World Immunization Week
Humanly Possible. This is theme of World Immunization Week 2024. Humanly Possible is a testament to what can be achieve when humanity works together for a better future. Since the latter half of the 20th Century, coordinated, global immunization campaigns have saved millions of lives. Humanly Possible also reflects our continued commitment to ensure that every community has access to the vaccines and information they need for a healthy future, free from unnecessary illnesses and deaths.
Communicable diseases
Communicable diseases are diseases that spread from person to person or from animals to humans. Learn about various communicable diseases below and about what the IFRC and our National Societies do to keep communities around the world healthy.
Torbjorn 'Thor' Pedersen, Part 1: He went to every country in the world without flying. His message: humanity is alive and well, despite the headlines
Part 1 of our interview with Torbjørn ‘Thor’ C. Pedersen, the first person to visit every country in the world without flying. But that’s not his only distinction. He also visited nearly every National Red Cross and Red Crescent Society in the world and wrote stories forhis travel blogabout their response to a staggering varietyof humanitarian challenges. His key takeaway: despite some very real dangers faced along the way — and the headlines we all read every day — the vast majority of humans on earth are kind, welcoming and want to help others. And he wants the world to know it. [Part 1 of a two-part interview].
Malaria
Malaria is a preventable and treatable disease transmitted by mosquitoes.According to the WorldHealthOrganization (WHO), malaria kills more than 619,000 people every year. Pregnant women and children are at highest risk, with an estimated two thirds of malaria deaths among children under the age of five.
Green Logistics Guide
The Green Logistics Guide provides advice and practical tips on how to improve the environmental sustainability of National Societies' and the IFRC'slogistics and supply functions.
The guide covers a range of subjects, all aimed at reducing carbon emissions, reducing waste, or reducing our environmental footprint in other ways. There are examples from across the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, and references to find further guidance
IFRC condemns killing of Sudanese Red Crescent volunteer while on duty
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) confirms the killing of Hossam El-Din Awad Mohamed Khalifa, a volunteer from the Sudanese Red Crescent Society, in Tuti Island, Khartoum State, on 10 April while on duty. Reports indicate that Hossam was fatally shot while he and other volunteers were providing first aid services during the Eid prayer. Eight others were injured in the incident.The IFRC strongly condemns this violence and asserts that healthcare workers must be respected and protected under all circumstances. We extend our deepest condolences to Hossam’s family and colleagues.Since the beginning of the year, nineteen IFRC network members have died while performing their vital humanitarian duties. This violence must end. They are #NotATarget.
Swedish Red Cross
World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day
8 May is World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day—a global day to celebrate the uniqueness and unity of our International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.
MENA Migration Network 4th Annual Meeting Report
Gaza: A family of volunteers, helping others while they themselves cope with the hard realities of conflict
“I wake up early at seven in the morning to attend to the family's needs, then head to the nearby market, which is one kilometer away. I search for something to feed my hungry children.”This is how a typical day starts for Youssef Khoder, a Palestine Red Crescent volunteer from northern Gaza. Youssef comes from a family of volunteers. His mother is an obstetrics nurse, his brother Mahmoud and Ibrahim are also both nurses.“We have been working at the PRCS medical point in Jabalia since its establishment,” he says. “We were displaced and had to move to a shelter center, but now the situation has changed, and we have returned to our homes.”After getting food at the market, Youssef and his wife start a fire to prepare food for their young children. The eldest daughter, Ayloul, is 6 years old. Mohammed is 4, and Ghaith is 2. Then Youssef is off to meet his brothers at the medical point in Jabalia.“We walk 2 kilometers back and forth every day to reach the medical point where we volunteer,” he says. “We carry out our work because it is our humanitarian duty, continuing to serve our people in northern Gaza.”A vital point for community health amid conflictThe medical point consists of a large tent, inside which there are about a dozen rolling hospital gurneys or beds. The medical post in Jabalia, in the Northern Gaza Strip, has remained operational and provided medical and health services to thousands of affected people even when key hospitals went out of service; it continues to provide services despite the shortage of medicine.While his brothers attend to patients, Youssef takes photos as part of his responsibilities documenting the work of his Palestine Red Crescent colleagues. This is important role in documenting the humanitarian needs as well as the reporting to the world what the Red Crescent is doing to try and address those needs.This is not as easy as it may seem. With power outages and damaged communications infrastructure, the simple act of sending the photographs to headquarters is not so simple."After the afternoon prayer, I walk one kilometer to a high-altitude location so I can catch a signal and gain internet access. I spend half an hour sending files to the administration before returning to the medical point. We spend an hour with colleagues before heading back, sometimes stopping by the market to get some food for suhoor and for the next day. However, food is scarce and the prices are very high."During Ramadan, all this was done while fasting from sun up to sun down. After work, they would return home before breaking their fast (iftar). "My family and I sit together. I break my fast with them, pray the Maghrib prayer, have tea, and then return to the medical point on foot. I work for a few hours before coming home late.Concerning food scarcity, it’s like we have been fasting for 6 months, so it’s not just during Ramadan.We continue to work with even greater determination than before, and we pray that we remain able to serve the people, and that Gaza’s dark days will soon pass.”
World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day: How humanitarian principles help keep humanity alive during times of division in Myanmar
Dr. Chaw Khin was only in fifth grade when she took part in first aid training sponsored by the Myanmar Red Cross Society, laying the foundation for a lifelong dedication to the Fundamental Principles of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.Later, during her university years, she began actively engaging in Red Cross activities within her community.Now, aged 66, Dr. Chaw serves as the chair of the Magway Region Red Cross Supervisory Committee. Her transparent approach and emphasis on the Fundamental Principles haspaved the way for effective response in a time of uncertainty and recurring crises.In February 2021, the political and humanitarian landscape drastically changed in Myanmar. Already dealing with the continued impact of COVID-19 and harsh economic conditions, the Magway Region was then affected by clashes between various factions, leading to the displacement of thousands of people.Undeterred, Dr. Chaw navigated the complex environment, conducting dissemination sessions on humanitarianprinciples in order to build trust with people affectedby these crises, as well as all other groups, organizations and agencies involved.A critical foundation, says Dr. Chaw, has been the principle of Independence, which means the Red Cross only focuses on its mandate to help people in need and is not part of any particular group’s agenda.“It’s important to continuously promote and emphasize the independence of the Myanmar Red Cross in all and any form of engagement with all partners, whether formal or informal,” Dr. Chaw says.This is particularly important when various sectors of the community do not trust each other. “Advocacy to local authorities and community has led to increased acceptance in most of the Magway region, but some areas still experience hatred between different sides in the conflict,” she says.That distrust and division is one reason thatACAPS, an organization that seeks to help humanitarians make informed decisions, has categorizedMyanmar as one of five countries globally in “extremely severe constraints" in terms of humanitarian access.Those difficulties also affectthe Myanmar Red Cross, and this is why Dr. Chaw’s transparent and persistent negotiations and dialoguewith numerous groups and communitiesare so important.Supporting the volunteersAsMyanmar Red Cross volunteers are part of the communities they serve, this unrest and upheaval affected them too. Many were displaced from their townships.Dr. Khin made it a priority to keep in touch with her volunteers and ensure they were given as much support as possible.The maintenance of volunteer registration cards, a process she diligently oversaw as a leader, ensured continued support for the volunteers, even in new and challenging circumstances.From pandemic to stormsThe true impact of Dr. Chaw 's leadership unfolded during relief distributions to vulnerable communities. During the pandemic, she served as chair of the COVID-19 Response Committee in Magway Region. In that role, she helped establish strong community relationships and gained the trust of local authorities.In May 2023, Cyclone Mocha – tied with 2019’s Cyclone Fani as the strongest ever recorded in the north Indian Ocean - wreaked havoc in the western and northwestern parts of Myanmar, bringing new misery to struggling communities.During all these challenges, Dr. Chaw played a crucial role in ensuring equitable community access to health, water, sanitation, and education services.Humbled by her experiences, she is full of praise for the Myanmar Red Cross Society and thevolunteers of the Magway Red Cross branch, for everything they do to keep humanity alive.By Swe Zin Myo WinPhotos: Khaing Wai Aung and Htun Kyaw, Myanmar Red Cross Society