Newsletter December 2014
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NEWSLETTER DECEMBER 2014 Editorial 1 Field focus: Nepal 4 Latest 2 Experts’ corner 6 New tool for State armed forces 3 Community of concern 8 New e-learning tool for health-care workers 3 WE MUST LEARN FROM EACH OTHER And the lessons are All of us – medical professionals, government National Societies working in different to be found every- officials, representatives of international contexts. It is therefore in a unique position where, not only in organizations, members of civil society to enrich the HCiD project with a variety places ravaged by – have a role in building a protective of good practices derived from the field conflict, like Gaza environment for health-care systems, experience of thousands of staff and ERCS and Syria. The nationally and internationally. The president volunteers. As ambassadors for HCiD in number and the of the International Committee of the Red their own countries, National Societies can seriousness of attacks against health-care Cross (ICRC) and other panellists made this provide evidence-based recommendations, workers and facilities and medical vehicles point during the high-level debate that took adopt practical measures based on their recorded in 2014 are proof that safe provi- place on the sidelines of the 69th General experiences and propose contextualized sion of health care is still a pressing issue in Assembly of the United Nations (p. 2). responses that contribute to the safety of many contexts. health-care delivery. The example of Nepal As neutral, independent and impartial in this newsletter (p. 4) is one of many that The International Red Cross and Red Crescent humanitarian actors, we must make show how parties concerned can work Movement, together with various partners, ourselves heard by the parties concerned, together to respond to HCiD challenges and undertook the Health Care in Danger (HCiD) whether they are State or non-State groups. develop activities adapted to the context. project because it understood the urgency Data on violent incidents since 2011, of protecting the delivery of health-care collected by the ICRC within the framework Finally, sharing our experiences and learning services during armed conflicts and other of the HCiD project, show that 90% of all from each other’s good practices is of crucial emergencies. The project got under way in the victims of violence against health-care importance if we want to protect and 2011, and the global advocacy, networking, workers are local, not international, staff. improve the delivery of health-care services and consultations that ensued have expanded The consequences for victims and entire during emergencies. I invite you to read the beyond the Movement. This is as it should be, communities may be extremely serious: interview with Abdoul Aziz Ould Mohamed HCiD having emphasized from the outset that because of such violence, health care may no (p.7). See what he did to save a hospital from an issue of such common concern needs not longer be available where it is needed most, being targeted. only universal attention, but also concrete and entire health systems may be severely actions by all those involved: health-care undermined. For National Red Cross and Dr Nehal Hefny providers, national legislators, policy-makers, Red Crescent Societies, the stakes are high. Programs and armed actors, the international humanitarian We must remember that the Movement Projects Coordinator community and civil society. contains the cumulative experience of 189 Egyptian Red Crescent Society NEWSLETTER LATEST States have a key role in preventing involved in ensuring the implementation it was suggested that long-term support violence against health-care personnel of concrete measures to protect access from governments for promoting respect for and facilities. In this connection, a high- to and delivery of health care. Specific health-care workers was crucial for realizing level panel debate took place in New York reference was made to implementing the the MDGs. in September, on the margins of the 69th measures that emerged from the HCiD *** session of the UN General Assembly. It experts’ consultations and workshops, In October, an HCiD event – “Responses from brought together ICRC President Peter such as adopting strong domestic the Movement, States and the health-care Maurer, WHO Director-General Margaret legislation for protecting health-care community” – was held on the margins of Chan, UN Deputy-Secretary-General Jan personnel and facilities, medical vehicles the 9th Asia Pacific Regional Conference of Eliasson, OCHA Under-Secretary-General and patients, sharing good practices and the International Federation of Red Cross Valerie Amos, government representatives adopting a UN resolution on preventing and Red Crescent Societies in Beijing. It from Norway and Sweden, and the former violence against health care. The ICRC was hosted by the Afghan Red Crescent Minister of Health of Côte d’Ivoire. All presented a position paper containing Society and the Nepal Red Cross Society, the panellists, and speakers from the key recommendations for States, on and highlighted the part National Societies audience, called for all those concerned, protecting their health-care systems and could play in protecting health care, not particularly States, to be more actively making them more resilient. only through their own activities, but also by lobbying influential parties concerned. In July, the Colombian Ministry of Health, The group developed recommendations for The event was moderated by the Australian with support from the Colombian Red ambulance personnel and discussed best Red Cross. Cross and the ICRC, organized a regional practices in connection with the conduct of *** workshop in Bogotá, Colombia. The event personnel, coordination in the field, training, The Stockholm International Peace Research gave National Red Cross and Red Crescent and preventing misuse of Red Cross and Institute, in cooperation with the Swedish Societies and government representatives a Red Crescent ambulances and equipment. Red Cross, organized a day-long event platform for exchanging good practices from *** entitled “Violence against health-care throughout Latin America and for finding The World Medical Association’s 65th workers: Translating research into action.” It solutions to the problem of disregard for general assembly, which took place in was held in November and gathered experts health services. Participants described the October, in Durban, South Africa, offered from various backgrounds to consider various risks to health-care services across an excellent opportunity to discuss the how research could support humanitarian the continent; afterwards, working groups links between the Millennium Development action more effectively. The participants discussed the measures that have been taken Goals (MDGs) and the HCiD project. It was also discussed the various obstacles to to reduce the vulnerability of health-care clear to participants in a session titled collecting data on the scope, nature and services, and further action in this regard. “Universal Access to Healthcare after MDGs” impact of violence against health care, *** that no progress could be made in the MDGs and how these data could be used most In September, the HCiD project was presented related to health without securing the safety effectively to provide pertinent and timely at the annual conference of the International of patients and health-care providers. In fact, humanitarian action. Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) in Bangkok. During the HCiD session, participants learnt The 12th joint African Union (AU)- and the continental level, which included about the risks pharmacists were exposed ICRC joint seminar – on protection for strengthening domestic legislation and to during emergencies and about strategies health-care services in armed conflict providing training for the armed forces, for mitigating them. The recommendations and other emergencies – took place in civil servants and health-care workers. The that emerged from the HCiD experts’ Addis Ababa in October. Participants seminar drew on the experiences of WHO, consultations and the HCiD platform discussed the role of the AU and its the South African Medical Association, the attracted a great deal of interest. The FIP member States in addressing the issue Egyptian Red Crescent Society and certain declared its willingness to pursue the subject of violence against health care. The AU’s AU member States that were dealing with of HCiD further with the Movement. Permanent Representatives’ Committee the adverse effects of armed conflict and *** made 20 recommendations for dealing other emergencies on national health- In September, the Norwegian Red Cross with the problem, both at the national care services. organized a workshop in Cartagena, Colombia, on ambulance and pre-hospital services in risk situations. The workshop was hosted by the Colombian Red Cross and attended by representatives from the National Societies of Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico and Israel. ICRC 2 LATEST NEW TOOL FOR STATE ARMED FORCES Data gathered by the ICRC since 2012 in in conflict zones – drew on their experiences 23 operational contexts, and published to discuss how health-care delivery could be in an annual interim report titled Violent protected more effectively. Incidents Affecting the Delivery of Health Care, show that weapon bearers are among The measures that emerged from this the main perpetrators of violence against process are presented in