6 Mar 2006

A new all-Ireland electronic library for public health will make finding information about the public's health, and the factors that affect it much easier.
 
As health is affected by so many factors, information about health tends to be dispersed over many different sites. The library brings together more than 400 resources including policies and strategies, research and evaluation reports, data sets and qualitative information - and will help those working in population health across the island.

The library is part of the "PHIS (Online)" website being developed by Ireland and Northern Ireland’s Population Health Observatory (INIsPHO) which is part of the Institute of Public Health in Ireland.

Dr Kevin Balanda of the Institute said "This library will mean that people can spend less time looking for information and more time understanding how it can help them in the decisions they need to make".

"Our belief is that this will in turn strengthen evidence-based policy and practice on the island of Ireland". 

The library has been designed so that it can be systematically linked to other websites that contain additional information about public health.

"This is vitally important" Dr Balanda said, “and represents a significant step towards a more systematic approach to sharing public health information on the island".

The library is being launched on Monday 6th March in the Linen Hall Library in Belfast at an event entitled ‘Recent developments in knowledge management for public health.’  This event is being co-organised by the Institute of Public Health in Ireland and the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals in Ireland.
 
For further information please contact:
Arlene McKay, Communications Officer
Institute of Public Health in Ireland
Email: Arlene.mckay@publichealth.ie
Tel: +44 (0)2890648494
 
 
Notes to Editor:

Ireland and Northern Ireland's Population Health Observatory (INIsPHO) is a unique project housed in the Institute to help meet growing health information requirements in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. It aims to support those working to improve health and reduce health inequalities by producing and disseminating health intelligence, and strengthening the research and information infrastructure on the island of Ireland. INIsPHO has identified six main areas of work including research to address health priorities.  A current key project which has been undertaken by INIsPHO is the development of an agreed model to estimate the number of people on the island, North and South, who have diabetes (diagnosed and undiagnosed).
 
The Institute of Public   Health was set up to identify and develop practical advantages from building co-operation for public health between Northern   Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. It works in four areas: policy advice, information, research and capacity building and its objective is to tackle inequalities in health and improve the health of the public.