Healthlink Worldwide

Last updated

Healthlink Worldwide, formerly known as Appropriate Health Resources Technologies Action Group (AHRTAG), was founded as a UK-based non-governmental organisation on 20 July 1977. On 15 September that year, it was registered as a charity. [1] It ceased trading in October 2010 and went into insolvency. [2]

Healthlink was founded by Dr Katherine Elliott and other members of the Intermediate Technology Development Group (now Practical Action) Health Panel. Its aim was to promote health education by collecting and disseminating information on solutions to health and development problems, providing technical support to those involved in health and community development programmes throughout the world. [3] In 1978, AHRTAG became the first World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centre for Appropriate Technology in Health. [4]

One of its initial activities was to promote the outcomes of the WHO/UNICEF International Conference on Primary Health Care, held in Alma Ata in 1978, which launched primary health care as a means of achieving Health for All. This focus on primary health was a fundamental driver of Healthlink's activities throughout its existence.[ citation needed ]

At around the same time, significant breakthroughs were being made in the understanding of diarrhoea and in the development of inexpensive ways to treat this major childhood killer. During this period, at least five million children a year were dying worldwide from diarrhoea-related causes. [5] The WHO's Diarrhoeal Diseases Control Programme worked closely with ARHTAG to launch an international newsletter on topic, initially called Diarrhoea Dialogue, but later renamed to Dialogue on Diarrhoea. Published four times a year, 60 issues were produced by May 1995, by which time copies were available in English, Chinese, French, Portuguese, Spanish, Tamil, Urdu and Vietnamese, reaching more than a quarter of a million readers worldwide. [6]

This became one of a series of newsletters aimed at primary level health care workers around the world. By the end of 1994, its four regular newsletters – covering child health topics, HIV infection and AIDS, disability, and primary health care management – had a total circulation of 600,000 in 11 languages and an estimated three million readers worldwide. [7] They were distributed free of charge, and with the introduction of new technologies, agreement was reached with SatelLife to circulate electronic versions of the newsletters (text only) by email. [8] Copies of Dialogue on Diarrhoea, AIDS Action and some copies of Health Action are still available online.

From 1983 to 1988, its executive director was Ken Ritchie. [9] In 1998, 21 years after it was founded, the organisation changed its name to Healthlink Worldwide. [10]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">World Health Organization</span> Specialized agency of the United Nations

The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health. It is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland and has six regional offices and 150 field offices worldwide.

A health system, health care system or healthcare system is an organization of people, institutions, and resources that delivers health care services to meet the health needs of target populations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malnutrition</span> Medical condition

Malnutrition occurs when an organism gets too few or too many nutrients, resulting in health problems. Specifically, it is "a deficiency, excess, or imbalance of energy, protein and other nutrients" which adversely affects the body's tissues and form. Malnutrition is not receiving the correct amount of nutrition. Malnutrition is increasing in children under the age of five due to providers who cannot afford or do not have access to adequate nutrition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Medical guideline</span> Document with the aim of guiding decisions and criteria in healthcare

A medical guideline is a document with the aim of guiding decisions and criteria regarding diagnosis, management, and treatment in specific areas of healthcare. Such documents have been in use for thousands of years during the entire history of medicine. However, in contrast to previous approaches, which were often based on tradition or authority, modern medical guidelines are based on an examination of current evidence within the paradigm of evidence-based medicine. They usually include summarized consensus statements on best practice in healthcare. A healthcare provider is obliged to know the medical guidelines of his or her profession, and has to decide whether to follow the recommendations of a guideline for an individual treatment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BRAC (organisation)</span> International development organization based in Bangladesh

BRAC is an international development organisation based in Bangladesh. In order to receive foreign donations, BRAC was subsequently registered under the NGO Affairs Bureau of the Government of Bangladesh. BRAC is the largest non-governmental development organisation in the world, in terms of number of employees as of September 2016. Established by Sir Fazle Hasan Abed in 1972 after the independence of Bangladesh, BRAC is present in all 64 districts of Bangladesh as well as 16 other countries in Asia, Africa, and the Americas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Primary health care</span> "Essential" health care key to securing universality by emphasizing community and equity

Primary health care, or PHC, refers to "essential health care" that is based on scientifically sound and socially acceptable methods and technology. This makes universal health care accessible to all individuals and families in a community. PHC initiatives allow for the full participation of community members in implementation and decision making. Services are provided at a cost that the community and the country can afford at every stage of their development in the spirit of self-reliance and self-determination. In other words, PHC is an approach to health beyond the traditional health care system that focuses on health equity-producing social policy. PHC includes all areas that play a role in health, such as access to health services, environment and lifestyle. Thus, primary healthcare and public health measures, taken together, may be considered as the cornerstones of universal health systems. The World Health Organization, or WHO, elaborates on the goals of PHC as defined by three major categories, "empowering people and communities, multisectoral policy and action; and primary care and essential public health functions as the core of integrated health services[1]." Based on these definitions, PHC can not only help an individual after being diagnosed with a disease or disorder, but actively prevent such issues by understanding the individual as a whole.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal College of General Practitioners</span> Professional body for doctors in the UK

The Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) is the professional body for general (medical) practitioners in the United Kingdom. The RCGP represents and supports GPs on key issues including licensing, education, training, research and clinical standards. It is the largest of the medical royal colleges, with over 50,000 members. The RCGP was founded in 1952 in London, England and is a registered charity. Its motto is Cum Scientia Caritas – "Compassion [empowered] with Knowledge."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh</span>

ICDDR,B is an international health research organisation located in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Dedicated to saving lives through research and treatment, ICDDR,B addresses some of the most critical health concerns facing the world today, ranging from improving neonatal survival to HIV/AIDS. In collaboration with academic and research institutions over the world, ICDDR,B conducts research, training and extension activities, as well as programme-based activities, to develop and share knowledge for global lifesaving solutions.

MSI Reproductive Choices, named Marie Stopes International until November 2020, is an international non-governmental organisation providing contraception and safe abortion services in 37 countries around the world. MSI Reproductive Choices as an organisation lobbies in favour of access to abortion, and provides a variety of sexual and reproductive healthcare services including advice, vasectomies, and abortions in the UK and other countries where it is legal to do so. It is based in London and is a registered charity under English law.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Raising Malawi</span> Charity providing aid for orphans in Malawi

Raising Malawi is a charity non-profit organization that was founded by Madonna and Michael Berg in 2006. It is dedicated to helping with the extreme poverty and hardship endured by Malawi's one million orphans, primarily through health and education programming. Initially, the "Raising Malawi Academy for Girls" was to be constructed but following an audit by the Global Philanthropy Group, which questioned expenditure on salaries and benefits as well as the management capacity and culture, the charity's school headmistress resigned in October 2010 and the project was scrapped.

Sentebale is a registered charity founded in 2006 by Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso of Lesotho. Sentebale helps children and adolescents struggling to come to terms with their HIV status. It provides a safe environment for them to address their mental health amongst their peers, giving them tools and knowledge.

<i>Where There Is No Doctor</i>

Where There Is No Doctor: A Village Health Care Handbook is a healthcare manual published by Hesperian Health Guides. Based on David Werner's experiences at his Project Piaxtla in western Mexico, it was originally written in 1970 in Spanish as Donde No Hay Doctor. It has since been revised multiple times, sold over one million copies, and been translated into over 100 languages. The book is available for purchase, in either book form or on CD, at Hesperian's bookstore. All chapters can also be downloaded individually free of charge in PDF format.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Avert (HIV and AIDS organisation)</span> British charitable organization

Avert is an international charity that uses digital communications to increase health literacy on HIV and sexual health, among those most affected in areas of greatest need, in order to reduce new infections and improve health and well-being.

Edward C. (Ted) Green is an American medical anthropologist working in public health and development. He was a senior research scientist at the Harvard School of Public Health and served as senior research scientist at the Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies for eight years, the last three years as director of the AIDS Prevention Project. He was later affiliated with the Department of Population and Reproductive Health at Johns Hopkins University (2011–14) and the George Washington University as research professor. He was appointed to serve as a member of the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS (2003–2007), and served on the Office of AIDS Research Advisory Council for the National Institutes of Health (2003–2006). Green serves on the board of AIDS.org and the Bonobo Conservation Initiative. and Medical Care Development.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">InterVol</span> UK charity

InterVol is a community volunteering charity based in the United Kingdom. InterVol support poverty reduction, conservation and education projects globally, as well as community volunteering based on university campuses in the United Kingdom. The charity is based at the University of Birmingham, Imperial College London, Lancaster University, University of Nottingham, and Oxford Brookes University.

The National AIDS Trust is a United Kingdom charity with the purpose to stand alongside and defend the rights of everyone living with, affected by or at risk of HIV. Its expertise, research and advocacy secure lasting change to the lives of people living with and at risk of HIV. The charity's key strategic goals are:

NewsRx is a media and technology company focusing on digital media, printed media, news services, and knowledge discovery through its BUTTER platform. In 1995 the company was the world's largest producer of health news. The company publishes 194 news weeklies in health and other fields, which are distributed to subscribers and partners including Factiva, the Wall Street Journal Professional Edition, Thomson Reuters, ProQuest, and Cengage Learning. C W Henderson founded the company in 1984 and its first publication was AIDS Weekly. In the early 2000s, the firm added the imprint, VerticalNews to publish news weeklies in non-health fields. Now based in Atlanta, Georgia, the company reports through its daily news service and publishes reference books through its partner, ScholarlyEditions. NewsRx launched its BUTTER platform in 2015, which is a knowledge discovery engine that delivers its content to academics, researchers, and professionals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Voluntary Health Services hospital, Chennai</span> Hospital in Tamil Nadu, India

Voluntary Health Services, popularly known as the VHS Hospital, is a multispecialty tertiary care referral hospital in the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu, reportedly serving the economically weaker sections of the society. It was founded in 1958 by Krishnaswami Srinivas Sanjivi, an Indian physician, social worker and a winner of Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan awards and is run by a charitable non governmental organization of the same name. The hospital is situated along Rajiv Gandhi Salai at Taramani, in Chennai.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Faculty of Occupational Medicine (United Kingdom)</span>

The Faculty of Occupational Medicine (FOM) is the professional and educational body for occupational medicine in the United Kingdom. It seeks to ensure the highest standards in the practice of occupational medicine, overseeing the continuing professional development and revalidation of its members.

American International Health Alliance (AIHA) is a nonprofit organisation aiming for assisting the global health. The organisation has managed more than 175 partnerships and project across the globe. In 2012, AIHA obtained the support of President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief [PEPFAR] project to strengthen the blood service in Central Asia, Ukraine, and Cambodia. Due to its structure based on the programmatic modal and dynamic condition, this organisation is suitable to assist the community or worldwide countries which have limited resources, and it is beneficial for sustainable evolution. AIHA is contributing to improve the worldwide health conditions. This organisation has been associated and largely contributed in the HIV-related area since 2000.

References

  1. "Charity Commission". Charity Commission.
  2. "Healthlink Worldwide - December 15, 2010 - The London Gazette - Legislation - VLEX 232605762".
  3. "Afro-Nets". Archived from the original on 30 December 2004. Retrieved 15 February 2012.
  4. AHRTAG: The First Report 1977/1978 (1978). London: AHRTAG
  5. http://rehydrate.org/dd/pdf/dd01.pdf | Elliot, K. and Cutting, W.A.M. 1980. Diarrhoea Need not Kill. Diarrhoea Dialogue issue 1
  6. http://rehydrate.org/dd/pdf/dd60.pdf [ bare URL PDF ]
  7. Justins, D (1995). "Reflex sympathetic dystrophy. Has been renamed complex regional pain syndrome". BMJ. 311 (7008): 812. doi:10.1136/bmj.311.7008.812. PMC   2550819 . PMID   7580471.
  8. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 23 April 2007. Retrieved 17 February 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  9. "Ken Ritchie". Election 97. BBC. 1997. Archived from the original on 28 July 1997. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  10. "Goodbye AHRTAG, Welcome Healthlink Worldwide". Essential Drugs Monitor. World Health Organisation (25): 26. 1998. Archived from the original on 21 May 2009.