INASP-Health

Launched in 1996, INASP-Health promoted international networking amongst librarians, publishers, biomedical researchers, funding agencies, development professionals, frontline healthcare providers, public health specialists, social scientists and others who are involved in the provision and use of health information in developing and transitional countries. INASP-Health contributed to the improvement of access to reliable, relevant information for health professionals in developing countries. Its activities included:

• INASP-Health Advisory and Liaison Service: provided a global focal point, expertise and brokerage for health information development activities.
• Health Information Forum: thematic workshops on key issues relating to access to information in developing countries.
• HIF-net: a global email discussion forum on issues relating to health information development, in cooperation with WHO (World Health Organization).
• INASP-Health Directory: a directory of international programmes in health information development – published 1996, 1999, 2003, and continuously updated online.
• INASP Health Links: an Internet gateway to 600 websites of special relevance to health professionals in developing countries.

Achievements

• Over 1500 subscribers to the IF-Net discussion list, including development workers, information and communication specialists, librarians, publishers and producers of health information and health learning materials, healthcare providers and biomedical researchers. Subscribers came from developing and emerging countries (55%) and Europe, North America and South East Asia (45%).
• INASP-Health Directory provided links to over 60 international programmes in health information development.
• INASP-Health Links provided a web gateway to health information for health professionals in developing and emerging countries, with 50 sections with a total of more than 650 entries organized using guidelines adapted from the Organizing Medical Networked Information standards.
• Published the Global Review on Access to Health Information in Developing Countries to assess progress since 1994, lessons learned and ways to improve access to relevant healthcare information, mandated by representatives from the Alliance on Health Policy and Systems, Association for Health Information and Libraries in Africa, BIREME (Latin American and Caribbean Centre on Health Sciences Information), BMJ, The Cochrane Collaboration, Forum for African Medical Editors, Global Forum for Health Research, Interactive Health Network, International e-Health Association, The Lancet, Medical Library Association, Society for the Internet in Medicine, South Asian Public Health Forum, Wellcome Trust, and the World Health Organization.