55d7a166-946d-416c-bc47-8c294d5fb57d

4. To achieve its goal of improving the availability and use of healthcare information, HIFA2015 has a developed a three pronged strategy based on communication (bringing together a critical mass of interested parties in five global e-mail forums), understanding (of information needs and how to meet them set out in a database of evidence), and advocacy (persuading governments, funding agencies, and others to invest in cost effective health information services). For further details, see www.hifa2015.org
###

An Editorial in this week’s BMJ calls for major funding agencies to commit to Healthcare Information For All by 2015.

The Editorial is freely available at: http://bit.ly/hifa2015-10

Please distribute the announcement below widely to your contacts and networks!

Many thanks,

Neil Pakenham-Walsh
Coordinator, HIFA2015

PRESS RELEASE: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

BMJ Editorial calls on major funding agencies to commit to ‘Healthcare Information For All by 2015′

London, UK – Every day, tens of thousands of people die needlessly, particularly in low and middle income countries, often for the simple reason that the parent, carer or health worker lacks the information and knowledge they need to save them. An Editorial in the British Medical Journal by Richard Smith [1] and Tracey Pérez Koehlmoos [2,3] asks why a major funding agency has not yet come forward to support Healthcare Information For All by 2015 (HIFA2015) [4].

HIFA2015 ( www.hifa2015.org ) is a global campaign and discussion forum. Its members range from senior executives at the World Health Organization in Geneva to community health workers in rural Uganda. Together they are working for the HIFA2015 goal: ‘By 2015 every person worldwide will have access to an informed healthcare provider – lack of relevant, reliable healthcare information will no longer be a major contributor to avoidable death and suffering.’ [5]. But progress has been constrained by lack of funding.

The Editorial states: “Funders are much keener to put money into drugs, vaccines, and bed nets than they are into something as nebulous as information access. Yet information and the capacity to act on that information is the first building block of an effective health system”.

The Editorial concludes, “the best way forward would be for a major funder to recognise that improved health information is fundamental to global health improvement and development and offer substantial support, not just funds, to HIFA2015.”.

HIFA2015 Coordinator, Dr Neil Pakenham-Walsh, welcomes the editorial saying “When we launched HIFA2015 in 2006, we knew our goal was ambitious, but we also knew it could be achieved if all stakeholders work together. All stakeholder groups are now working together and our work is expanding rapidly – what is needed now is financial support from a major funding agency. We repeat the call to the Gates Foundation and others made by international health leaders in The Lancet in 2006: “The challenge is to ensure that everyone in the world can have access to clean, clear, knowledge – a basic human right, and a public health need as important as access to clean, clear, water, and much more easily achievable.”[6].

In keeping with the sentiments of the editorial, the BMJ has made this editorial freely available online. To access the full text simply visit http://www.bmj.com/content/342/bmj.d4151.full?sid=55d7a166-946d-416c-bc47-8c294d5fb57d

For further information or interview, please contact:

Neil Pakenham-Walsh, Coordinator HIFA2015, Co-director, Global Healthcare Information Network
neil.pakenham-walsh@ghi-net.org
Tel: +44 (0)1608 811338

The authors of the Editorial have also kindly made themselves available for interview:

Richard Smith, Director, UnitedHealth Chronic Disease Initiative, UK
richardswsmith@yahoo.co.uk
Tel: +44 (0)796 880 1963

Tracey Koehlmoos, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh
Tracey@icddrb.org
Tel: +1-703-496-7711

Notes for Editors:

1. Richard Smith is the former editor of the British Medical Journal and is now director of the UnitedHealth Chronic Disease Initiative.

2. Tracey Koehlmoos is Head of the Health & Family Planning Systems Programme, ICDDR,B, Bangladesh & Adjunct Professor, Department of Health Administration and Policy, College of Health and Human Services, George Mason University, USA.

3. Further to discussion on the HIFA2015 forum, Richard Smith and Tracey Koehlmoos published an editorial in The Lancet (22 January 2011) which led to a reversal of Elsevier’s decision to withdraw free access to medical journals in Bangladesh.

http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(11)60067-6/fulltext

4. Healthcare Information for All by 2015 is the flagship project of Global Healthcare Information Network – a non-profit organisation based in the UK. HIFA2015 is a global campaign and discussion forum that brings together more than 5000 health professionals, information technologists, publishers, librarians, researchers and policymakers from over 2000 organisations in 158 countries worldwide. HIFA2015 is supported by organisations such as the British Medical Association, Royal College of Midwives and Royal College of Nursing.

5. To achieve its goal, HIFA2015 has developed a three pronged strategy based on communication (bringing together a critical mass of interested parties in five global e-mail forums), understanding (of information needs and how to meet them set out in a database of evidence), and advocacy (persuading governments, funding agencies, and others to invest in cost effective health information services). For further details, see www.hifa2015.org

6. Tikki Pang (WHO), Muir Gray (NHS, UK), and Tim Evans (WHO): A 15th grand challenge for global public health. The Lancet 2006; 367:284-286.

http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140673606680501/fulltext

We are delighted to welcome two new HIFA2015 Supporting Organisations: 1. Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health; and 2. World Gastroenterology Organisation.

1. Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health
‘The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health is responsible for training and examining paediatricians in the UK. The College has over 12,000 members in the UK and abroad and sets standards for professional and postgraduate medical education.’ ‘Mission: To transform child health through knowledge, innovation and expertise. Vision: A healthier future for children and young people across the world’

2. World Gastroenterology Organisation
‘The World Gastroenterology Organisation (WGO) is a federation of 110 national societies and 4 regional associations of gastroenterology representing over 50 000 individual members worldwide.’

There are now 117 HIFA2015 Supporting Organisations worldwide.

If the goals of your organisation align with the HIFA2015 goal, please join us!
- HIFA2015 Supporting Organisations are under no obligation to provide financial support
- HIFA2015 Supporting Organisations are promoted on HIFA2015 publications and website
- HIFA2015 Supporting Organisations are invited to present and discuss their work live with other HIFA2015 members in the HIFA2015 virtual conference room (please contact us if you are interested to explore options).

Download an application form from our home page

With thanks,

Neil Pakenham-Walsh
Coordinator, HIFA2015

On behalf of the HIFA2015 Steering Group

The HIFA2015 Steering Group is delighted to announce the ratification of 3 new HIFA2015 Supporting Organisations:
(1) International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO):
(2) Partners in Health; and
(3) UnitedHealth Chronic Disease Initiative

International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO)
‘The International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) is the only worldwide organisation that groups obstetricians and gynecologists. It has member associations in 124 countries/territories. Its Secretariat is based in London, the UK. FIGO’s mission is to promote the wellbeing of women and to raise the standards of practice in obstetrics and gynecology.’ http://www.figo.org/about

Partners in Health
Partners in Health is a major Boston US-based NGO founded by Dr Paul Farmer, with 15,000 employees worldwide. ‘At its root, our mission is both medical and moral. It is based on solidarity, rather than charity alone. When a person in Peru, or Siberia, or rural Haiti falls ill, PIH uses all of the means at our disposal to make them well­from pressuring drug manufacturers, to lobbying policy makers, to providing medical care and social services. Whatever it takes. Just as we would do if a member of our own family­or we ourselves­were ill.’ http://pih.org

UnitedHealth Chronic Disease Initiative
‘The NHLBI [National Heart Lung and Blood Institute] and UnitedHealth Chronic Disease Initiative are working together to establish a network of 11 Collaborating Centers of Excellence… Each of the 11 Centers of Excellence collaborates with research institutions in developed countries to build research and training infrastructures and to conduct research to improve the prevention and management of chronic cardiovascular and lung diseases in their country.’ http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/about/globalhealth/centers/index.htm

115 organisations worldwide have now officially declared their commitment to the HIFA2015 goal.

If the goals of your organisation align with the HIFA2015 goal, please join us!

Download an application form here

The State of the World’s Midwifery Report 2011 is published this week and includes a background paper prepared by the HIFA Challenge Working Group: Meeting the information and learning needs of midwives (see below). This reflects some of the key findings to emerge from the HIFA 2009-2015 Challenge, which focuses on professionally trained midwives (and nurses). It should be noted that the healthcare information needs of mothers and family caregivers are also critically important to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality in low-resource settings, and they are the focus of the current HIFA 2011-2015 Challenge. The full version of the HIFA2015 contribution is available here.

For the WHO Press Release with access to the full State of the World’s Midwifery Report, see here.

Our thanks to all on the HIFA Challenge Working Group for their voluntary inputs to the background paper, especially Sue Jacob (co-author), John Eyers (independent, search specialist, literature review), Julie Key (reviewer), Shona Kirtley (reviewer), and Sandra Land (reviewer).

Neil Pakenham-Walsh
HIFA2015 Coordinator

We are delighted to announce the ratification of five new HIFA2015 Supporting Organisations:

Association of Vision Science Librarians (USA)
‘The Association of Vision Science Librarians (AVSL) is an international organization composed of professional librarians, or persons acting in that capacity, whose collections and services include the literature of vision. Among current members are individuals who work within libraries that serve educational institutions, eye clinics and hospitals, and private companies with an interest in eye or vision-related products and services.’

Council of International Neonatal Nurses
‘The Council of International Neonatal Nurses (TM) or COINN is an exciting organization that represents nurses who specialize in the care of newborn infants and their families or have a special interest in this area of nursing. COINN, pronounced just like the money-currency or a coin – acts much like money as a method of exchange of information among countries.’

Royal College of General Practitioners
‘The Royal College of General Practitioners is a registered charity with the Object: To encourage, foster and maintain the highest possible standards in general medical practice and for that purpose to take or join with others in taking any steps consistent with the charitable nature of that object which may assist towards the same. Our Vision: A world where excellent person centred care in general practice is at the heart of healthcare.’

Rural Women’s Network Nepal
‘RUWON Nepal is an autonomous non-governmental social organization [and] supports women from exclude d and marginalized communities and disadvantaged regions so as to achieve sustainable and equitable development through social inclusion, advocacy and empowerment mechanism. It works in an environmentally sensitive manner through a demand driven and participatory approach to local resource use. Further, RUWON works for the rights of children and youth. Through awareness and capacity building, and by creating forums for discussion, it encourages youth to actively be a part of the development of the country. Sustainable peace and democracy are central parts in RUWONS programs.’

Save a Woman Initiative Uganda
‘This Uganda-based NGO is partnered with MoH Uganda, WHO and PATH Uganda. Vision/mission are highly relevant to HIFA: VISION. A country where every woman is aware of the causes, signs, symptoms and prevention of cervical cancer. MISSION. The mission is to highlight cervical cancer awareness amongst health professionals and policy makers to ensure that every woman is educated about the early warning signs and risk factors of cervical cancer.’

112 organisations worldwide have now officially declared their commitment to the HIFA2015 goal.

If the goals of your organisation align with the HIFA2015 goal, please join us!

• HIFA2015 Supporting Organisations are under no obligation to provide financial support.
• HIFA2015 Supporting Organisations are promoted on HIFA2015 publications and website.
• HIFA2015 Supporting Organisations are invited to present their work live to other HIFA2015 members worldwide in the HIFA2015 virtual conference room (with thanks to University of Iowa, USA).

Download an application form