Cochrane Malaysia, MOH provide full access to Cochrane Library

Cochrane Malaysia collaborates with researchers from MOH’s National Institutes of Health (NIH) to provide health decision-makers access to the Cochrane Library. The initiative, launched in October 2020, paves the way for decision-makers to improve health decisions and expand evidence-based treatment in the national healthcare system.

“We sincerely thank the Ministry of Health Malaysia for providing national access to the Cochrane Library. National access to Cochrane Reviews has been the priority of Cochrane Malaysia since we started in 2014, and it is gratifying that it has finally happened,” said Professor Dr Jacqueline Ho, co-director of Cochrane Malaysia.

“To progress as a nation, Malaysia needs to have access to the best available research evidence in order to make the right healthcare policy and clinical practice decisions and to ensure that healthcare money is spent on treatments that are known to be beneficial. Access to the Cochrane Library is a big step in this direction,” Ho added.

Director-General of Health Tan Sri Datuk Seri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah congratulated NIH and all the researchers for their dedication towards providing evidence from the Cochrane Library and continuous training for MOH especially and Malaysia generally. He said, “I am extremely happy that we are able to provide The Cochrane Library across the nation. As one of Cochrane Malaysia’s affiliate sites, MOH is extremely proud that we are progressing in providing the best research evidence for the best healthcare decision making. This provision comes at a very apt timing for use in our healthcare.”

While welcoming the move by MOH to provide free access to the Cochrane Library, Professor Dr Shaiful Bahari Ismail, dean, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), said: “USM has taken a leadership role in Cochrane Malaysia’s activities and systematic review process since 2004, with authorship of multiple reviews and organization of regular training courses.”

He said the move towards universal access to Cochrane will enhance academic research, contribute to a more effective teaching environment, and subsequently, improve healthcare.

Professor Dr Moy Foong Ming, coordinator of the University of Malaya site, also said full access to the Cochrane Library will provide latest evidence for clinical practice as well as research.

In his congratulatory message, Cochrane’s Chief Executive Officer, Mark Wilson, said the expertise of Cochrane Malaysia researchers and clinicians coupled with the access to the Cochrane Library “will further our mission of delivering trusted evidence into health policy and clinical decision-making across Malaysia.”

About Cochrane

Cochrane is a global independent network of health practitioners, researchers, patient advocates and others in 140 countries working together to produce credible and accessible health information in the form of Cochrane systematic reviews and other evidence-based content and resources, which are published in the Cochrane Library.

Cochrane Malaysia was officially formed as a branch of the Australasian Cochrane Centre in September 2014, and currently it is a network coordinated by the RCSI & UCD Malaysia Campus (RUMC, formerly Penang Medical College) and comprises Institute for Medical Research (IMR), Melaka-Manipal Medical College, UM, and USM.

Cochrane Malaysia functions as an advocate for evidence-informed healthcare and organizes trainings and mentoring of authors while establishing close links with MOH and expanding a network of individuals able to provide local support for the publication of Cochrane systematic reviews.