Digital Pulse - Ch 3 - Sec 1 - Healthlink Worldwide

The Digital Pulse: The Current and Future Applications of Information and Communication Technologies for Developmental Health Priorities

Chapter 3 - Programme Experiences: Sixty Case Studies Of ICT Usage In Developmental Health

Section 1 – Data Bases and Resource Centres



Healthlink Worldwide

Development Issues: Health, Education, Child rights

Programme Summary

Formerly AHRTAG (Appropriate Health Resources and Technologies Action Group), Healthlink Worldwide, in conjunction with partner organisations, runs specialist programmes in response to particular needs in primary health care. Healthlink Worldwide also produces practical publications for health and development workers. The resource centre holds the UK's largest collection of materials focusing on the practical aspects of primary health care and rehabilitation in developing countries.

Summary of ICT Initiatives

Healthlink has a wide array of partnerships and projects underway at any one time. It has a global network of activities that utilize an approach called “communicating through partnership” with the intent of:

• Strengthening the communications capacity of civil society organizations in the south,
• Strengthening the voice of vulnerable and marginalized groups,
• Linking information and communication activities with other work such as advocacy and lobbying.

These programs manifest themselves in a variety of forms and a review of current Healthlink projects attests to the diversity of their involvement.

Healthlink Worldwide also provides health, disability and development-related consultancy, training and project management services to a variety of local, national and international organisations. They specialize in the setting up and management of resource centres, partnership working, newsletter publication, project management and communications training. As well, Quest, a training programme for the practical development of information resources by health workers is undergoing pre-testing. This will eventually result in the creation of a manual, CD-ROM and website by September 2003.

Healthlink Worldwide is a partner in Source, an international information support centre designed to strengthen the management, use and impact of information on health and disability. They also provide resource centre training and consultancy. The Source portal provides access to:

• A bibliographic database which holds details of a unique collection of over 20,000 health and disability information resources;
• A contacts database which allows users to search for organisations - including publishers, distributors, information providers and training organisations - working in health and disability worldwide;
• And a newsletters and journals database which holds details of over 150 international newsletters, magazines and journals which are available free or at low cost to readers in developing countries, including links to the full-text of the newsletter where possible.

Healthlink is also a prolific publisher and produces four international newsletters under the headings:

• AIDS Action - aimed at health workers and educators working at the primary level, this newsletter provides practical information of a wide range of care and prevention issues concerning HIV, AIDS and sexually transmitted infections.
• Child Health Dialogue - a forum for the exchange of information about the prevention and treatment of key childhood diseases, as well as providing practical advice on related health education.
• CBR News/Disability Dialogue - promoting the social inclusion of disabled people through community-based rehabilitation (CBR) and other social action.
• Health Action - a forum for health managers, planners and health workers to exchange experiences in implementing programmes.

In addition, they support the publication of a host of regional newsletters which are translated and adapted by partner organisations in developing countries, reaching nearly two million readers in 10 languages. They also have produced a host of handbooks, briefing papers and resource guides most of which are free to developing countries in print or available for download over the internet.

Finally, Healthlink Worldwide hosts Exchange, a networking and learning programme on health communications for development. This bulletin board and discussion service works to improve the health and quality of life of poor people by encouraging the exchange of relevant knowledge, information and experience.

Observations

The following notes were taken from Healthlinks 2001 Annual Review:

In 2001 Healthlink Worldwide entered into new partnerships with a number of organisations, including Southern Africa AIDS Information Dissemination Service (SAfAIDS) and Family AIDS Caring Trust (FACT), Zimbabwe, and it developed new projects with existing partner organizations. They have implemented changes in their publications policy with a move from printing international newsletters to providing electronic articles to partners. This is combined with increased support to partners in generating local material, adapting material for local audiences, and in producing regional publications. In 2001, Healthlink Worldwide merged its resource centre with that of the Centre for International Child Health to form the Source International Information Support Centre. Increasingly, Healthlink Worldwide staff have been using their skills and experience to carry out consultancy work for other organizations. Another development in 2001 was the introduction of a Friends of Healthlink Worldwide scheme that allows individuals to support the organization's work financially.

Partners: Healthlink Worldwide works in partnership with national and local governments, NGOs, and academic institutions in more than 20 countries to support locally appropriate health information and training activities.

Source: Healthlink Worldwide website and various Healthlink Worldwide pamphlets and newsletters sent to The CI.