International Network for the Availability of Scientific Publications
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About Health Information Forum

Health Information Forum is a series of public workshops open to everyone with an interest in issues of ‘access to information for health professionals in developing and transitional countries’.

1. To facilitate contacts and sharing of skills and experience

2. To promote analysis of health information needs and methods of provision

3. To advocate and advise, where appropriate, as a collective body of representatives of leading organizations in the field.

Under the chairmanship of Professor KGMM Alberti (President of the Royal College of Physicians), a steering meeting was held on 30th March 1998 to examine ways in which organizations involved in health information provision might work together more effectively.  The group emphasized the need for a Health Information Forum to support and help those involved in health information work, to encourage greater coordination and collaboration, and to achieve more effective working strategies.

HIF provides a neutral forum for discussion, debate, critical thinking, mutual support, and sharing of ideas and experience among providers and users of health information. Meetings are also an excellent opportunity for networking and development of new partnerships and collaborative health information projects.

The workshops are open to all, and representation by colleagues in developing countries is enabled by HIF study visits. Distant colleagues can also contribute by email, satellite audiocasting, and videoconferencing. HIF workshops are currently held in London, UK, but INASP-Health welcomes requests from others to help organize similar events worldwide.

HIF has been increasingly successful in attracting speakers from developing countries. The six HIF meetings held in 2002 alone attracted no fewer than 12

overseas speakers from 9 countries (Belgium, Kenya, Lithuania, Mali, Norway, Senegal, South Africa, Switzerland, and USA). Furthermore, HIF meetings attract enthusiastic input by email from colleagues in developing countries who are unable to attend in person but who want to contribute comment and/or questions.

Each meeting is evaluated, and results indicate a consistently high level of approval, as well as suggestions that enable continuous quality improvement and experimentation with new formats and technologies.

Proceedings of HIF meetings are distributed on the HIF-net at WHO email discussion list. To make sure that you receive proceedings, and are informed about all forthcoming meetings, join HIF-net at WHO - send an email to <[email protected]>,  with your name, organization, country and (briefly) professionals interests.