Health Metrics Network: Everyone Counts

Today I am feeling a little adventurous. I have not been on an adventure trip since my last white water rafting endeavor in Ocoee River, TN in which our raft capsized and 5 out of the 8 people were thrown in the cold water. One person was hurt badly and was bleeding the rest of the trip. Looks like my brain is asking for an adventure, but I being unable give it one, it found one for itself - thinking beyond the national health network.

It might sound premature to think about a global health network, but after a second thought it is not. Looking in the past one can definitely remember several cases of disease spread across the country and even continental boundries. In this global economy, we face a bigger problem of cross pollination of diseases on a global scale.

World Health Organization has undertaken a project to create a global network to disseminate health related information from local level to global level. The project focuses on low income developing countries which can not afford to develop health information systems. Health Metrics Network (HMN) is a global partnership that facilitates better health information at the country, regional and global levels. The primary focus is to benefit the local community from the use of health information systems, and eventually also better the world health by making local health information available on a global level.

"HMN is based on the premise that it is not because countries are poor that they cannot afford good health information; it is because they are poor that they cannot afford to be without it." This quote truely signifies the project's confidence in the importance of health information systems for a healthy future.

HMN benefits from a $50 million grant from Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

See this introductory video on the project.