Re: https://www.hifa.org/dgroups-rss/who-together-science-and-health-informa...
Dear Geoff and HIFA Colleagues,
Thank you for your message and observations.
"Following Neil’s post I have now watched the recording of the webinar WHO “Together for Science and Health” and agree that this looks a promising opportunity for possible HIFA/WHO collaboration."
One way to move forward is to understand better the new Together for Science and Health initiative and consider the similarities and differences betwwen the initiative and HIFA. I'll try making a start on this in my next message.
"The references by Dr Sylvie Briand to “the new information ecosystem” are not a million miles from HIFA’s evidence ecosystem'."
Yes, the rationale for HIFA, as described in our Lancet article back in 2004, is that the global evidence ecosystem is dysfunctional because people continue to lack acces to reliable healthcare information and, worse, they are increasingly misled by misinformation. HIFA's purpose is to strengthen the global evidence ecosystem by promoting better communication, understanding and advocacy. The main barrier has been a pervasive lack of political and financial commitment. Since 2004 HIFA has encouraged more than 400 organisations worldwide to officially endorse the HIFA vision, as well as official policy statements from two major stakeholder groups: the world's doctors (WMA) and the world's library and information professionals (IFLA). Our global consultation (2024) resoundingly concluded that WHO itself should explicitly champion universal access to reliable healthcare information and convene stakeholders to strengthen the global evidence ecosystem.
Dr Briand mentions "the new evidence ecosystem" but does not define it. We can only presume she is referring to the same "global evidence ecosystem" that we describe. It's interesting that the term was not used again for the whole webinar, until I personally made an intervention in the last few minutes to emphasise its central importance. There was no mention either of the Global Coalition for Evidence, the new initiative that WHO launched in late 2024 which, excitingly, has the purpose (like HIFA) of strengthening the global evidence ecosystem. The Coalition is wonderful in theory but (again like HIFA) is severely constrained by lack of capacity/resources.
The impact of the new “Together for Science and Health” initiative will depend on whether and how it will strengthen the global evidence ecosystem, and whether and how it is supported politically and financially.
Again, one political step that would make a difference would be for WHO to explicitly champion universal access to reliable healthcare information. The launch of “Together for Science and Health” on November 10 would be a great opportunity for WHO to make such a statement.
"I thought it interesting that several other speakers highlighted the issue of building trust -– “trust cannot simply be communicated” requiring “not just telling people what the evidence says but listening, engaging and building dialogue with people around evidence”. Are we doing enough in HIFA to address the challenge of building trust in reliable information?"
A central theme of the new WHO initiative is to build trust in science, so we can be sure this issue will get a lot of attention over the coming months and years. Trust has been a common theme of HIFA since the beginning. But we could certainly host a project or spotlight to explore this issue in more depth.
The obvious strength of HIFA is that we are a unique and growing community of practice dedicated to the purpose of improving the availability and use of reliable healthcare information. We are also an NGO in official relations with WHO and we have agreed a 3-year collaboration plan with them (that unfortunately lacks financial support). I hope from November 10 we shall have the opportunity to continue our 20-year collaboration with WHO with greater collective capacity.
"So far at least, this initiative looks to have mostly broad brush aims. Hopefully as it develops it will be operationalised with some more focused objectives. For example, as in Neil’s note, by this initiative declaring that WHO is championing universal access to reliable healthcare information."
Yes, it is early days and it will be interesting to learn more as things develop.
We have submitted a formal expression of interest to collaborate and we have also approached Dr Briand and her team, and await their reply.
"Maybe HIFA could collaborate with WHO to help identify a set (not too many!) of other more specific objectives for this initiative, especially perhaps ones related to strengthening the “global evidence ecosystem” ? Views from Forum members on how the initiative could most usefully develop could be a good starting point."
Yes, I'll review the recording to build a list of their objectives and will share here. I am sure that HIFA can add value to this initiative.
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