World Telecommunication and Information Society Day

World Telecommunication and Information Society Day (WTISD) is celebrated each year on 17th May to remind the world of the vision of the World Summit on the Information Society to build "a people-centered, inclusive and development-oriented information society" based on fundamental human rights. The purpose of WTISD is to help raise awareness of the possibilities that the use of the Internet and other information and communication technologies (ICT) can bring to societies and economies, as well as of ways to bridge the digital divide.

Does the world need a scientific society for research on how to improve healthcare?

The Editors of Implementation Science have published an Editorial detailing arguments for setting up a new scientific society for research on how to improve healthcare. They aim to start an international debate, to discover if we can establish a shared vision across academics and stakeholders engaged with creating scientific knowledge on how to improve healthcare. The proposed society will only come into existence if it gets the international support from researchers, funders, and stakeholders. They invite readers (of any background) to express their views in the online questionnaire accessed by following the URL link provided in the Editorial.

Addiction Science & Clinical Practice provides a forum for clinically relevant research and perspectives that contribute to improving the quality of care for people with unhealthy alcohol, tobacco, or other drug use and addictive behaviours across a spectrum of clinical settings. The journal has now started publishing with BioMed Central, more information can be found on the website.

Forthcoming conferences:

• Global Health Council - 39th Annual International Conference
  July 18-21, 2012 - Washington, DC, USA
• American Public Health Association - 140th Annual Meeting & Exposition
  October 27-31, 2012 - San Francisco, USA