Dear HIFA colleagues,
Jackeline Alger (HIFA-Spanish lead moderator) and I were invited to write a blog for Rising Scholars (formerly known as AuthorAid) https://risingscholars.net
Read online: https://risingscholars.net/en/news/details/2180/
We look forward to strenghten our links with health researchers through Rising Scholars. Here is the blog:
Health researchers, the global evidence ecosystem and Healthcare Information For All (HIFA)
By Jackeline Alger | Apr. 07, 2026 | General Research skills Resources
Jackeline Alger, MD, PhD; Neil Pakenham-Walsh, MB, BS, DCH, DRCOG
1Rising Scholars Steward, Member of the Steward Steering Committee; 2Antonio Vidal Institute of Infectious Diseases and Parasitology, Tegucigalpa, Honduras; 3HIFA Steering Group; 4Global Healthcare Information Network, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom; emphasize the importance of health researchers in the global evidence ecosystem, as well as the importance of their interactions with those who publish, synthesize, repackage, avail and apply evidence.
Health researchers are fundamental to knowledge translation and health care. HIFA, Healthcare Information For All, is a global campaign working in official relations with the World Health Organization (WHO ). The HIFA vision is universal access to reliable healthcare information, which we define as a world where every person and every health worker have access to the reliable healthcare information they need to protect their own health and the health of others and is protected from misinformation. From our perspective and experience, we believe that sharing this information about HIFA could be of interest and benefit to Rising Scholars members.
Access to reliable healthcare information
Access to relevant, reliable, unbiased, up-to-date and evidence-based healthcare information is crucial for the public, patients and health personnel to support every aspect of health. Lack of access to reliable healthcare information is a major contributor to morbidity and mortality, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), and among vulnerable groups in all countries. Every day, thousands of children and adults die needlessly due to failure to provide simple, low-cost interventions. These interventions are often locally available but simply not provided in time. A major contributing factor is that the person, their caregiver and/or health worker do not have access to the reliable healthcare information and knowledge they need, when they need it, to make appropriate decisions and save lives.
The global evidence ecosystem
The availability and use of reliable information is dependent on the global evidence ecosystem , which has six components. Health research is the first component. Robust research is a prerequisite for evidence-informed policy and practice. The second component is to publish research, mostly in peer-reviewed journals. The third component is evidence synthesis to produce systematic reviews and clinical guidelines, based cumulatively on all available evidence. The fourth is the repackaging of evidence into formats that are readily usable, whether by health professionals, the general public, or policymakers. The fifth component is to avail such resources, to help people find the information they need and to protect them from misinformation. The sixth component is to apply evidence in policy and practice.
The global evidence ecosystem (see graphic: https://www.hifa.org/about-hifa/overview). 1) Generate evidence, 2) Publish evidence, 3) Synthesize evidence, 4) Package evidence, 5) Find evidence, 6) Apply evidence.
Healthcare Information For All
The rationale for HIFA is described in a Lancet paper that introduced the global evidence ecosystem and three intrinsic weaknesses in the system: communication across the six components, understanding of information needs and how to meet them, and advocacy to secure political and financial support for universal access to reliable healthcare information. HIFA promotes communication across five global forums in four languages: HIFA, CHIFA (child health), HIFA-French, HIFA-Portuguese and HIFA-Spanish.
HIFA supports understanding through a range of in-depth explorations on the HIFA forums. Also, HIFA advocates by engaging more than 400 health and development organizations to officially endorse the vision of universal access. We are also securing endorsement from the world bodies that represent the six components of the global evidence ecosystem. To date, the World Medical Association and the International Federation of Library Associations have issued official policy statements of endorsement. We are in discussion with the World Association of Medical Editors to do the same.
The World Health Organization
Since 2004 we have called on WHO to lead the way in championing the goal of universal access to reliable healthcare information. WHO is uniquely placed to provide leadership and to suit stakeholders. The goal of universal access is already implicit in WHO's Constitution but it is not explicit in their work plans. In 2022 HIFA's parent body Global Healthcare Information Network was admitted into official relations with WHO and in 2023-4 we undertook a global consultation on behalf of WHO ( report ; infographic ). The respondents overwhelmingly called for WHO to champion the goal of universal access to reliable healthcare information and to encourage stakeholders to develop a global strategy for its realization.
Next steps
Our priority in 2026 is to take forward these two recommendations and support WHO to adopt them in practice. Meanwhile, HIFA continues to host vibrant discussions about all aspects of knowledge translation. For example, you can review our latest sponsored discussion on open access here , including perspectives of researchers on open access and article processing charges. HIFA now has more than 20,000 members in 180 countries, representing every aspect of the global evidence ecosystem. We are sharing an open invitation to participate (free): www.hifa.org/join
Quality health care is fundamentally dependent on researchers as the first component of the global evidence ecosystem, and we believe that strengthening communication, understanding and advocacy across the system, including and especially health researchers, is the key to knowledge translation and improvement of quality of care worldwide.
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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