We are delighted to announce that the 150th session of the WHO Executive Board (24-29 January 2022) has agreed to admit Global Healthcare Information Network CIC (GHI-Net) as a non-State actor in Official Relations with the World Health Organization (WHO). GHI-Net is the non-profit community interest company registered in the UK in 2005 for the sole purpose of administering the global initiative Healthcare Information For All (HIFA), launched in 2006.
GHI-Net is now recognised as one of 220 non-State actors in official relations with WHO.
Neil Pakenham-Walsh, a director of GHI-Net and global coordinator of HIFA, said:
"We are thrilled to receive this recognition and look forward to continuing our long-term collaboration with WHO to accelerate progress towards universal access to reliable healthcare information. We are grateful to all HIFA members worldwide, and especially Isabelle Wachsmuth our Designated Technical Officer at WHO, for your continuing engagement and support."
Isabelle Wachsmuth, Project Manager, Service Delivery and Safety, WHO, said:
"Today, we live in a world that has never been so interconnected and fast-moving, but transforming all the information into practical knowledge for policy and practice remains a huge challenge. HIFA is a key initiative to improve the availability and use of reliable healthcare information and WHO looks forward to strengthening our ongoing collaboration with GHI-Net in a spirit of solidarity, equity and codevelopment."
Looking ahead: Official Relations status with WHO is based on a mutually agreed 3-year collaboration plan. In summary, GHI-net commits to help inform WHO's work to further understand and address the healthcare information needs of the public, health workers and policymakers; and to support the uptake of WHO's products, information and public health messages as an enabler for Universal Health Coverage and the relevant Sustainable Development Goals. The plan also supports WHO's efforts towards fulfilling its strategic oobjectives on multilingualism, in line with relevant UN and World Health Assembly Resolutions.
For further information and to discuss collaboration opportunities please contact Neil Pakenham-Walsh.
