USAID awards $100,000 grant to Health Inforum – USAID press release/Non-UN document

U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)

USAID Awards $100,000 Grant to Health Inforum

Coordination network supports the Ministry of Health, international donors, and health-service providers by providing information on health issues

The following was originally published as a USAID press release on July 20, 2004.

JERUSALEM – In response to an appeal from the World Health Organization (WHO), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in May issued a one-year $100,000 grant to Health Inforum. The grant supplements USAID's previous contribution of $189,000.

Established in April 2002 by USAID, WHO, and the Italian Cooperation, Health Inforum is an information network for the Ministry of Health, international donors and health-service providers.

"For the past two years, Health Inforum has been an integral aspect of the overall coordination of the health sector," says Sherry Carlin, USAID's office director of health and humanitarian assistance. "Health Inforum serves as the communication hub of current health issues within the West Bank and Gaza, and has succeeded in assisting the health sector in countless ways."

Over the next 12 months, Health Inforum plans to further develop the types of information it shares with its clients. Among its goals are:

· To provide timely and reliable information about emergency needs faced by the population and health-service providers;

· To guarantee valid and reliable information on district-level health priorities;

· To provide up-to-date scientific information on best health practices and policies to promote evidence-based decision-making, and;

· To help strengthen the health information system within the West Bank and Gaza by improving the quality and access of information of the healthcare network.

For more information about Health Inforum, visit its Web site at http://www.healthinforum.net.

USAID administers the U.S. foreign assistance program, which gives economic and humanitarian aid to more than 100 countries worldwide. Since 1993, USAID has provided more than $1.3 billion in assistance to Palestinians living in the West Bank and Gaza.