Healthlink Worldwide

Making connections, improving health

Who we are

Healthink Worldwide is a specialist communication and information organisation that collaborates with over 50 partnerships across 30 countries to address the social, cultural and economic aspects of vulnerability to poor health.

Background

• Healthlink Worldwide formed in 1977 as Appropriate Health Resources and Technologies Action Group (AHRTAG) to provide practical and up to date information on health & disability to grassroots health and community workers.

• AHRTAG changed it’s name to Healthlink Worldwide in 1998.• In 30 years the way we work has changed significantly. We have

responded to changing development processes, funding environments, and importantly the expressed needs of the people and organisations we work with.

• From our original focus on adapting technology, we have moved through phases of improving access to information and knowledge, concentrating on process and people, strengthening individual and organisational capacity, and building participatory relationships.

What we do

Healthlink Worldwide works to increase the effective use and impact of communication, information and knowledge to address public health issues and support disadvantaged people to bring about a positive change in their lives. We do this by using participatory approaches to:

Cooperate with other agencies with shared objectives to cultivate and maintain long term partnerships and use communication to bring about social change.

Strengthen local capacity and support initiatives to include grass roots knowledge and evidence in policy dialogues.

Enable disadvantaged people to identify and voice their own health needs which enhances their participation, inclusion and decision making in local dialogues.

Combine practical communication approaches with information and knowledge management to identify and respond to gaps in knowledge and practice around health issues.

Why we do it

Better information, knowledge and communication encourage:

• Effective public participation in health and development• Clearer articulation of health needs by disadvantaged people• Stronger representation of disadvantaged people in local, national and

international forums• More effective pro-poor health policies• Greater sharing of learning and experience

Our work ultimately leads to improved health for disadvantaged and vulnerable communities.

Healthlink Worldwide

VisionHealthlink Worldwide’s vision is a world with equitable access to health care where participation in decision making for social change is not solely dependent on wealth or social status.

MissionHealthlink Worldwide works in partnership using participatory communication approaches to improve the health and well-being of disadvantaged and vulnerable people in developing countries.

Values

Healthlink Worldwide is committed to:

– Practical action founded on respect, compassion and solidarity with those living in poverty.

– Ensuring that development is a process that empowers people and communities to challenge poverty and injustice and bring about social change for themselves.

– Achieving mutually beneficial partnerships in all our work, to include equitable exchange, joint action and shared learning.

– Human rights, equity and social justice. – Strengthening participation, communication and social dialogue as

essential processes in knowledge sharing, empowerment and self-determination.

– Using resources in ways that are effective, efficient, innovative, collaborative and accountable and that maximise our impact.

Our work

Our main areas of work are:

• HIV & AIDS

• Malaria & TB

• Disability & Inclusion

• Advocacy

• ICT for development

• Community Health

Our Participatory ApproachHealthlink Worldwide listens to the communities we work with; our partners are always at the centre of our activities. Our participatory approach allows us to constantly break new ground with our projects, and as these evolve the issues that we and our partners engage with also develop. By directly engaging with communities, we ensure that our partners' health messages reach their intended audience, from grass-roots communication, to national health strategies tackling HIV and AIDS, to engaging with governments in the North and South.