[The Latin American network of biomedical and health information: experience and future development].

One of the problems that have traditionally plagued the teachers and researchers of Latin America in their day-to-day work is a lack of adequate bibliographical information. In an attempt to remedy this situation, in 1968 the Pan American Health Organization set up the Regional Library of Medicine and Health Sciences (BIREME) in the Paulista Medical School in São Paulo under an agreement with the Government of Brazil. In this article the Director of BIREME discusses the present state of an outlook for biomedical information in the Region and summarizes the work done by the Library in recent years. BIREME is doing an outstanding job not only of searching for and disseminating scientific information and training specialized staff, but also of promoting the establishment of national biomedical information subcenters (there are already eighteen in Brazil). It is also the hub of the Latin American network of biomedical and health information. With the help of the National Library of Medicine of the United States, BIREME has succeeded in developing into a center of high prestige in its field. Its most notable accomplishments include the compilation of the Index Medicus Latinoamericano, which is published semiannually since 1979 and embraces the output of 250 scientific publications, thereby filling the major gap that had existed in this field.