Re: https://www.hifa.org/dgroups-rss/bmj-misleading-narrative-%E2%80%9Chealt...
Thank you Nick (Spencer) for pointing us to your very recent paper in BMJ Paediatrics Open
https://bmjpaedsopen.bmj.com/content/10/1/e004084
I quote:
'Other rights that are equally violated include: rights to survival and development (article 6); food, nutrition and health (article 24); an adequate standard of living (article 27); accurate, clear and age-appropriate information to make informed decisions about the foods and beverages they purchase and consume (articles 17 and 18); and the right not to be exploited by commercial interests (article 17). Children are a vulnerable population whose rights and well-being need the voice and the will of the adults to be protected. They lack sufficient information and power to take appropriate decisions about their health. Presenting or permitting the presentation of potentially harmful choices to them is unethical as is the action of adults responsible for childcare, health professionals and scientific societies that maintain links with corporations that produce products harmful to health.'
On HIFA and CHIFA we are particularly concerned with health misinformation. We have been arguing for many years that the key to misinformation is to ensure universal access to reliable healthcare inforamtion. This is increasingly recognised by others (see for example a recent message from Sense about Science: https://www.hifa.org/dgroups-rss/what-makes-research-communication-and-e... ).
HIFA has also previously demonstrated, in collaboration with the New York Law School, that governments have a moral and indeed legal responsibility to ensure their populations are adequately informed on matters relating to their health. However, to our knowledge there is no government that has explicitly committed to universal access to reliable healthcae information. Worse, there are examples of governments that are tehmselves responsible for dangerous misinformation.
Meeting the healthcare information needs of children has additional challenges and opportunities. I would like to flage the work of Children For Health, which recognises not only the importance of meeting children's information needs, but also their potential as health advocates in their families and communities.
All of this requires political and financial comitment to universal access, which is currently lacking. HIFA and CHIFA are now working as an NGO in official relations with the World Health Organization. We are confident that WHO will soon explicitly declare its commitment to universal access and convene stakeholders to develop a global strategy for its realisation. This would be a game-changer. https://www.hifa.org/projects/hifa-official-relations-who
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