RESUMO
This article attempts to describe the rationale that has led to the development of information sources dealing with equity, health, and human development in countries of Latin America and the Caribbean within the context of the Virtual Health Library (Biblioteca Virtual en Salud, BVS). Such information sources include the scientific literature, databases in printed and electronic format, institutional directories and lists of specialists, lists of events and courses, distance education programs, specialty journals and bulletins, as well as other means of disseminating health information. The pages that follow deal with the development of a Virtual Library in Equity, Health, and Human Development, an effort rooted in the conviction that decision-making and policy geared toward achieving greater equity in health must, of necessity, be based on coherent, well-organized, and readily accessible first-rate scientific information. Information is useless unless it is converted into knowledge that benefits society. The Virtual Library in Equity, Health, and Human Development is a coordinated effort to develop a decentralized regional network of scientific information sources, with strict quality control from which public officials can draw data and practical examples that can help them set health and development policies geared toward achieving greater equity for all
Assuntos
Desenvolvimento HumanoRESUMO
En el presente documento, se cubre la gama amplia de aspectos de la economía global y su relación con la salud, con las formas de organización económica y los peligros posibles que enfrentamos al final de este siglo. Se hace hincapié en los temas de las experiencias, oportunidades y riesgos en las Américas en la salud y el desarrollo humano; así como en los procesos de integración internacional y regional en la nueva economía global, desde la perspectiva de los grupos de la sociedad civil en varios países.