The American Library Association awarded the prestigious “Choice” award to the World Health Organization (WHO) COVID-19 Research Database “in recognition of the value, quality, and scope that would not have been possible without the tireless dedication and determination of those involved”.
The letter signed by Soumya Swaminathan, Chief Scientist of the Research Division, and John Grove, Director of the WHO Department of Quality Assurance for Norms and Standards, mentions the “multilingual scientific discoveries that populate the COVID-19 Research Database, which are now accessed in over 200 countries by more than 7,000 researchers each day. This in itself demonstrates the importance of this work in combating the COVID-19 pandemic through open, timely, and rigorous evidence-based information.”
BIREME/PAHO/WHO has made a key contribution to the development of the global database of scientific literature on COVID-19. The WHO COVID-19 database search interface was launched in April 2021, using the same platform developed by the Center for the Global Index Medicus (GIM). This database is updated daily, and data curation is the responsibility of the WHO Library team, which coordinates a global network of volunteers and experts for the identification, selection, and organization of documents. So far, there are more than 430,000 documents available, of which 80% are full texts.
BIREME is proud to be part of the WHO team responsible for the development of the WHO COVID-19 Research Database. This information source is part of several other products and services designed to support researchers, healthcare professionals, and decision makers with certified and up-to-date information about the SARS-Cov-2 virus and COVID-19.
Among the products and services on COVID-19 developed by BIREME, we can mention the selection of documents on COVID-19 in the Virtual Health Library database, which is updated daily, the Window of Knowledge on COVID-19, the Window of Knowledge on Nursing and COVID-19, the Window of Knowledge on COVID-19’s Natural History; the Evidence Maps on integrative practices in the clinical management of COVID-19 symptoms; and the e-BlueInfo application, which makes information available to primary care professionals selected by the health ministries in each participating country, but which, during the pandemic, also included content related to COVID-19, just to name a few initiatives.
Link of interest
BIREME Bulletin n° 51. Contribution of BIREME to fight infodemia in times of COVID-19. Available at: https://boletin.bireme.org/en/2021/01/06/contribution-of-bireme-to-fight-infodemia-in-times-of-covid-19/