International Network for the Availability of Scientific Publications
PO Box 516, Oxford OX1 1WG, UK
Tel: +44 1865 249909 Fax: +44 1865 251060
E-mail: inasp@inasp.info Web: http://www.inasp.info/ 

INASP-Health provides the following services to support the health information development community worldwide:

• Access to Information for Health Professionals in Developing Countries: A global review of progress, lessons learned, and ways forward
• Health Information Forum 
• INASP-Health Advisory and Liaison Service 
• HIF-net at WHO 
• INASP-Health Directory
• INASP Health Links
• Capacity-building programme
• Publications
• Health Library Partnerships Database
• Examples of Impact

INASP-Health is a cooperative network of more than 1000 organizations and individuals worldwide, working together to improve access to relevant, reliable information for health professionals in developing and emerging countries. Participation is free of charge and without obligation.

Health Information Forum is a series of thematic workshops, providing a neutral forum for discussion, debate, and sharing of ideas and experience among providers and users of health information. The workshops are open to all, and representation by colleagues in developing countries is enabled by the organization of study visits. Distant colleagues can also contribute by email, satellite audiocasting, and videoconferencing.

INASP-Health Advisory and Liaison Service. INASP-Health maintains an extensive database of the activities of network participants. Dozens of communications and enquiries are handled daily, facilitating collaboration, liaison, and sharing of experience and expertise.

HIF-net at WHO is the email discussion list dedicated to issues of health information access in resource-poor settings. Launched in July 2000 in collaboration with WHO, the list is moderated, focused, and text-only. The list has more than 1200 subscribers worldwide, including health professionals, librarians, publishers, NGOs, and international agencies. More than 50% of subscribers are based in developing and emerging countries. The address is hif-net@who.int 

Why join HIF-net at WHO ?

• Be part of a worldwide community dedicated to improve access to health information
• Raise international awareness about your services
• Identify contacts and potential collaborators
• Find out about conferences, workshops, funding and training opportunities, useful websites, new publications...
• Learn from others...explore new ideas and perspectives...understand priorities and needs... collaborate to achieve common goals.

INASP-Health Directory 2003/2004 - available in full text here
This is the leading directory of international organizations and programmes working to improve access to information for health professionals in developing and emerging countries. The directory serves as a networking tool for building professional relationships and sharing information, and as a reference for those who are seeking support.

INASP Health Links is an Internet gateway to selected Web sites that are of special interest to health professionals, medical library communities, publishers, and NGOs in developing and transitional countries. Available online, on CD-ROM, and in printed format.

"INASP Health Links allows health information specialists to continue and expand work at national and international level. I no longer need to spend time and resources on search engines. INASP Health Links should be called Hits in health for the developing world or Hits empowering the health worker."  
Ibrahima Bob, President, Association for Health Information and Libraries in Africa

INASP Health Links is compiled by Lenny Rhine, Health Science Center Library, University of Florida, USA. Email: lenny@library.health.ufl.edu

Capacity-building programme: INASP-Health facilitates strategic and practical workshops within developing countries, in response to requests received. INASP-Health is currently working with colleagues in Africa, Asia, and Latin America to explore the development of 'HIF' groups at regional and national level.

Publications:

Pakenham-Walsh N. Strengthening local capacities to create and adapt healthcare information. IICD Research Report 11, October 2002

Pakenham-Walsh N. Access to reliable information for healthcare workers in developing countries: an international perspective [PDF]. Health Libraries Review 2000;17: 37-40 

Pakenham-Walsh N, Eddleston M, Kaur M. Developing world needs access to low
cost pharmaceutical information from reliable sources British Medical Journal 1999;319:1265

Pakenham-Walsh N, Priestley C. Towards equity in global health knowledge. Quarterly Journal of Medicine 2002; 95: 469-473

Pakenham-Walsh N, Priestley C, Smith R. Meeting the information needs of health workers in developing countries. British Medical Journal 1997; 314: 90 

WHO-HIF Cooperation Group. Working together to improve access to information for healthcare workers in developing and transitional countries. INASP Newsletter Feb 2001: 9-12

Health Library Partnerships Database - a global database of one-to-one partnerships between libraries in 'developed' countries and those in transitional and developing countries.

Examples of Impact - Examples of the impact of information on healthcare in developing countries.

Further information:

INASP-Health Report 2003
INASP-Health Review 2002
INASP-Health Background
INASP-Health Operational Plan 2001-3
WHO-HIF Framework for International Cooperation 
WHO-HIF Cooperation - full proceedings
Online Fundraising Workshop: Improving your project proposals
Porter C (2003) Networking for health: a r/evolution. A Masters thesis that
examines HIF-net at WHO.

INASP-Health is grateful to the following organizations for their support: British Medical Association, Exchange, ICSU Committee on the Dissemination of Scientific Information, International Institute for Communication and Development, Wellcome Trust, World Health Organization.