Difference between revisions of "Health InterNetwork Access to Research Initiative"

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Submitted by JoAnna M. Vanderhoef
 
Submitted by JoAnna M. Vanderhoef
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Revision as of 13:00, 26 May 2009

Hinari

The Hinari (Health InterNetwork Access to Research Initiative) Project was announced by the Director General of the WHO in July 2001.(1) It was one of several initiatives created to meet the Millennium Development Goals, officially established by UN Member States at the Millennium Summit in 2000, specifically through the 8th and final Goal under the language; “In cooperation with the private sector, make available the benefits of new technologies, especially information and communications”.(2) Hinari is an entirely voluntary program aimed to allow free and inexpensive access to published biomedical and healthcare research to developing countries, based on the premise that the ability to access information by healthcare workers and politicians can have a profound effect on the economic development of a country via improved public health, treatment for infectious diseases and overall industrial progress.(3) When introduced on July 9, 2001 Dr. Gro Harlem Brundtland, then the WHO Director General made the declaration:

"As a direct consequence of this arrangement, many thousands of doctors, researchers and health policymakers among others will be able to use the best available scientific evidence to an unprecedented degree to help them improve the health of their populations. It is perhaps the biggest step ever taken towards reducing the health information gap between rich and poor countries."(1)

The program, based on cooperation from the National Library of Medicine and Yale University went live in two phases. Phase 1, aimed at countries with an annual per capita GNP of less than US $1000 and allowed free access to HINARI, was launched in January 2002. Phase 2 was released in January 2003 and was aimed at countries with an annual per capita GNP of US $1000-$3000, where included nations paid an annual fee of $1000 per institution.(4) As a note: according to www.who.int/hinari, the annual GNP for the 2 groups has been changed to Band 1: >$1250 and Band 2 $1250 – 3500, thought the annual fee has remained $1000 for the second group.(5) In order to participate, institutions need to submit an application directly to Hinari and upon acceptance, receive a password, given by WHO staff, and individuals requiring information receive the password from their librarian, or someone of equal rank.(5)

The six largest medical journal publishers in the world; Blackwell, Elsevier Science, Harcourt Worldwide STM Group, Wolters Kluwer International Health & Science, Springer Verlag, and John Wiley, collaborated in the initial release of the program, after being approached by both the WHO and the BMJ Publishing Group. Since the Hinari Project's inception over 150 publishers have joined the effort to disseminate information via this program and as of 2009, 6200 journal titles and information resources have become available to over 2500 institutions in 108 countries.(5)

For a full list of participating journals, databases and other resources see: http://extranet.who.int/hinari/en/partners.php

For a full list of eligible countries, areas and territories see: http://www.who.int/hinari/eligibility/en


References

1.Aronson, B, & Long, M (March 2003). Hinari: Health InterNetwork Access to Research Initiative. Serials. 16, 7-12. [1]

2.Millennium Development Goals 2015. Retrieved 05/20/2009, from United Nations Web site: [2]

3.Kirsop, B, & Chan, L (October 27 2005). Transforming Access to Research Literature for Developing Countries. Serials. 31, 246-255. [3]

4.Chan, L, & Costa, S (2005). Participation in the global knowledge commons: Challenges and opportunities for research dissemination in developing countries. New Library World. 106, 141-163.[4]

5.Hinari: Access to Research. Retreived 5/20/2009, from World Health Organization site: http:[5]

6.Bukachi, F, & Pakenham-Walsh, N (November 2007). Information Technology for Health in Developing Countries. Chest. 132, 1624-1630. [6]

Submitted by JoAnna M. Vanderhoef