HELINA conferences 8 April 1999
Mikko Korpela
International Working Conferences on Health Informatics in Africa

The idea about some kind of international collaboration in health informatics in Africa came about in December 1989 in a joint Nigerian-Finnish project in Ile-Ife, Nigeria. Originally the project participants thought about a modest workshop with colleagues from near-by countries, to exchange experiences and information. The initiators contacted the International Medical Informatics Association (IMIA) for support and advice. The IMIA Board approved the idea, on the condition that the initiators will take the responsibility of organizing a full scientific conference.

That conference, HELINA'93, succeeded exceptionally well after a wealth of fund-raising and other practical problems. In the closing session of HELINA'93, it was proposed that conferences on Health Informatics in Africa should be periodically organized along the lines of HELINA'93. It was also decided that an electronic bulletin board should be established for the African health informatics community. The HELINA-L mailing list was started in 1994 to implement the latter decision.

Institutions from Côte d'Ivoire, Egypt, Kenya and South Africa submitted bids to organize the next conference. In December 1994, the IMIA Board selected the bid by the South African Medical Research Council. The HELINA'96 conference was a new step forward and consolidated the formation of a health informatics community in Africa.

During HELINA'96, a process was launched to create a regional body for health informatics interests in Africa. IMIA requested interested parties to send bids for organizing HELINA'99. After some difficulty, Harare, Zimbabwe, was selected in late 1998. The conference will be held in 29 November - 1 December 1999. Prospective bidders for 2002 should present their plans in HELINA'99!