Canadian Cochrane Centre and PAHO/WHO sign Memorandum of Understanding

The Canadian Cochrane Centre (CCC) and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) signed a Memorandum of  Understanding in March 2010 which outlined key activities that will allow health researchers, and others working in the health field across the Americas, access to opportunities to improve research skills and integrate research evidence into health care policy and clinical practice.

For PAHO’s Member States, most of whom already benefit from universal access to The Cochrane Library, this agreement will address their identifi ed need to better link  research evidence with policy and practice. The agreement  allows the CCC the opportunity to further its mission of  promoting the use of Cochrane reviews in evidence-based  decision making. The CCC and PAHO will work together to  implement training initiatives for users and producers of  systematic reviews in the Americas. PAHO is a Regional Office of the World Health Organization.

One initiative already underway is Cochrane Canada Live, a series of webinars (web seminars) that represent the fi rst of its kind in The Cochrane Collaboration.

The webinars are co-ordinated by the CCC and delivered  through internet-based platforms with the support of PAHO.  Anyone worldwide can attend a live webinar (subject to time  shift) or view the recordings which are now available directly  from the CCC website and are not password protected –  available at your convenience! Visit ccc.cochrane.org/cochranecanada-live-webinar-archive.
The next webinar series will start in September 2010.

Mary Ellen Schaafsma
mschaafs@uottawa.ca

Adrienne Stevens
astevens@uottawa.ca

Lori Tarbett
ltarbett@uottawa.ca

The Canadian Cochrane Centre