Disaster response for the International Federation of Red Cross
and Red Crescent Societies means to be the first one on the
spot, save lives through search and rescue, first aid and early
referral by trained volunteers in National Societies, prevent
suffering, re-establish and maintain health.
It equally means to be internationally prepared and ready to
support or complement affected National Societies in their care
for the most affected and vulnerable through established response
systems and tools like adapted assessment tools, Emergency Response
Units, Health information and monitoring systems, Kits, specially
trained regional and international assessment and coordination
teams, etc.
Through our universal presence we are able to effectively act
at local, regional and global level.
The International Federation applies a Public Health in Emergencies
approach when responding to health aspects of crises. This involves
addressing the immediate needs among the most affected and vulnerable
by filling a temporary gap or overload in the health care system
caused by the disaster, complementary to the government and
other agencies' capacity.
We provide basic, standardized and targeted quality service
to as many as possible through specialized emergency response
units for basic health care, district level hospital services
and water and sanitation.
We engage in disease prevention and epidemic control through
health promotion. In particular we focus on reducing the impact
of the five worst killer diseases in emergencies, address mother
and child health, contributing to reducing maternal and neonatal
morbidity and mortality, an often forgotten entity in disasters.
Our main strength is to work with the affected community and
going the "last mile" between the periphery of the health system
and the victim, reaching out to the unreachable and most vulnerable,
even in difficult security environments as for example in Afghanistan.
This is only possible through ongoing health preparedness, first
aid and health trainings in the community, standardization efforts
of trainings, equipment and supplies, and through monitoring
of standards and performance within our Movement, in line with
Sphere standards, to which we contributed.
Since the Kosovo crisis, we have continuously scaled up efforts
to address psychosocial needs of victims, volunteers and staff
and we are able to show a great learning curve in this health
sector in emergencies. Addressing stress management of self
and in a team is standard in delegate and team leader trainings.
Our work is planned, implemented and monitored in the closest
conjunction with the National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
of the countries concerned.
This takes full account of their role as auxiliaries to the
public authorities in the humanitarian field, and consequently
we are able to work well with Ministries of health and other
agencies entrusted with disaster management responsibilities.
This relationship point has been of great value to our other
partners, including international organisations, as they conduct
their activities relevant to crisis situations.
We have been a reliable partner to UN family agencies in the
joint work on reproductive health in emergencies since 1994.
For example, we have been a member of the Inter-Agency Working
Group on Reproductive Health in Refugee situations since 1995.
It is one of the leading groups in addressing the reproductive
health needs of conflict affected populations.
Within it, the International Federation contributed to the Inter-Agency
Field Manual for Reproductive Health in Refugee Situations,
published in 1999 and to the Inter-Agency Global Evaluation
of Reproductive Health Services for Refugees and Internally
Displaced Persons in 2004.
We are committed to further increasing efforts of addressing
HIV/AIDS in emergencies along with our partners and as part
of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee Task Force on HIV/AIDS
in emergency settings since its inception.
Last week, WHO and the International Federation signed a Joint
Letter of Cooperation to further scale up their extensive cooperation,
among others in the field of public health in emergencies, acknowledging
their complementary approach to vulnerability to disease as
a major cause of poverty.
This provides a global basis for strong partnerships already
established between the two organizations underlining cooperation
in emergencies in the Americas, Asia and Middle East region.
Chair, when the emergency recedes, the media departs and the
limelight subsides, the National Societies and the International
Federation remain engaged as long as it takes.
We seek to build sustainable preparedness and capacity within
communities and in National Societies utilizing health as a
motor, as we will endeavour to do in the Tsunami affected countries.
We believe that post disaster rehabilitation is closely linked
to building resilience and self-reliance in the communities
and that health has to be at the centre of these efforts.
This work is also linked to our support for the achievement
of the United Nations Millennium development Goals, for they
are as relevant to emergencies and follow-up rehabilitation
work as they are for broader developmental programming.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
has been working at the forefront of public health in emergencies
and commits to remain a strong health partner to governments
and agencies in disaster response and rehabilitation.
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