Going beyond access to health information
A pandemic call to action
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21881397 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Soumyadeep Bhaumik (0000-0001-9579-4453, UNSW Sydney, corresponding author), Pranab Chatterjee (0000-0001-6443-608X, Johns Hopkins University) |
| Year | 2021 |
| Volume | 6 |
| Issue | 6 |
| Pages | e006472 |
| Publication date | 2021-06-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | BMJ Global Health (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2059-7908 • E-ISSN: 2059-7908 |
| Publisher | BMJ (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1136/bmjgh-2021-006472 |
| PMID | 34112649 |
| OpenAlex | W3171581383 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 2 |
| References cited | 7 |
About a decade earlier we brought to attention that the lack of access to health information is ‘a social injustice that the global health community cannot afford to ignore’1 and argued that governments are morally and legally obliged to ensure access to health information. Since then, a lot of progress has been made in the domain including the recent high-profile statement by the World Medical Association that health information ‘is a major contributor to morbidity and mortality, especially in low and middle-income countries (LMICs), and among vulnerable groups in all countries’.2 Others have also argued that access to health information is a key component of universal health coverage.3 In the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen significant investments from multinational agencies, governments, non-profits and private actors to disseminate health information. However, a narrow focus on providing access to health information alone, without any investment or thought on how information can be translated by people to meaningful health outcomes, is proving to be counterproductive. The need for masks, hand hygiene, physical distancing, stay-at-home efforts, ventilation and vaccinations have been key areas of interest in generating information products.4 Billions of dollars and countless volunteer hours are being invested in developing health information materials
Business · Economic growth · Economics · Global health · Health equity · Health promotion · HRHIS · Information Dissemination · International health · Political science · Public health · Public relations · Social determinants of health · Global Maternal and Child Health · Global Public Health Policies and Epidemiology · Medicine · Nursing · Viral Infections and Outbreaks Research · Health Policy
| Citations per year | 0.67 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2023 - 2026 (4) |
| Highly cited | No |