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A systematic review of the effect of consumer use of online health information on decision-making, attitudes, knowledge, satisfaction and health outcomes and ulilisation. Ten comparative case studies are used to evaluate the effectiveness of the Internet: all studies showed some positive effects on health outcomes, although the methodological quality of many studies was poor. The study was not specific to developing country or resource-poor context

This report discusses the role of medical research in child health improvement, highlighting how new knowledge has lead to action and action, in turn, to research. Research findings have contributed to reduce child morbidity and mortality by leading to significant achievements in diarrhoea management, breastfeeding promotion, prevention of mother-to-child transmission and remedying vitamin A deficiency. However, research and information systems need now to address four crucial causes of child poor health: low birth weight, nutrition, environmental factors and poverty. Research findings about these crucial risk factors should inform public health programmes and help identify feasible goals. The report calls for more investments to broaden the research capacity of resource-constrained countries to ensure health policies are responsive to local needs

This report highlights the achievements of the Vaccines and Biologicals Department of the World Health Organization (WHO). In particular it highlights the formation of the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization, the drop in the number of polio cases, the lack of progress in the research and development field, and the lack of access that over 37 million children still have to immunization services. In the light of these findings it lists where its efforts will focused in the future. These include facilitating and coordinating research and development activities on vaccines against diseases of poverty; strengthening routine immunization services and vaccine-preventable disease surveillance; identifying and implementing long-term financial sustainability mechanisms; certifying the world as polio-free and addressing post-eradication technical challenges;and accelerating efforts to control diseases and reduce vaccine-preventable mortality through supplemental immunicsation activities

Ten Cochrane collaboration affiliates examined in a semi-structured way the quality of reviews first published in 1998. The Cochrane library remains a key source of reliable evidence about the effects of healthcare interventions, and steps continue to be made to improve quality of the reviews which remain on average more systematic and less biased than other reviews published in journals. On the whole however, the reviews were found to be over-generous when assessing the benefits of experimental interventions on health

This media handbook offers guidance to those who communicate about HIV/AIDS vaccine trials

This document discusses the lessons learned from 25 years of the World Health Organization's experience in information, education and communication (IEC). It provides information on the lessons learned from general health programmes and reproductive health programmes. The lessons reflect a retrospective view of what is now known about planning, implementing , monitoring and evaluating IEC interventions. The focus is on practical steps, what has worked, and special considerations to be taken when applying IEC to reproductive health initiatives