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HINARI program hits major access milestone
Posted on behalf of the WHO in Geneva.
Geneva, May 18, 2007 - HINARI Access to Research Initiative from
the World Health Organization, today announced the registration
of the 2500th institution to access free or low cost online
medical journals and databases. These publicly funded and
non-profit institutions include universities, medical schools,
hospitals and research institutes drawn from 109 developing
countries. Through HINARI, they are able to access 3,750 journals
online from 100 diverse publishers covering medicine, nursing and
related health and social sciences.
HINARI facilitates teaching, research and the delivery of health
care in the developing world while helping researchers in these
countries to get their work published and made available to a
wider international audience. Countries with the highest number
of registered institutions include Viet Nam (153), Nigeria (125),
Peru (117), Bangladesh (116), Ukraine (114), and Colombia (108).
Access is free for institutions in countries with a GNP of less
than $1000 per year while there is a small charge in countries
with a GNP of $1000-$3000. The income generated is used for
local training initiatives.
"2500 institutions in the developing world is a true milestone
and we're delighted to reach it so soon after the initiative's
launch," said Barbara Aronson, Program Manager of the HINARI
initiative at the World Health Organization, "Access to these
general and specialist medical journals is already making a real
difference to research and the drive to find local solutions to
local health issues. A perfect example of this is of a researcher
in Madagascar using HINARI to conduct a comprehensive study of
the pharmacological potential of indigenous plants."
"Information isolation is a thing of the past," noted Margaret
Ngwira of Kamuzu College, the nursing faculty of the University
of Malawi, "The past months have brought great changes to our
College with the combined opportunity of HINARI access, and the
other vital ingredient-fast Internet through [satellite]. The two
are revolutionizing access to information". Recalling a recent
instance from Kamazu college, "One young lecturer seeking entry
into an MSc programmed had to prepare a paper linked to sexually
transmitted diseases at very short notice. We had an intensive
training session with HINARI. I am happy to report that she has
been admitted to Malawi College of Medicine to study for a
Masters in Public Health."
The HINARI website, <http://www.who.int/hinari> , is the main
port-of-call for the thousands of librarians, scientists,
students, medics and healthcare researchers in the world's
poorest countries who benefit from free access to the leading
international biomedical peer-reviewed journals and other
information resources.
About HINARI
HINARI Access to Research Initiative was launched in January
2002. The initiative is managed by the World Health Organization
in partnership with 100 publishers and Yale University Library.
HINARI provides access to a collection of over 3800 journals and
other information resources covering medicine, nursing and
related health and social sciences. HINARI is making an important
contribution to achievement of the United Nations' Millennium
Development Goals by providing essential information for life to
those who need it most. For more information, visit:
<http://www.who.int/hinari>
Media Contacts:
Emily Gillingham
<mailto:emily.gillingham@oxon.blackwellpublishing.co
Tel: +44 (0)1865 476425
Shira Tabachnikoff
<mailto:s.tabachnikoff@elsevier.com>
Tel.: +31 (0) 485 2736