The proposal of the VHL was presented during the IV Pan American Congress on Health Sciences Information held in San José, Costa Rica in March 1998 and unanimously approved by the participants through the signing of the Declaration of San José, which recognizes the project as a cooperative and integrating strategy for the region aimed at facilitating the widest possible access to health information. Declaration of San JoséThe Declaration of San José, which recognizes the project as a cooperative and integrating strategy of the region aimed at facilitating the widest access to information for the permanent improvement of the health of our peoples. At the same time, the VHL would be a tool for strengthening health systems and for sustainable human development in the region.
The development of the model is based on the following principles:
- Search for equity in access to health information.
- Promotion of alliances and consortiums to maximize the shared use of resources.
- Promotion of cooperative work and exchange of experiences.
- Decentralized development and operation at all levels.
- Development based on local conditions.
- Establishment and application of integrated evaluation and quality control mechanisms.