New health information resource now available across India

The internationally renowned Cochrane Library is a collection of regularly updated evidence based healthcare databases, including gold-standard Cochrane Systematic Reviews, that can help clinicians and consumers make decisions about what treatments are best for them and their patients. This information is produced and assembled by The Cochrane Collaboration (www.cochrane.org), a UK registered but international charity who are considered the leaders in their field.

“This is an important step in making high-quality health information available to professionals, researchers and the general public,” said Professor N.K. Ganguly, Director General of ICMR. “Anyone in India with access to the Internet will now be able to use what is regarded as the world's best single source of evidence on the effects of different forms of health care”.

“There is no doubt that this funded provision to The Cochrane Library will help bring Evidence-Based Medicine to the forefront of medical practice in India,” added Professor Prathap Tharyan from the Professor Bhooshanam V Moses Centre for Clinical Trials and Evidence Based Medicine at Christian Medical College, Vellore. “The South Asian Cochrane Centre is privileged to be actively involved in helping shape the future of medicine in India.”

Lorne Becker, Co-chair of The Cochrane Collaboration Steering Group was also delighted about the agreement: “The ICMR is a very forward thinking organisation and we feel that this agreement is a meeting of minds over medicine. We are hoping to be able to do even more good work in this part of the world and produce many Cochrane Reviews with Indian contributors.”