European Association for Health Information and Libraries – EAHIL Public Health Information Special Interest Group Päivi Pekkarinen & Sue Thomas Scientific Consultation Group (SCG) Meeting of Pan-European Public Health Associations, Federations, Societies, and Organizations, 2-3 December 2008, ECDC, Stockholm

1. European Association for Health Information
and Libraries – EAHIL
Public Health Information Special Interest
Group
Päivi Pekkarinen & Sue Thomas
Scientific Consultation Group (SCG) Meeting of Pan-
European Public Health Associations, Federations, Societies,
and Organizations, 2-3 December 2008, ECDC, Stockholm

2. European Association for Health Information
and Libraries - EAHIL
• An active professional association uniting and
motivating librarians and information officers
working in medical and health science libraries in
Europe - established 1987.
• EAHIL encourages professional development,
improves cooperation and enables exchanges of
experience.
• EAHIL organizes regularly conferences and
workshops.
• More than 1,000 people are EAHIL members -
membership is free.
http://www.eahil.net/

3. EAHIL Public Health Information Group
• Originally a group of World Health Organization
Documentation Centres – established in 2005
http://www.euro.who.int/InformationSources/Publications/DocCentres .
• Extended to include all those in EAHIL involved in
public health in 2007.
http://www.eahil.net/subgroups.htm
http://www.eahil.net/PHISIG-page.html

4. EAHIL Public Health Information Group
We are
‘A Forum for information professionals in health
libraries and information centres and all those in
public health organisations in Europe.’

5. EAHIL Public Health Information Group
Our group aims to:
• Promote equitable access to public health
information for all communities.
• Enhance communication and facilitate networking
between public health libraries, information centres
and associations.
• Facilitate the sharing of experiences and best
practice in managing public health information.

6. EAHIL Public Health Information Group
• Develop networking and collaborative practices for
the World Health Organization Documentation
Centres in the WHO European Region, and facilitate
communication between these Centres and the
World Health Organization.
• Work in collaboration with all organizations in
Europe involved in public health information.
• Meet the needs of our members by providing, and, or
supporting continuing professional development.

7. EAHIL Public Health Information Group
Who can join?
• Membership is open to all individuals or institutions
involved or interested in public health and who are
members of EAHIL.
• Membership is free.

8. EAHIL Public Health Information Group
Our activities:
• We organise training sessions at the EAHIL
conferences or workshops
http://www.eahil.net/conferences_eahil.htm
• We encourage our members to submit abstracts, or
posters for the EAHIL events.
• We hold business meetings at EAHIL events
http://www.eahil.net/PHIG-meetings.html

9. EAHIL Public Health Information Group
Our activities continued
• We have a regular column in the EAHIL Journal,
published as a print and as a net version, on public
health issues
http://www.eahil.net/journal/.
• We have a web site, which we are developing as a
valuable tool in exchanging information and best
practice
http://www.eahil.net/PHISIG-page.html
• We are starting to undertake research.

10. EAHIL Public Health Information Group
Research activities
• We are currently starting a project led by Tomas
Allen from World Health Organization Geneva on
definitions of key concepts of public health.
• This will include
‘health promotion’
‘health education’
‘health protection’

11. EAHIL Public Health Information Group
Research activities continued
• We want to find out how organisations and countries
in Europe define these terms to help policy-makers
when they are comparing strategies and policies.
• The information collected will be made available on
our web pages, and
an article is being planned to be published in the
EAHIL Journal.

12. EAHIL Public Health Information Group
What can we offer to ECDC?
• Use PHIG to exchange information on infectious
diseases through our website or with articles in the
EAHIL Journal.
• Presentations on infectious diseases at EAHIL
events.
• Support for research activities in individual
countries, or across Europe.

13. EAHIL Public Health Information Group
What can we offer to ECDC continued
• Facilitate easy access to relevant information
centres.
• Use of membership email discussion list to post
critical information to all.

14. EAHIL Public Health Information Group
Contact us:
• Co-Chair: Paivi Pekkarinen Finland at
Paivi.Pekkarinen@helsinki.fi
• Co-Chair: Sue Thomas Wales at
Susan.Thomas@wales.gsi.gov.uk
• Secretary: Katri Larmo Finland at
Katri.Larmo@helsinki.fi