Colombia: Seeking solutions to the lack of respect for health services
28-07-2014 Event
Saving lives is a risky activity for many health-care workers around the world. They face threats, crossfire and physical attacks on a daily basis. During 2012 and 2013, the ICRC documented 1,809 incidents of assaults or threats against patients, health-care personnel, ambulances and health-care facilities in 23 countries. Experts and authorities from Latin America will meet in Bogota to share experiences and find solutions.
Event Info
Where: Bogota, Colombia
When: 29.07.2014-31.07.2014
Organizers
- Ministry of Health and Social Protection of Colombia
- International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
- Colombian Red Cross
- Norwegian Red Cross
Participants
Around 70 experts from 12 countries, including authorities from Latin America, representatives of international institutions such as the World Health Organization (WHO), the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and the World Medical Association (WMA), as well as the ICRC and national Red Cross societies.
Objectives
The event in Bogota will promote the exchange of good practices between Latin American countries to improve safety and reduce the vulnerability of health-care services. Participants will seek possible initiatives of cooperation between states.
Discussions will be organized on the following topics:
- Global and regional initiatives to reduce the humanitarian consequences of threats and attacks on health-care services
- Humanitarian consequences of the lack of access and respect of health-care services in Latin America
- Solutions to reduce the vulnerability of health-care personnel
- The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement's Health Care in Danger project
For more information on this event, please contact:
Patricia Rey, ICRC Bogota (Colombia), tel: +57 311 491 07 89, @PReyCICR
Lina Paola Díaz, Colombian Red Cross, tel: +57 312 351 96 11
Alexis Heeb, ICRC Geneva, tel: +41 79218 76 10, @AHeebICRC