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 Home > ICRC Activities > Assistance > Health News Gaza: ICRC medical team still banned from Gaza 3-1-2009 Operational update Includes Photo 29-12-2008 Operational update Section Health services for people affected by war Section on how the ICRC seeks to reduce death, disease, suffering and disability in war by ensuring access to health care of a universally accepted standard. Community health, health in prison, physical rehabilitation, war surgery, and weapons and health. Information on humanitarian assistance training courses (HELP).  ref. LK-D-00014-02 Health service activities are designed to give people affected by conflict access to appropriate basic preventive and curative health care that meets universally recognized standards, a task which entails assisting local or regional health services and sometimes stepping in for them on a temporary basis.  Key document1-3-2000 Health services: introductionThe ICRC Health Services Unit aims to assure that victims of war have access to essential preventive and curative care of a universally accepted standard. The ultimate objective is to contribute to a reduction in mortality, morbidity, suffering and disabilities caused by excessive needs or insufficient health care provision. (ICRC Activities\Assistance\Health) Includes Photo Audio Collection3-7-2006 First aid in armed conflicts: new manualThe ICRC has just published a new manual entitled First Aid in Armed Conflicts and other Situations of Armed Violence. It contains specific, practical information for those providing first aid and draws on the considerable expertise built up over many years by National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the International Federation and the ICRC. (Info resources\Audio) Audio Collection Includes Audio Feature26-12-2008 Zimbabwe: supporting health workers in the fight against choleraOn a cloud-filled December morning, a team of five health workers based at Beatrice Infectious Diseases Hospital in Harare waits to liaise with the ward nurses in charge at this cholera treatment centre. The nurses have been assessing those admitted to the hospital overnight with suspected cases of cholera. (The ICRC worldwide\Africa\Zimbabwe) Feature Includes Photo 23-12-2008 Zimbabwe: going from door to door in the fight against choleraOver 1,000 people have reportedly succumbed to cholera in Zimbabwe, while some 18,500 more are said to have contracted the illness. The ICRC is working with the health ministry to contain the epidemic. (The ICRC worldwide\Africa\Zimbabwe) Feature Includes Photo 8-12-2008 Democratic Republic of the Congo: Charlotte’s smileCharlotte Tabaro is a psycho-social worker in one of the two centres that the Red Cross Society of the DRC has set up in the displaced persons’ camps at Kibati, near Goma. Charlotte has been trained by the ICRC to care for victims of the conflict, to listen as they tell of their suffering and to provide counselling. The counselling centres are known in French as “maisons d’écoute” – literally, “listening houses”. Here, suffering meets compassion and hope. (The ICRC worldwide\Africa\Congo-Kinshasa) Feature Includes Photo 26-11-2008 Zimbabwe: coping with the cholera outbreakThe ICRC-supported Budiriro Polyclinic in one of Harare's densely-populated suburbs is a hive of activity. The entrance is crowded with people, some lined up at the gate waiting their turn to enter. In recent weeks, Budiriro has been converted into a “Cholera Treatment Unit” to help deal with the epidemic. (The ICRC worldwide\Africa\Zimbabwe) Feature 29-10-2008 Guinea-Bissau’s Red Cross volunteers are fighting cholera Since May of this year, Guinea-Bissau has been in the throes of a cholera epidemic. By early October, 9,843 cases had been recorded and the death toll had risen to 178. The epidemic has hit mainly the south west of the country and the capital, Bissau, where various agencies have been working. In the isolated enclave of Sao Domingos, the ICRC has been mobilizing and training volunteers from the Guinea-Bissau Red Cross and supporting their efforts to fight the disease. (The ICRC worldwide\Africa\Guinea-Bissau) Feature Includes Photo 21-10-2008 Philippines: caring for the sick and woundedSince the Philippines government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front resumed fighting in August, medical personnel in Central Mindanao have been working around the clock. The ICRC’s Iolanda Jaquemet talks about their daunting task. (The ICRC worldwide\Asia and the Pacific\Philippines) Feature Includes Photo 15-10-2008 Georgia: you can't put hope in a boxKakha Khasaia's career with the Red Cross spans 16 years during which he has done practically every job, from guard to head of office. Jessica Barry caught up with him at his base in Zugdidi. (The ICRC worldwide\Eastern Europe and Central Asia\Georgia) Feature Includes Photo 1-10-2008 Georgia: the elderly hard-hit by conflictWhen conflict in Georgia drove thousands of people from their homes, those too old and weak to flee stayed behind, often isolated. Zoé Brabant, a member of the ICRC mobile health team that went into Gori to assist them, shares her experience. (The ICRC worldwide\Eastern Europe and Central Asia\Georgia) Feature 10-9-2008 Georgia: ICRC mobile clinic helps villagers with chronic diseases For people cut off from health services in remote villages affected by the conflict in Georgia and South Ossetia, the mobile clinic run by the Norwegian Red Cross and ICRC is a lifeline in more ways than one. (The ICRC worldwide\Eastern Europe and Central Asia\Georgia) Feature 21-8-2008 Pakistan: a lucky escapeLife is precious. Tajir Hussain and his family know just how precious. His life was ebbing away as he lay in a deep coma. Then he recovered miraculously just when all hope seemed lost. The ICRC’s Sitara Jabeen reports. (The ICRC worldwide\Asia and the Pacific\Pakistan) Feature 11-8-2008 Côte-d'Ivoire: hospital reprieves lifelineThe Korhogo hospital has few resources and scores of indigent patients. But once in a while its dedicated staff, working together with the ICRC, manage to save a life – like that of Amandine.* Report by Iolanda Jaquemet. (The ICRC worldwide\Africa\Cote d'Ivoire) Feature 19-5-2008 Afghanistan: students at Kandahar earn top marks for blood donationMirwais hospital in Kandahara is the reference health facility for conflict-affected southern Afghanistan, covering provinces such as Kandahar and Helmand. But its operations are often at risk because of a shortage of blood. The ICRC's Abdul Kabir reports. (The ICRC worldwide\Asia and the Pacific\Afghanistan) Feature Includes Photo 8-5-2008 Uganda: an HIV-clouded pregnancy – and yet, a smileMargret Achieng is HIV-positive and about to deliver. But, thanks to a new programme put in place with the support of the ICRC, her baby should not be infected. Iolanda Jaquemet reports from Northern Uganda. (The ICRC worldwide\Africa\Uganda) Feature Includes Photo 30-4-2008 Sri Lanka: ICRC flight provides lifeline to JaffnaThe ICRC has been operating a weekly charter flight between Colombo and the Jaffna peninsula since the closure of the main A9 highway in 2006. The flight has become a lifeline to patients needing specialized surgery, medical diagnosis or treatment not available on the peninsula. (The ICRC worldwide\Asia and the Pacific\Sri Lanka) Feature 25-3-2008 Zimbabwe: the long road to giving birthMona-Lisa was born in good health after her mother trekked over 15 kilometres at nine months pregnant to get to the nearest hospital. The ICRC is supporting 16 health structures in three rural districts to help fill some of the more troubling gaps in Zimbabwe's ailing healthcare system. Robin Waudo reports. (The ICRC worldwide\Africa\Zimbabwe) Feature Includes Photo 31-10-2007 Afghanistan: on the frontline of health careSharifa Seddiqi is a most unusual woman. Not only is she the sole female surgeon in Afghanistan's war-ravaged southern province of Kandahar, she also runs Mirwais hospital in Kandahar, the main hospital in the region. (The ICRC worldwide\Asia and the Pacific\Afghanistan) Feature 1-10-2007 Uganda: promoting community health in GuluLabworomor health centre in Gulu district has made a remarkable difference in the lives of thousands of local residents and internally displaced people. However, the small four-roomed building that houses the clinic has not been spared by the 20-year conflict that has ravaged northern Uganda. Journalist Denis Ocwich reports on the ICRC's comprehensive effort to rehabilitate 13 dilapidated health centres in the region. (The ICRC worldwide\Africa\Uganda) Feature Includes Photo 10-9-2007 Southern Sudan: twice a survivor of warAlthough the conflict between the southern and the northern regions of Sudan ended in 2005, many of its victims are still striving to rebuild their lives. Mayon Deng, 42, joined the Sudanese army in 1984 and was dismissed in 1996 when he lost his left leg in combat. In November 2006, an attack in Malakal resulted in the amputation of his remaining leg. The ICRC's communication delegate in Juba, Robin Waudo, tells Mayon's story. (The ICRC worldwide\Africa\Sudan) Feature Includes Photo 9-5-2007 Zimbabwe: helping health authorities combat malaria in isolated communitiesMalaria is Zimbabwe's second biggest killer, after AIDS. The ministry of health has developed an effective strategy to combat the disease but does not always have the resources to carry it out, so the ICRC is pitching in. (The ICRC worldwide\Africa\Zimbabwe) Feature Includes Photo 30-1-2007 Darfur: weighing up the situation as community spirit thrives in Gereida campAt this time of year, the flimsy grass and tarpaulin shelters that are home to over 120,000 people in Gereida camp provide little protection from the whipping wind. At the moment however, it is not so much the weather that is troubling people in this vast sea of displaced humanity, but concern about food. The ICRC's Jessica Barry reports from the heart of the camp where kinship values are alive and well. (The ICRC worldwide\Africa\Sudan) Feature Includes Photo 18-1-2007 Darfur field surgical team: saving lives in the classroomThe ICRC undertook to address the needs of weapon-wounded people in Darfur with the establishment in April 2005 of a fast-response, mobile field surgical team (FST). The ICRC's Jessica Barry recounts the story of a teaching nurse who recently had the opportunity to experience the daily travails of the FST firsthand. (The ICRC worldwide\Africa\Sudan) Feature Includes Photo 1-8-2004 Landmine victim assistance Anti-personnel mines are designed to shatter lives and limbs beyond repair. If the person who steps on or touches a mine is not killed by the explosion, he or she typically undergoes multiple operations and the amputation of one or more limbs, followed by lengthy physical rehabilitation. Disabled for life, mine survivors require long-term care. (ICRC Activities\Assistance\Health) Feature Field newsletter22-2-2008 Uganda: 2008 health activities in northern districtsDetails of the ICRC's programmes, focussing on water and sanitation and other aspects of community care, in areas that have been affected by the conflict. (The ICRC worldwide\Africa\Uganda) Field newsletter Includes PDF ICRC film29-12-2008 TV spot: Keep health workers safe!When people are wounded or fall sick during armed conflict and internal violence, health workers are there to help. They take risks, but they don't take sides. (Info resources\ICRC publications and films\Films\Protection) ICRC film Includes Video ICRC Publication26-6-2006 First Aid in armed conflicts and other situations of violenceA practical manual presenting the specific knowledge, skills and practices that First Aiders should have to act safely and effectively when caring for people caught up in armed conflicts and other situations of violence, such as internal disturbances and tensions. (Info resources\ICRC publications and films\Publications\Assistance) ICRC Publication Includes PDF 31-12-2001 Care in the Field for Victims of Weapons of War. A report from the workshop organized by the ICRC on "Pre-hospital care for war and mine wounded"This report is designed for health professionals who work in the area of care for people wounded by weapons, who plan such care and who train others to give it. The objectives of the report are to define clearly and justify the elements of first aid and treatment which are appropriate in any situation where there are wounded people; to ensure that health professionals know what constitutes, in the context of care in the field, the right treatment at the right time and in the right place; and to recommend priorities for moving wounded people to a surgical hospital. (Info resources\ICRC publications and films\Publications\Assistance) ICRC publication 31-12-2001 Humanitarian action and armed conflict: Coping with stressThis brochure is intended for ICRC staff and humanitarian professionals working in conflict zones or other emergency situations. It describes and proposes ways of dealing with the various emotional reactions that may arise as a result of a traumatic event or from the difficulties encountered daily in the field. It contains a self-evaluation test. (Info resources\ICRC publications and films\Publications\Assistance) ICRC publication 31-12-1996 War and public health : handbook on war and public healthA manual intended for medical and other personnel responsible for humanitarian activities in armed conflicts. It covers the following topics: setting up a health-care system that meets the essential needs of war victims, particularly of displaced persons; public health tools most frequently used for evaluation, establishment of priorities, analysis of possible activities and their follow-up; protecting war victims and aspects of humanitarian law related to health; and lastly, ethical problems. (Info resources\ICRC publications and films\Publications\Assistance) ICRC publication International Review of the Red Cross30-9-2000 Preventing and limiting suffering should conflict break out: the role of the medical profession(Info resources\International Review\2000 - No. 839) International Review of the Red Cross 31-3-1999 Prevention, armed conflict and public health(Info resources\International Review\1999 - No. 833) International Review of the Red Cross Interview30-12-2008 Somalia: surgeons save lives far from homeMohammed and Amin are surgeons. For 14 months, they left their well-equipped hospital back home to work at Keysaney and Medina Hospitals in Mogadishu. During a brief stop in Geneva on the way home, they took time out to talk about surgery, Somalia … and football. (The ICRC worldwide\Africa\Somalia) Interview 19-11-2008 Gaza: responding to urgent medical needs of choked-off StripAs a result of the closure imposed on the Gaza Strip since 5 November, medical facilities are once more running out of essential supplies. This has dire consequences for the health of the Palestinian population. Katharina Ritz, the ICRC's head of mission for the occupied Palestinian territories, talks about the humanitarian situation and the organization's efforts to respond to the most urgent needs. (The ICRC worldwide\Middle East and North Africa\Palestine) Interview Includes Photo 29-10-2008 Iraq: urgent need to safeguard life-saving medical actionDr Chris Giannou is a senior ICRC surgeon and has just arrived back from Iraq, where he has been running a seminar on war surgery. He spoke to us about the challenges facing both victims and medical staff and explains why training medical staff will remain a priority, along with support to emergency services and the renovation of health infrastructure. (The ICRC worldwide\Middle East and North Africa\Iraq) Interview Includes Photo 28-8-2008 Georgia: getting medical care to isolated people in and around GoriThe ICRC is actively working throughout Georgia to meet the needs of tens of thousands of people displaced or isolated by the armed conflict. Most recently, a mobile health clinic was set up and sent out to remote villages around the Georgian town of Gori and treated over 80 primarily elderly patients. Interview with an ICRC surgeon, Marco Baldan, who has just returned from Georgia. (The ICRC worldwide\Eastern Europe and Central Asia\Georgia) Interview Includes Photo 27-8-2007 Supporting Mirwais hospital in southern Afghanistan The ICRC's head of delegation in Afghanistan, Reto Stocker, talks about the ICRC's ongoing assistance for surgical services at Mirwais hospital in Kandahar and explains why the organization has upgraded its support to include the entire hospital. (The ICRC worldwide\Asia and the Pacific\Afghanistan) Interview Includes Photo Job opportunity31-3-2008 Profession: doctor (public health)In the field (About the ICRC\Human resources\Skills always in demand) Job opportunity Includes Photo Operational update6-11-2008 Georgia / Russian Federation: a difficult winter ahead Three months since war broke out between Russia and Georgia, thousands of people face a difficult winter. The ICRC has been helping the most vulnerable including the displaced, dispersed families and the elderly. (The ICRC worldwide\Eastern Europe and Central Asia\Georgia) Operational update Includes Photo Photo Collection16-9-2008 Somalia: bringing health and hope to a beleaguered people The ICRC has extended its support to 32 Somali Red Crescent clinics in central and southern Somalia, which have treated over 140,000 patients and provided more than 60,000 vaccinations since January 2008. The organization also continues to support the two surgical referral hospitals in Mogadishu, Medina and Keysaney. (Info resources\Photos\Africa) Photo Collection Includes Photo 27-3-2008 Zimbabwe: providing vital drugs and safe water to rural health centres Zimbabweans are facing extremely hard economic times resulting in the highest inflation rate in the world, a situation which is putting added pressure on the country's already weakened healthcare system. The ICRC is supporting 16 rural health structures in three districts. (Info resources\Photos\Africa) Photo Collection Includes Photo Press article2-1-2008 Haunted guests: Iraqis seek refuge with their neighbours In the largest population movement in the Middle East since 1948, a huge influx of Iraqis is putting pressure on services in Jordan and Syria. How are their Red Crescent Societies responding to the needs? Article published in the Red Cross Red Crescent Magazine, No 3, 2007 (The ICRC worldwide\Middle East and North Africa\Iraq) Press article Includes Photo Report15-11-2006 Declining health services in the Palestinian territories: an ICRC reportSince the beginning of 2006, the ICRC has repeatedly warned of the deterioration of the humanitarian situation in the Palestinian territories. An ICRC report issued today documents the tragic consequences that the interruption of essential health services has had on the Palestinian population. A key finding is that it is the poor, whose numbers are increasing because of the overall economic decline, who are predominantly affected by the current interruption of health services. (The ICRC worldwide\Middle East and North Africa\Palestine) Report Includes PDF, Photo Video Collection10-12-2008 Pakistan: help for Quetta earthquake victims In October 2008, an earthquake of 6.4 magnitude hit Baluchistan province in south-west Pakistan. In the district of Ziarat, near Quetta, villagers try to save what's left from their wrecked homes. ICRC and Pakistan Red Crescent Society’s volunteers provide tents for the homeless. Some of the injured recall the night the earthquake struck. (Info resources\Video) Video Collection Includes Video More in this section1-12-2005 A special thought for those who are struggling with AIDSOn World AIDS Day, ICRC staff member Médiatrice Nsekalije urges us to break down the barrier of indifference that stands between us and those who are living with HIV/AIDS. (ICRC Activities\Assistance\Health) 28-2-2002 A supportive programme for the humanitarian aid workers of the ICRCExtract from "Revue Française de Psychiatrie et de Psychologie Médicale", février 2002 - Tome VI - No 53. Article reproduced on this site with the kind permission of the publisher. (ICRC Activities\Assistance\Health) 1-5-1998 Emotional group debriefing of humanitarian aid workers: the experience of ICRCExtract from Swiss Archives of Neurology and Psychiatry, 1998;149:218-28. Article reproduced on this site with the kind permission of the publisher. (ICRC Activities\Assistance\Health) Other site10-9-2007 World Global FundThe Global Fund was created to finance a dramatic turn-around in the fight against AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. These diseases kill over 6 million people each year, and the numbers are growing. To date, the Global Fund has committed US$ 8.4 billion in 136 countries to support aggressive interventions against all three diseases. (Info resources\Other sites\United Nations) Other site 4-4-2005 Center for Communication Programs of Johns Hopkins UniversityThe Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health established CCP in 1988 to consolidate health communication programs originating in the 1970s and early 1980s and focus attention on the central role of communication in health behavior change. (Info resources\Other sites\Institutes and universities) Other site  |
