BIREME promotes the launch of the 2024 Health Information Network Activities Calendar – PAHO/WHO

São Paulo, 11 March 2024 (BIREME/PAHO/WHO) – The webinar on the launch of the calendar of activities of the Virtual Health Library (VHL) with Information Networks for the year 2024 was held online on 7 March 2024 in the field of health. The event was organized by the Latin American and Caribbean Center for Health Sciences Information of the Pan American Health Organization (BIREME/PAHO/WHO), with presentations by João Paulo Sousa, Director of BIREME, and Veronica Abdallah, Director of Information Services and Products at BIREME. The conference was attended by 174 people, coming from different countries in Latin America and the Caribbean and also from other regions, such as Europe.

Health Information Networks is an initiative created and coordinated by BIREME, which brings together institutions and organizations mainly from Latin America and the Caribbean, with the aim of contributing to the democratization of access to and visibility of scientific knowledge in the field of health in countries of the Region. 19 meetings with networks are scheduled for 2024, with the agenda divided into four main axes: the VHL Network; reference grid; Indexing documents according to the LILACS methodology; and good practices in editorial processes for LILACS scientific journals.

Veronica Abdullah highlights that the schedule of regular meetings creates a regular mechanism for exchanging knowledge and experiences, which is a necessary factor to strengthen and expand the work that BIREME, as the Pan American Health Organization's specialized center for information in the health sciences, does for the Virtual Health Library (VHL), the base LILACS Data, DeCS Dictionary and all information sources that organize, preserve and promote the use of technical and scientific literature produced in LA&C countries.

The event opened with a presentation entitled “Strengthening Regional Information Products” by Director João Paulo Sousa. The presentation addressed the current complexities affecting the health sector and people's quality of life, contextualizing PAHO's mission of achieving “Health for All,” and positioning “information as a code capable of changing behaviors and society as a whole, and creating positive impacts on health.” Health indicators.”

“This is why the accelerating digital transformation we are witnessing today is also a determinant of health,” explained João Paulo Sousa, noting that in addition to the advantages of applying new digital technologies, it is also necessary to address new risks. “These are biases and misinformation problems, which produce impacts on decision-making and lead to uncertainty about evidence selection, synthesis and interpretation procedures.” In conclusion, João Paulo Sousa highlighted the attributes of open science, especially transparency, to ensure quality and trust in technical and scientific evidence. Above all, he emphasized the pivotal importance of LILACS, DeCS and VHL in ensuring that scientific production in Latin America and the Caribbean is accessible to the region and the world.

Then, in a presentation by Veronica Abdullah, participants were able to familiarize themselves with the “Report of the VHL Model Renewal Meeting”, held in São Paulo (Brazil), in November 2023, with representatives and contact points of the VHL network. The report showed studies undertaken to align the VHL model with the BIREME Strategy 2023-2025, including updates to the VHL management structure and contributions to its digital transformation. “Indeed, at this meeting, we assumed and reaffirmed the collective and individual commitment to promoting the VHL as a regional public good in Latin America and the Caribbean,” he summed up.

The 2024 calendar with the full schedule of activities and meetings with networks, as well as recordings and presentations of the virtual sessions held, is available at VHL Network Portal.