From May to July 2021, the International Council of Nurses, the ICRC, the International Hospital Federation and the World Medical Association – four international umbrella organizations which are members of the global Community of Concern of the Health Care in Danger initiative – carried out a joint survey to evaluate the perceptions of violence against health care during the early stages of the pandemic and to identify good practices implemented to prevent, reduce or mitigate incidents according to country’s circumstances and health personnel’s perspectives. The members of the four partner organizations replied to the survey voluntarily, based on their specific knowledge of the location. The analysis proposed in this report focused on qualitative data around good practices shared by the members across countries with differing Human Development Index values. Results demonstrate the persistence of violence against health personnel in all responders’ locations, with a higher frequency of incidents after the coronavirus pandemic started. It documents practical solutions initiated by health entities to tackle violence at community level in the areas of security, promote safer work environments, care for staff’s mental health and well-being, and address gaps in communication and coordination.
