Protecting health care: Experts share best practices during regional meet
The Health Care in Danger (HCiD) unit of the International Committee of the Red Cross and two leading medical universities of Pakistan, Khyber Medical University and Jinnah Sindh Medical University, jointly organized the second Asia-Pacific Regional Health Care in Danger Meeting from 21 to 24 June 2021.
The HCiD initiative has transitioned from holding annual meetings of global organizations and agencies concerned to bi-annual regional meetings in line with the current strategy emphasizing the use of concrete measures at the local and national levels.
The meeting provided a platform for different parties concerned across the Asia-Pacific to share experiences, best practices and recommendations for addressing and preventing violent attacks against health care workers and facilities.
Besides taking stock of the progress made since the first regional HCiD meeting in 2019, the event also highlighted the protection of health care as a critical field of work and a common concern with broader objectives to form and strengthen partnerships.
The event comprised four sessions based on the main themes of the HCiD Theory of Change and featured a spotlight session on the progress made under the HCiD initiative in Pakistan.
The closing session featured a video showcasing the efforts taken by the ICRC and its partners to foster respect for health care workers and facilities. Participants also observed that the COVID-19 pandemic has further demonstrated the importance of the inviolability of health care and the cascading negative consequences of not respecting it.
