Summary: Information / Discussion

Health and the Internet

Ms. Joan Dzenowagis, the project manager of the Health InterNetwork of the World Health Organization (WHO) and Shyama Kuruvilla, a scientist responsible for Research Policy and Co-operation, WHO, presented their dot-health project with a great deal of enthusiasm. The project is aimed at facilitating access to high-quality information on health issues for teaching and research institutions as well as hospitals and individuals in developing countries. 

Using the Internet as a source of information and a way to transfer knowledge in the medical field is not a new idea, and WHO created the Health InterNetwork in September 2000. An example of an already-functioning access initiative is HINARI (HIN Access to Research Initiative), which was created in January 2002. HINARI provides over 2000 research journals to some 70 developing countries and their health institutions for free or at very low cost.

The advantages of the Internet are evident, as there is no faster and more cost-effective way to access information once the necessary computing equipment is established and working. Yet as Ms. Dzenowagis pointed out, the content of the web pages on health is often somewhat dubious -anybody, including pharmaceutical firms, can disperse information on these topics. A code of conduct cannot sufficiently guarantee the quality of health information. The World Trade Organization's (WTO) position facing the problem caused by the uncontrolled content of the Internet is that health information has to be monitored, as it cannot be left to market forces alone.

To avoid harm caused by misinformation, Ms. Dzenowagis and Ms. Kuruvilla have recommended the creation of a new top-level domain (such as dot-com or dot-org): dot-health. The aim of this domain is to establish an easily recognized label for trustworthy health information. For non-compliance with WTO guidelines, which include international quality and ethical standards, the domain name can be suspended or cancelled. Ms. Dzenowagis emphasized that dot-health is not an attempt at regulation of the Internet. Its principles are inclusiveness in local-national-international co-operation and public-private partnership. The speakers suggested that, it should mainly be based on non-profit and non-commercial partners like research institutions and journals. The domain name dot-health should stand for relevant, high-quality content and affordability. The project also aims at improving access to the Internet in developing countries and providing training to assure the effectiveness of the users.

The difficulties of dot-health were pointed out by Ms. Dzenowagis and Ms. Kuruvilla themselves: not even 1% of the people living in the developing world have access to the Internet. Technical and financial problems hinder the Internet from becoming one of the main information sources in developing countries. There are also cultural problems that aggravate the situation, not only concerning the Internet, but also concerning the role that science plays in these countries. While this should not be a reason to abandon dot-health, one should not expect a direct and immediate impact on the current health situation in the developing world.

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