The Ministry of Health Launches the Belize Virtual Health Library

The Ministry of Health in collaboration with other national institutions and with technical support from the Pan American Health Organization will be launching its Virtual Health Library (VHL) on Tuesday July 04 2006 starting at 9 a.m. at the Radisson Fort George Hotel, Belize City.

The VHL is a means of joining the expanding network of internet libraries on health sciences information throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. This initiative is intended for users countrywide and regionally to ensure universal access to scientific and technical information, products and services.

"Towards Equitable Access to Scientific Health Information and Knowledge" is the motto for this initiative.

A team of experts from the Latin American and Caribbean Center on Health Sciences Information, BIREME/PAHO/WHO, will be conducting a series of activities such as on-site visits and training sessions, intended to involve all the national institutions related to the production, management and use of health information.

The VHL will be an integral part of the Latin American and Caribbean Network, and will contribute to increased national capacity to collect, organize, index, preserve, publish, disseminate, access and use scientific information.