BMJ Edition www.bmjwa.com

Looking back, time has gone by very quickly indeed. In January 1995, Dr Joseph Ana attended a conference at BMA House, Tavistock Square, London hosted by the BMJ for stakeholders in health information dissemination in Africa and met with Richard Smith and Geoffrey Burns, editor and executive director, respectively, on hearing about the local editions of the BMJ for the first time.

Later that year, he and Dr Baba Gana represented the Nigerian Medical Forum UK (NMF UK), a UK registered charity of Nigerian doctors and health professionals residing in UK and Ireland, as observers, at the Athens LEAP ( Local Editors and Publishers) Conference of the BMJ. In September 1995 a delegation of the BMJ and the NMF UK visited , to discuss the setting up of what became BMJ Nigeria Edition ( 1996-7) and BMJ West Africa edition ( BMJWA)( from 1997- ).

Today, BMJWA is the foremost peer reviewed, general medical journal in the sub-region. It has appeared quarterly since July 1996 when the maiden issue was launched, in a region where the mortality of such publications after only a few issues is the norm. The terrain is rough because subscription numbers are low and support from pharmaceutical and other corporate or individuals is lacking.

By a combination of focus on the original vision by the current proprietor, determination to succeed in the face of lack of profit for long periods, encouragement and financial and material support from the BMJ Publishing Group in London this international edition ( formerly local edition) of the BMJ has survived and even waxed strong, judging by its list of achievements . We refer to this, proudly as BMJWA track record: - June 2005 commissioned its own VSAT connection to the model Health Information Resource Centre which was established in May 2003. In a continent where internet connectivity is a major draw back in the dissemination of health information, we consider this a significant milestone in our service to all health workers in this part of the world. - February 2005 collaborated with the Federal Ministry of Health of Nigeria to run a workshop on HIV / AIDS for primary health workers in State - December 2004 collaborated with the State Action Committee on AIDS ( SACA) to host the first HIV / AIDS summit in Calabar, Nigeria attended by 475 participants - October 2004 collaborated with the World Bank and State ministry of health to run a workshop for 400 health workers on Emergency care skills acquisition in Calabar and towns. - Collaborated with The NMF Nigeria chapter and Africa Health and Education Foundation ( AHEF) to run a workshop on Evidence Based Health Care in Lagos and - Ran a collaborative workshop on health personnel capacity building and leadership skills in Lagos with the State ministry of Health in 2003

- Collaborated with the ministry of Health and Teaching Hospital to run its second Masterclass Lecture on MALARIA in Calabar by Professor Ezedinachi in Sept 2003 - Participated in the 4th Nigeria National conference on AIDS April 2004 - Collaborated with AHEF to implement a programme on behavioural change in HIV / AIDS May 2004 - Collaborated with Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine on dissemination of systematic reviews guidelines in Calabar in 2002 / 2003 - Ran the 3rd health writing skills workshop for 174 health workers in calabar, Abuja, Lagos in September 2001 - Hosted the first Masterclass Lecture in Lagos delivered by Prof. Richard Smith, Editor BMJ - Hosted the second health writing skills workshop / critical appraisal acquisition in Accra and Kumasi, Ghana attended by over 502 participants in April 2001 - Started the health writing skills workshops in West Africa beginning in Abuja and Lagos Nigeria to increase the submission and quality of papers to the BMJ from health workers in the region in April 2000. This was a pioneering initiative in the region.

Easily the boldest initiative of BMJ West Africa is the concept, design and establishment of the Health Information resource Centre in Calabar, Nigeria in an effort to bring paper and electronic information to doctors and health workers nearer and cheaper to their place of work. Now in its third year it is a valuable resource to health practitioners previously undreamed of in third world Africa. It has made available to health workers in these parts current information to them similar to what is available to their colleagues any where else in the world and hopefully should improve their practice and patient care. The BMJWA run workshops on critical appraisal and appropriate application of research results will enable the practitioners filter the stuff from the chaff on in the internet!.

We acknowledge with many thanks the help we continue to receive from BMJ Publishing Group London whose franchise has enable us do the much we have to date. We thank our colleagues in West Africa for their encouragement. We are grateful to the governments of Cross River State and State both in Nigeria for their patronage of the Resource centre concept. We must mention the assistance of the Ghana ministry of Health when we first ran the writing skills workshop in Accra and Kumasi. To those Drug companies which continue to support the publication with advertisement we are eternally thankful. Finally we thank all the editors in chief over the years, the editorial advisers, other editors staff and personnel of BMJWA for there perseverance, commitment and resilience. We look forward to working with you all during the next 10 years.

Submitted by Dr Joseph N.E.Ana Mentor, BMJ West Africa edition www.bmjwa.com [email protected] 20 Eta Agbor Road, Calabar, Nigeria