DISTRIBUTION AND SALES (DSA)
HIS
AIDS Information Exchange Centre (AIEC)
DISTRIBUTION AND SALES (DSA) |
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HIS AIDS Information Exchange Centre (AIEC)
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DSA activities are based on the publishing activities of the Regional Office and HQ. DSA provides support to both offices in distribution and sales of WHO/EMRO publications and documents. WHO believes that effective distribution is a vital step in the publishing process, since information serves little purpose if it does not reach the user. The RO makes its publications readily available to health professionals in the Region through its contacts in the countries and internationally, by mail, direct sales or through the book trade fairs. To make health information available to those most in need of it, WHO/EMRO documents, serials and publications are distributed free of charge to a wide audience of health authorities, institutions and collaborating centres and their personnel in the Region. Over 500 medical and health libraries and documentation centres in the Region regularly receive WHO/EMRO publications, and many of them act as public reference libraries where readers can consult WHO/EMRO books and periodicals. At the same time, the publications are placed on sale at affordable prices through the HQ distribution channels which has a network of sales agents in over 100 countries that serves people who can purchase WHO publications all over the world. Catalogues and brochures of current EMRO publications are issued regularly and distributed to stimulate awareness of what is available and how it can be obtained. The same catalogue and many of the brochures, leaflets and announcements have been made available on the Internet for wider accessibility. The Unit is currently building a Master Mailing List to include all addresses of institutions and individuals that receive EMRO documents, publications and serials. The unit works in close collaboration with other units at the Regional Office, especially the units that are active in publishing and production. In 1996 and 1997 a total of 74,809 copies of journals, periodicals and priced new publications were distributed by DSA free of charge throughout the Region. In addition, 25 announcements and 16,579 leaflets of new publications were developed and distributed throughout the Region. In 1997, AIEC distributed a total of 6,020 copies of publications to institutions, 1,114 copies to individuals and 9,635 copies to WHO staff and WR Offices in all EMR countries. In collaboration with STD, the Centre has been distributing the EMR AIDSnewsletter, of which 4000 copies are regularly distributed. An electronic version of the Newsletter has also been published over the Internet. |