Supporting HIFA2015

A world where every person will have access to the healthcare information they need to protect their own health and the health of those for whom they are responsible.

http://www.hifa.org

Failure to access and apply healthcare information is a leading cause of death and suffering worldwide. Lack of reliable healthcare information contributes to tens of thousands of avoidable deaths every day. Basic life-saving interventions are very often locally available, but are simply not provided in time because of lack of healthcare information. In India, for example, three in five parents wrongly believe they should withhold fluids if their child develops diarrhoea, thereby tragically increasing their risk of death from dehydration – contributing to hundreds of avoidable deaths every day in India alone. Every single health decision and action, whether by parents, individuals, health workers or policymakers, is fundamentally dependent on their ability to access and apply reliable healthcare information – and to recognise and reject misinformation.