14th BIENNIAL CONGRESS OF THE ASSOCIATION FOR HEALTH INFORMATION AND LIBRARIES IN AFRICA (AHILA14).

14th BIENNIAL CONGRESS OF THE ASSOCIATION FOR HEALTH INFORMATION AND LIBRARIES IN AFRICA (AHILA14)

 20^th – 24^th OCTOBER, 2014

DAR ES SALAAM, TANZANIA

Theme:

ICTs, Access to Health Information and Knowledge: Building Strong Knowledge Societies for Sustainable Development in Africa

Background 

The Association for Health Information and Libraries in Africa (AHILA) is pleased to announce its 14^th Biennial Congress scheduled to take place in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. AHILA was founded in 1984 with the aim of improving provision of up-to-date and relevant health information; encourage professional development of health librarians; promote information resource sharing in Africa and exchange of experiences as well as promoting the development and standardization and exchange of health databases in Africa. The main theme of the 14^th AHILA Congress is: “ICTs, access to health information and knowledge: building strong knowledge societies for sustainable development in Africa”.

The sub-themes of the Congress are:

1. ICT’s and health information and knowledge management systems for  sustainable development
1. Use of ICT to enhance access to health information for gender empowerment and poverty reduction
2. Qualitative and quantitative studies of knowledge management systems for health
3. ICTs and evidence based health care practices
4. ICTs and knowledge management practices for health care services
5. The design of appropriate ICTs to meet information needs of various stakeholders in health care setting, such as health professionals, patients and health consumers
6. ICT and indigenous knowledge management
7. Security, privacy, and risk management through ICT
8. Mobile health applications and access to health information
9. Emerging technologies for disseminating health information
10. Information discovery: portals, databases, gateways

2. Health information literacy and information behaviour
1. Health information literacy seeking behavior: theories and models
2. Research approaches and methodologies for health information literacy, information needs and information seeking behavior
3. Information seeking, searching, use and sharing in health care context
4. Information literacy and health libraries

3. Social media networking and dissemination of health information and knowledge: its contribution to creating knowledge societies

a.       Social media, Web 2.0 and Information Literacy 2.0 approaches for health library and information services

b.      Role of libraries in supporting web2.0-based medical education and learning

c.       Qualitative and quantitative studies of social media for health information

d.      Application of social media/networks applications, interfaces and interactions techniques in library and information centers setting

e.      Developing social media tools/ applications for health professionals, patients and health consumers

f.        Role of libraries in supporting collaborative biomedical research

g.       Ethical & legal issues, confidentiality and privacy in information delivery services

4. Capacity building of Health Information Professionals: the role of LIS education in Africa
1. Curriculum development for LIS education
2. LIS education and innovative teaching techniques and methods
3. LIS education and e-learning technologies
4. LIS education, information literacy and ICTs
5. LIS education and knowledge management
6. LIS education, networking and collaboration
7. LIS education continuing education and professional development programmes
8. LIS job market in Africa: current trends
9. Information literacy instruction, including curriculum development, instructional design, teaching techniques and methods, and evaluation
10. Information literacy, online learning, distance learning and lifelong learning

5. Bringing health information and knowledge to Africa’s rural communities through partnership and community engagement

a.       Access of health information to patients and health consumers: strategies and approaches

b.      Indigenous knowledge management

c.       Innovative rural health information services delivery

d.      Partnership and community engagement approaches for rural information provision

The Congress will incorporate the 2nd HIFA International Conference (Healthcare Information For All, HIFA.org), where delegates will review progress made since the launch of HIFA at AHILA 10 (Mombasa, Kenya, 2006) and ways forward to accelerate progress towards Healthcare Information For All in Africa and worldwide.

Abstract details:

·         Abstract should be in English with a maximum of 500 words.                                                                                          

·         Deadline for submission of abstracts is 1^st March 2014

·         All abstracts should be submitted as an attachment and sent to the following:

1. Prof. Frankwell Dulle, Email address:  dullefw2011@gmail.com OR nzengamshe@yahoo.com  

2. Dr. Alfred Sife, Email address:  sifesas@gmail.com OR sifesas@yahoo.com   

3. Dr. Edda.T. Lwoga, Email address: tlwoga@gmail.com  

4. Copy to Ms Rehema Chande-Mallya, Secretary Organising Committee: email address: rchandemallya@gmail.com

  http://www.ahila.org