HCID Initiative

A global initiative

Health Care in Danger (HCID) is an initiative of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement aimed at addressing the issue of violence against patients, health workers, facilities and vehicles, and ensuring safe access to and delivery of health care in armed conflict and other emergencies.

THE Health Care in Danger STRATEGY 2020-2024


We work in three distinct but interconnected areas:

Consolidating and improving field practices and national responses to violence

HCID supports the implementation of concrete, practical measures and operational responses at national and local levels to prevent violence and safeguard health care in armed conflict and other emergencies. Our goal is to: influence the doctrine and practice of weapon bearers, assist States in strengthening their domestic legislation, build up the resilience of health-care systems to violence and to campaign for behavioural change among civilian populations.

DOWNLOAD THE PUBLICATIONS ON MEASURES FOR THE PROTECTION OF HEALTH CARE.

The mobilization of a broad Community of Concern

The Community of Concern is a catalyst for change, supporting, at the local level, the implementation of recommendations and measures to protect health care. It is made up of health professionals, governments, weapon bearers, civil society representatives, NGOs, international organizations and more. Together with this community and through research, debate, consultations and workshops worldwide, the HCID initiative has identified a number of recommendations and practical steps to safeguard health-care services.

HOW TO JOIN THE HCID COC? contact the delegation in your country or write us an email at gva_hcid@icrc.org

Evidence-base generation

Our work is underpinned by sound evidence generated locally and geared towards the development of preventive solutions by linking operational work to data and research, developed through partnerships with health-care organizations in countries affected by conflict and other emergencies. Given the maturity of the normative framework, diplomacy and mobilization have to be brought closer to the ground – that is, to regional and national forums – where they can lead directly to better local ownership and action


 

HCID convenes a global dialogue with the following organisations :

The International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations (IFMSA) envisions a world in which medical students unite for global health and are equipped with the knowledge, skills and values to take on health leadership roles locally and globally. Founded in 1951, it is one of the world’s oldest and largest student-run organizations. It represents, connects and engages every day with a network of 1.3 million medical students from 145 national member organizations in 134 countries. The IFMSA has a long track record in human rights, peace and humanitarian action. Its Standing Committee on Human Rights and Peace (previously the Standing Committee on Refugees) has been working since 1983 to empower and mobilize medical students to promote and protect human rights and peace, and introduce them to humanitarian action through capacity building, field projects, advocacy and policy making. The IFMSA endorses the HCiD initiative through online awareness campaigns as well as through capacity building, transforming the Violence Against Healthcare Massive Open Online Course into a 3-day peer to peer workshop in collaboration with the ICRC. In addition, IFMSA adopts a policy on the Protection of Health Services, guiding its advocacy on the pressing need for the international community to act in favor of protecting patients and healthcare workers in addition to access to healthcare in conflict zones.