Obstacles to health information for all

Finally, information without education in clinical epidemiology could be harmful. [Fiona Godlee] and colleagues present numerous initiatives for teaching critical appraisal. After the 1978 Alma Ata Declaration (Health for all by the year 2000), the International Clinical Epidemiology Network (INCLEN) was established in 1982.5 The network is based on local organisations in Asia Pacific, Latin America, India, and Africa that adapt the subject matter to be taught to local cultures. After 20 years, insufficient progress has been made, and funding is a key factor for success. Initiatives of foreign counterparts, such as the French Réseau d'Epidémiologie Clinique International Francophone (RECIF) network (http:// recif.univ-lyon1.fr/) should be encouraged. Such a model, with local adaptation to different cultures, should be used to disseminate information.