The Global Health Network and the Family Larsson-Rosenquist Foundation launch LactaHub, an open access knowledge platform, providing scientific and evidence-based information for health professionals working in the field of breastfeeding and breastmilk

Oxford and Frauenfeld, 5 May 2020 – The Global Health Network, of the University of Oxford, and the Family Larsson-Rosenquist Foundation (FLRF) are delighted to present the first view of LactaHub, an emerging open access knowledge platform created to enable health professionals, decision-makers and researchers to be more effective in their daily work.

LactaHub is where scientific and evidence-based knowledge about breastfeeding and breastmilk will be brought together and made freely available in a structured, practice-oriented manner. Users can expect all content on this growing and evolving platform to be reviewed by an independent scientific editorial board to verify it conforms to the platform’s high quality standards.

“We believe there should be global equity in who benefits from health research and the evidence it generates,” says Professor Trudie Lang, Professor of Global Health Research and Director, The Global Health Network. “By providing access to the best possible information and evidence, this platform strives to ensure that every mother and child benefit from the best guidance and knowledge available.” 

“The knowledge being produced in the field of breastfeeding and breastmilk is often fractured, and trying to locate it can be quite time consuming. It can also be difficult to discern between scientific or evidence-based versus opinion-based information,” says Dr Katharina Lichtner, Managing Director, FLRF. “LactaHub allows practitioners to access objective information that has been verified by an independent editorial board, from one central location.”

The LactaHub partnership project further enhances the work of The Global Health Network and its collaborators on mother and child health and the first 1,000 days, whilst the LactaHub platform serves as a practical resource focused specifically on breastfeeding and breastmilk.

“Our aim for LactaHub is to create a central repository and a new channel for vital knowledge transfer among professionals focused on breastfeeding and consequently improved mother and child health, anywhere in the world,” says Göran Larsson, Chairman of the Board, FLRF. “With its experience and focus on sustainable health solutions through knowledge sharing, The Global Health Network is the natural collaboration partner for realising this aim.”

Are you working in healthcare, policy or research with an interest in breastfeeding and the first 1,000 days? We invite you to join this new community of practice to learn, share knowledge and experience, and connect with peers across the world. Your involvement is the key to building active connections between information and daily practice: www.LactaHub.org.

About The Global Health Network

Faster and better research is critical to solving the world’s biggest health challenges. The Global Health Network enables researchers and institutions to share best practice and know-how with each other to drive progress, while empowering local health professionals undertaking research in the world’s most vulnerable settings. The Global Health Network facilitates sustainable health improvements through sharing of research methods, knowledge and experience through an open-access online platform and face-to-face within varied healthcare settings. It delivers training, skills and career development to frontline health workers, no matter where they are or how resource-constrained their environment may be. The result is easier, faster, better research to help address the world's biggest health challenges.

The Global Health Network is based within the University of Oxford and has strong Regional Faculties in Latin America, Africa, and Asia. The University of Oxford is at the forefront of global health research with far-reaching projects and programmes that identify, evaluate, and implement innovative solutions to many of the world's biggest global health challenges, including a strong interest in maternal and child health. The University of Oxford is working to mobilise researchers across disciplines and working within our strong networks and partnership, to achieve more equitable health outcomes for all. The Global Health Network is a key element in this drive to increase impact by sharing knowledge, data and know-how across and between networks, programme, regions and disease areas.

www.theglobalhealthnetwork.org

About the Family Larsson-Rosenquist Foundation

The Family Larsson-Rosenquist Foundation was established in 2013, born from the vision of a world in which every child is granted an optimum start in life through the benefits of breastmilk. Based in Frauenfeld, Switzerland, it is one of the world’s only philanthropic foundations dedicated entirely to supporting and promoting breastfeeding and breastmilk.

Backed by sound science, our objective is to drive changes in practice that will increase rates of breastfeeding, and improve the health of mothers and children worldwide. We further this objective by contributing to the long-term discovery, dissemination and deployment of evidence-based knowledge. Together with a global network of leading experts, we are creating publicly available, sustainable resources and educational tools that help healthcare providers, governments, communities and families overcome obstacles and achieve their breastfeeding goals.

www.larsson-rosenquist.org/en/

The LactaHub vision

LactaHub aims to become a central, trusted source for scientific and evidence-based breastfeeding intelligence – both by simplifying the search and retrieval for relevant information and streamlining connections between people and information. As LactaHub grows and evolves, users can look forward to:

Accessing important data and resources easily and freely

• Breastfeeding and breastmilk knowledge will be continuously curated by experts
• Expanding, evidence-based resources will include peer-reviewed articles, practitioner toolkits, implementation frameworks and more

Collaborating with peers, without physical or financial borders

• In this dedicated space, professionals will be able to meet to share experiences, expand their networks or join together on partnership projects
• Knowledge can be exchanged quickly and easily between specialists from diverse regions and backgrounds

Learning or mentoring others

• Convenient access to a growing selection of educational courses/programmes focused on practice, policy and implementation

All LactaHub content will be scrutinised and verified by an independent scientific editorial board as third-party reviewed or from reliable sources adhering to evidence-based quality standards. LactaHub aims to foster a thriving community of practice in the field of breastfeeding that is intended to develop and evolve with the community of health and research professionals.

www.LactaHub.org