11/04/2025 |

Article

Empress Shōken Fund announces grants in 2025 to support Red Cross and Red Crescent projects in 17 countries

The Joint Commission of the Empress Shōken Fund (ESF) has announced a new distribution of funds, totalling 502,578 Swiss francs, which will support 16 projects run by 17 National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. The commission is administered by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).The projects chosen cover a variety of issues, including blood transfusion services, disaster preparedness, first aid and rescue, health, youth and National Society development.The countries where the projects are being implemented are Afghanistan, Argentina, Angolajointly with Mozambique, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ecuador, Fiji, Ghana, Guatemala, Jordan, Morocco, Slovakia, Slovenia, Somalia, Trinidad and Tobago and Zambia.The ESF received 63 applications over the last year for the 104th distribution of income, representing the largest number of applications ever received.In 2024, the ESF strengthened its pipeline of innovation initiatives by enhancing the rigour of its application, review and learning processes. This was done by introducing an innovation framework, making the selection criteria clearer, using innovation experts for assessments and promoting structured experimentation to enable more impactful, replicable solutions across the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.As a result of these enhancements, the quality of applications in 2024 improved significantly, with proposals demonstrating greater innovation, clarity and alignment with the Movement’s priorities.This upward trend confirms the value of ESF’s reinforced focus on innovation, experimentation and learning, and it highlights the ongoing need to support National Societies as they test and scale up new approaches to increase the impact of their humanitarian projects.With a total value of over 15 million Swiss francs, the ESF supports projects run by National Societies that benefit the communities they serve in many different ways. The first ESF grant was awarded in 1921 to help five European National Societies fight the spread of tuberculosis.Since then, over16 million Swiss francs has been allocated to 175 National Societies.The grants are announced every year on 11April, the anniversary of the death of Her Majesty Empress Shōken, one of the founders of the Japanese Red Cross Society.2025 grantsBlood donation and first aidFiji: Digital blood donation platformFiji struggles with maintaining stable blood supplies due to logistical gaps and low donor engagement. This initiative creates a mobile app that will help the National Society manage donors, improve communication and gamify the donation experience. As Fiji’s first digital blood management tool, it will revolutionize outreach and retention of blood donors. With many small island states facing similar challenges, the app-based solution is a promising, replicable model.Slovakia: First aid digital educationSlovakia has one of the lowest levels of first aid knowledge in Europe, leading to thousands of preventable deaths. This initiative introduces the first free digital first aid training app and course in the country, making life-saving knowledge accessible and engaging. Its innovation lies in removing cost and access barriers through interactive learning. The tools are digital by design and can be shared or adapted widely across Europe.Disaster preparedness and responseAngola and Mozambique: Peer-to-peer disaster responseThis initiative marks the first peer-to-peer learning initiative between two Portuguese-speaking National Societies – Angola and Mozambique – in which each National Society will build on the strengths of the other to co-develop disaster-preparedness systems. Facing frequent emergencies and limited coordination mechanisms, this initiative introduces shared procedures, a joint volunteer tracking system and collaborative training workshops. It sets a precedent for mutual capacity strengthening and cross-border cooperation, offering a scalable and replicable model for other linguistic or regional partnerships.Trinidad and Tobago: Drones and geographical information systems for disaster preparednessFlood-prone rural communities lack risk data and real-time early warning systems. This initiative empowers them with drones and geographical information systems technology for local hazard mapping, training community resilience groups to lead disaster planning. It is the first initiative of its kind in the country and places cutting-edge technology in the hands of local actors. The model is well positioned for replication in small island and disaster-prone areas globally.Health and hygieneAfghanistan: Integrated TB/HIV screening at mental health centreIn Afghanistan, mental health patients are often excluded from mainstream TB/HIV health services, increasing the risk of outbreaks. This initiative fills that gap by integrating screening within a Red Crescent mental health centre, complemented by staff training and stigma reduction campaigns. The innovation lies in combining mental and infectious disease services under one roof, with strong potential for replication across other health centres and conflict settings.Argentina: Mental health and gambling preventionWith online gambling addiction surging among teens, this youth-led initiative tackles a growing mental health crisis through research, prevention education and advocacy. This is Argentina’s first national study on adolescent gambling, and uniquely integrates youth participation at all levels. The mix of data-driven policy work and peer-led awareness offers a model that can be applied in other countries facing similar digital addiction trends.Guatemala: Healthy life, healthy communityWith dengue cases surging, volunteers in Guatemala are unprepared to respond effectively. This initiative trains volunteers in prevention and equips them to lead micro-projects and clean-up campaigns. The innovative element is the initiative’s use of volunteers as community health educators and action leaders, supported by digital tools for tracking. The model’s grassroots structure makes it easy to replicate in other vector-borne disease hotspots.Somalia: Soap factory initiativePoor hygiene infrastructure and reliance on costly hygiene-related imports leave Somali communities vulnerable to preventable diseases. This initiative sets up a volunteer-run soap factory to produce affordable hygiene products locally. The initiative is innovative in how it fuses local manufacturing with WASH programme delivery and community engagement. The small-scale, volunteer-led model is ideal for replication across Somalia and in other resource-constrained settings.Youth engagement and empowermentBosnia and Herzegovina: Climate action ambassadors fellowshipThis programme not only fills a leadership vacuum but directly counters youth emigration by giving young people a reason to stay engaged locally. With tools like a volunteer handbook and leadership camps, it systematizes climate-action learning. The success of this initiative opens pathways for replication by any National Society seeking to activate youth climate leadership.Jordan: Youth engagement and activity centreJordanian youth volunteers lack structured spaces and systems to coordinate humanitarian action, leading to low retention and missed opportunities. This initiative establishes a dedicated Youth Engagement Centre and a digital volunteer management system to professionalize and energize youth participation. It is the first of its kind in Jordan, combining physical space, tech and training to build a volunteer pipeline. With its modular set-up and digital backbone, it is highly replicable across National Societies seeking to scale up their impact for young people.Slovenia: Let’s Face the ClimateThe initiative addresses the lack of involvement of young people in climate programming by giving them tools and platforms to lead change. By integrating structured curricula with digital tools and advocacy channels, it makes climate action tangible and appealing to young people. The blended format – interactive learning and youth-led projects – offers a replicable strategy for youth mobilization across Europe and beyond.Livelihoods and economic empowermentEcuador: Gamified hydroponics for food securityFood insecurity and youth unemployment are growing in rural Ecuador, compounded by land and water scarcity. This initiative uses gamified learning to teach hydroponic farming – blending tech, nature and hands-on education. Its innovation lies in making sustainable agriculture fun and accessible, especially to young people. The approach is highly replicable, especially in areas facing similar climate and food system pressures.Morocco: Vocational skills for rural womenRural women in Bab Taza face high unemployment due to lack of formal education and skills training. This initiative will build a local training centre offering sewing, tailoring and marketing workshops to turn skills into sustainable income. It is innovative in how it bridges vocational skills with entrepreneurship and branding, setting women up for long-term independence. Its modular approach makes it adaptable for other rural areas across the region.Climate action and environmental sustainabilityGhana: The Green WomenRural communities in Ghana face worsening climate-related impacts, water scarcity and soil degradation, with women and young people often excluded from sustainable economic opportunities. This women-led initiative addresses the urgent need for climate-resilient agriculture by providing mobile solar irrigation, composting and tree planting. Its innovation lies in combining renewable technology with agroforestry and business skills, creating both environmental and economic resilience. With scalable solar irrigation units and replicable training modules, the project can be adapted across similar farming communities.Democratic Republic of the Congo: Green School BrigadeWith massive deforestation and limited environmental education, young people in the DRC are disconnected from climate action. This initiative activates school brigades to lead tree planting and environmental education, promoting youth volunteerism and long-term climate consciousness. It is innovative in how it embeds humanitarian values into environmental action at a school level, and is highly replicable across schools and provinces with basic resources and Red Cross Youth coordination.Zambia: Youth-driven sustainable waste managementRapid urbanization and poor waste management in Lusaka’s informal settlements create major health and climate risks, particularly for young people. This youth-led initiative tackles waste through recycling, composting and community awareness, while creating green jobs. Its innovation lies in linking environmental action with youth economic empowerment, supported by digital tools and local business partnerships. The model is community-driven and scalable to other urban areas across Africa.Read about the Empress Shôken Fund’s grant allocations in 2024.

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17/04/2025 |

Press release

Ecuador Oil Spill One Month On: Red Cross Distributes Over One Million Liters of Water and Calls for Increased Humanitarian Assistance

Quito / Panama City / Geneva, Thursday, 10 April — One month after a devastating oil spill in Ecuador affected more than 300,000 people, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and the Ecuadorian Red Cross have distributed over 1.8 million liters of safe water to communities whose water sources were contaminated or where piped water service was suspended.In Esmeraldas—the province hardest hit by the oil spill—1.2 million liters of water have been delivered. An additional 622,000 liters have supported communities affected by ongoing heavy rains and floods. The rainy season has left over 139,000 people in urgent need of assistance, particularly in the provinces of El Oro, Guayas, and Manabí.“Clean water continues to be one of the most urgent needs in communities affected by the oil spill and floods, " said the Ecuadorian Red Cross president, Dr. Roque Soria. “Our priority is to ensure that families have access to sufficient quantity and quality water for drinking, cooking, washing and keeping animals and crops alive, especially in rural areas.”To scale up water distribution, a M15 large-capacity Emergency Response Unit (ERU) purification system mobilized by the Honduran and other Red Cross partners has arrived in Ecuador. This sophisticated treatment unit is expected to produce safe drinking water for more than 15,000 people per day in the most affected communities in Esmeraldas. A water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) specialist from Honduras has also been deployed to support its installation and operation.This effort is part of a broader international response coordinated by the IFRC, which has launched an Emergency Appeal for 4.5 million Swiss francs to support over 176,000 people over the next 12 months. To date, only 11% of this money has been raised. The appeal aims to protect lives and livelihoods across the 14 provinces where the combined impact of the oil spill and severe flooding continues to disrupt daily life.Since the first days of the emergency, Red Cross volunteers have provided medical care and psychosocial support and distributed food, cooking kits, essential hygiene items, and tools to clean homes and properties damaged by flooding—reaching more than 14,000 people.“The response to the oil spill and the floods requires a sustained and coordinated effort,” said the IFRC’s Regional Director for the Americas, Loyce Pace. “We are working closely with the Ecuadorian Red Cross, sister Red Cross Societies, and partners to ensure no one is left behind, but increased international support is critical to meet growing humanitarian needs and help communities recover with dignity and resilience.”For more information and to set up an interview, please contact: [email protected]  In Panama - Susana Arroyo Barrantes +50769993199 In Geneva – Tommaso Della Longa +41797084367                      Hannah Copeland +41762369109  

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01/04/2025 |

Article

Protecting communities from epidemics in Kyrgyzstan’s rural north

The Talas region in northern Kyrgyzstan is known for its striking geography, made up of imposing mountains, impressive gorges and wild landscapes. It’s one of the most sparsely populated parts of the country, and people here largely rely on farming and agriculture for their livelihoods.Living and working in close proximity to livestock, many of which are not vaccinated against diseases due to the high costs, puts communities in Talas at an elevated risk of zoonotic diseases—diseases that can pass from animals to humans.In a bid to keep people in Talas safe and healthy, the Red Crescent Society of Kyrgyzstan (RCSK) is working hard to educate communities about different animal and human disease risks and introduce community-based surveillance (CBS) to detect and report potential outbreaks early to enable a rapid response.What is community-based surveillance?Community-based surveillance is the systematic detection and reporting of unusual health events within a community, by community members.It’s important in a rural and mountainous region like Talas, where people often have to travel long distances to access health services. If a disease outbreak were to occur and go undetected in Talas, it has the potential to spread and cause huge damage before health or veterinary authorities even have a chance to respond.Through the Programmatic Partnership with the European Union, the Kyrgyzstan Red Crescent began implementing community-based surveillance in Talas in 2024 with support from IFRC. It’s the first agency in the country to use this approach to contribute to national disease surveillance.“We have a memorandum with the State health and veterinary authorities that helps us implement community-based surveillance (CBS),” explains Gulnura Abdumanapova, Health Coordinator with Kyrgyzstan Red Crescent“We’ve trained 62 Red Crescent volunteers to recognize signs of the five most widely spread diseases in the area. Three diseases in humans: measles, acute respiratory infection and Hepatitis A. And two zoonotic diseases: anthrax and rabies. In addition, volunteers report any unusual animal deaths they detect.”“If volunteers see something unusual whilst out conducting risk communication activities within their communities, they send an SMS alert to their supervisor. Then the case is reported to the nearest medical or veterinary centre, at which point a doctor or veterinarian comes out to investigate. If volunteers don’t notice anything during their regular visits, they also send what’s called a ‘zero report’ via SMS. This confirms that the situation is normal and no risk is detected,” adds Gulnura. Since community-based surveillance was introduced in Talas in June 2024, seven alerts from trained Red Crescent volunteers have so far been escalated to health authorities for investigation, resulting in the confirmation and quick response to five cases of acute respiratory infections, one case of Hepatitis A and one unusual animal death.Volunteers from the community, protecting the communityKyrgyzstan Red Crescent volunteers are well-placed to conduct community-based surveillance in Talas because they come from the communities they serve—meaning they understand the local health context and challenges, are always present, and are trusted by their neighbours and peers.The volunteers trained in community-based surveillance were already doing important work in their communities to raise awareness about different disease risks and the steps people can take to reduce them—such as following proper hygiene measures, immunizing their children, and vaccinating their animals whenever they have the financial means.Now volunteers are also encouraging people to inform them whenever they experience unusual health symptoms or notice anything unusual about their pets’ or livestock’s’ health, so they can check the signs, report via community-based surveillance, and make sure people get help quickly.Keeping kids healthyAs well as introducing community-based surveillance and raising community awareness about infectious diseases, last year Kyrgyzstan Red Crescent also teamed up with local health authorities to run screening activities in Talas to check schoolchildren for signs of two zoonotic parasitic diseases.“The aim of the ultrasound screening program is to find and prevent echinococcosis and alveococcosis, two diseases that can be spread to humans by pets or wild animals. Children are vulnerable because they often play outside with animals without understanding it can be dangerous,” explains Elnura Turdukulova, Field Officer in the Talas Regional Branch of Kyrgyzstan Red Crescent.“We chose to conduct this work in Talas because the region previously experienced a deadly case. The parasites spread in the liver, so doctors check the liver first. One of our checkups resulted in the timely identification of disease in one of the pupils”, continues Elnura. The children who were screened received small presents for their courage during the ultrasound. They also took part in fun educational sessions with staff from Kygyzstan Red Crescent and local health authorities to learn about different disease risks and why they need to be especially careful around animals.--The activities outlined above were made possible thanks to the Programmatic Partnership with the European Union—an innovative, multi-year partnership between the IFRC, member National Societies and the EU to help communities worldwide reduce their risks and be better prepared for disasters and health emergencies.

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03/04/2025 |

Article

How the oil spill in Ecuador is affecting health, water, and livelihoods

Oil spills are not just environmental disasters; they pose serious risks to health and livelihoods. Even more so when the contaminated springs are the primary source of drinking water for the local population.That's the case in Ecuador's northern coastal region where, on 13 March, 2025, a rupture in Ecuador's oil pipeline system caused a catastrophic oil spill in the province of Esmeraldas, contaminating the Caple, Viche, and Esmeraldas rivers. On 22 March, a second spill worsened the situation.The crisis has affected 300,000 people, forcing authorities to cut off tap water supplies and rely on emergency water distribution. Without urgent intervention, this crisis will continue to escalate, placing even more people at risk.To understand the impact of an oil spill like this, we spoke with Dr. Pedro Porrino, Emergency Health Coordinator for the IFRC Americas office, who divides the impact into three main levels:1. Direct health risksOil is a toxic substance both through direct contact and through the gases it emits. Contact with the skin can cause dermatological reactions ranging from mild irritation to severe allergic reactions that can pose a serious threat to life.Additionally, inhaling toxic gases poses a significant risk, as it does not require direct contact with the substance. Anyone within the contaminated area may experience respiratory issues, ranging from mild discomfort to severe airway inflammation that can make breathing difficult or impossible.This is particularly dangerous for individuals with pre-existing respiratory conditions such as asthma or chronic bronchitis, as well as for young children, elders, and pregnant women, who are at higher risk.Beyond physical health, the disaster also has significant mental health consequences. The uncertainty, loss of resources, and disruption of daily life generate high levels of stress and anxiety. Affected families face emotional distress due to displacement, health concerns, and economic instability.2. Water contamination and public health risksThe spill has polluted rivers and streams that local populations rely on, rendering the water completely unfit for consumption and other uses. Depending on the affected area, underground aquifers - another crucial water source - may also be contaminated.This situation leads to a crisis in access to safe water, which, in cases of oil spills, can last for extended periods. The use of unsafe water sources can lead to gastrointestinal diseases and outbreaks of waterborne infections, further complicating the emergency.Additionally, the lack of water affects hygiene and sanitation, increasing health risks. It is also critical to guarantee the supply of safe water to healthcare facilities to maintain essential medical services.3. Livelihood disruptionsBeyond health risks, the oil spill has disrupted agriculture, livestock, and fishing - critical sources of income for many communities.Contamination can affect food security, as toxins can enter the food chain through water or direct exposure. Moreover, the disruption of economic activities vital to many communities worsens socio-economic conditions. The effects of oil spills can persist for long periods, increasing poverty and precarious living conditions, which are significant risk factors for health.Red Cross responseSince the crisis began, Ecuadorian Red Cross volunteers have been on the ground, providing essential aid and support to affected families. Their efforts include:Distributing emergency water supplies: More than 1,1 million litres of potable water have been treated and delivered to 22 communities.Providing hygiene kits and cleaning tools: To help prevent the spread of diseases.Offering medical assistance: First aid and emergency healthcare are being provided to people suffering from exposure-related health issues.Assessing and restoring water treatment plants: Ecuadorian Red Cross experts, along with IFRC specialists, are ensuring the operational status of water treatment plants in Esmeraldas, distributing sodium hypochlorite to purify water sources.The IFRC has launched an Emergency Appeal for 4 million Swiss francs to support 176,200 people across Esmeraldas, El Oro, Guayas, and Manabí provinces over the next 12 months.The operation will focus on providing clean water, medical care including mental health support, shelter assistance, hygiene items, and cash transfers for the most affected families.As part of this Emergency Appeal, the Honduran Red Cross mobilized a sophisticated mass water purification system to Ecuador, which is expected to distribute safe water to more than 15,000 people per day in the most affected communities. This shipment is accompanied by the deployment of two water, sanitation and hygiene specialists from the Honduran Red Cross.The Honduran Red Cross is sending these resources in its role as leader of the Wash Hub, an equipment and knowledge center formed by the Red Cross societies of Central America and the IFRC.The Ecuadorian Red Cross is at the forefront of response efforts, but they need international support to sustain and expand their humanitarian operations. By acting now, lives, livelihoods, and the dignity of the people affected by this disaster can be protected.

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27/03/2025 |

Article

Ebola outbreak in Uganda: Red Cross providing lifesaving support to communities as response continues

What is the current situation with the Ebola outbreak in Uganda?“On 30 January, Uganda’s Ministry of Health declared the country’s eighth outbreak of Ebola virus following the death of a nurse in the capital, Kampala. Contacts of this index case were traced. Those who tested positive for Ebola were successfully treated and discharged, triggering the countdown to declare the outbreak over. But then another cluster of cases was detected following the death of a young boy on 24 February. The boy’s mother and her newborn baby had also passed away a few weeks earlier, and their deaths are being treated as probable Ebola cases.”“As it stands, 12 Ebola cases have been confirmed, including two confirmed deaths, with an additional two probable cases—across six districts in Uganda: Kampala, Jinja, Kyegegwe, Mbale, Ntoroko and Wakiso.”“Although we have technically begun the second countdown, there remains a lot of uncertainty and the risk that there may still be cases within the community persists. Epidemiologists and surveillance teams are working hard to identify how these cases may have overlapped, as it is concerning that cases have been reported in different areas spread out across the country.”“We are supporting the Ugandan Ministry of Health, which has activated scenario two of its National Response Plan: ‘sustain’. This means there’s been a delay in the detection of cases outside the known contact list and that we must plan for the next 210 days— the period of at least 10 Ebola incubation cycles—rather than just focusing on the short term.”How is this outbreak different from previous Ebola outbreaks the country has faced, and are there any specific challenges?“There are several key differences to this outbreak. Firstly,cases have been reported mainly in cities and densely populated areassuch as Kampala and Wakiso, compared to the 2022 Ebola outbreak which struck the small town of Mubende. This makes contact tracing challenging due to the high population density, the fact that people are moving around a lot – both domestically and potentially internationally. And it increases the risk of transmission because people live in close proximity, sharing public spaces and transport.”“Secondly, the fact that the first case was detected post-mortem in the national referral hospital presents achallenge for the surveillance system. If it had been detected sooner, it would have been easier to conduct contact tracing and minimize the spread.”“Finally, and very importantly,this outbreak came while we are also fighting another epidemic: mpox. We had already been responding to mpox for some time and we now need to integrate both responses. It also means we have to adapt our risk communication efforts within communities, making sure they are aware of both diseases, the signs to look out for, the ways they can stay safe.”“On the positive side, all Ebola cases that have been confirmed and who have received treatment in this outbreak have been able to survive. Whereas there was a high case fatality rate during the last outbreak in 2022, so far we’re seeing a 100% recovery rate when cases are detected in time.”How is the Uganda Red Cross Society supporting the response?“We are doing a lot of different activities in support of the Ministry of Health, complementing their response and filling any gaps. We are involved incase management, supporting with emergency evacuations of suspected cases and referrals through our ambulance system.”“Our volunteers are doing a huge amount ofrisk communication and community engagement to explain the risks of both Ebola and mpox to the population, encouraging them to take preventive measures and report any unusual health symptoms. This includes addressing any rumours and concerns people have—sometimes we have to convince people that Ebola is even real.”“We have alsoactivated trained Safe and Dignified Burials (SDB) teams across the country who are ready to deploy if someone is confirmed to have died from Ebola in the community. These teams are trained to properly engage the community, helping them understand why the burial needs to happen in a certain way to prevent spread of the disease, and reassuring them. Because it’s a difficult time for the community. We have to get their approval.”How has Uganda Red Cross improved its preparedness for epidemics in recent years, and how is this helping with the response now?“The past few years we have really developed the tools, structures, and the technical capacity required to respond to outbreaks on this scale thanks to support from IFRC and our donors. On the human resource side, many of our staff and volunteers have been trained in safe and dignified burials, community-based surveillance, and risk communication and community engagement. These are personnel we have in-house and deploy straight away—we don’t need to wait for outside help to come in. We also already had equipment—vehicles, communication materials, prepositioned personal protective equipment (PPE) that we could use straight away.”“Something really important is that we already had an operational community-based surveillance system, which has been well-tested over many years. Although this isn’t nationwide, which would require significant resources, it has been an important part of our epidemic preparedness efforts in select, high-risk areas of the country. And we are now working to implement CBS in Ebola outbreak areas as part of our response so that volunteers can report suspected cases for rapid response.”“We have also worked closely with the Ministry of Health and other authorities on epidemic preparedness and response in recent years, which means our role is well-understood and we have good coordination systems in place to work together when disease outbreaks strike.”--For the latest updates on Uganda Red Cross Society’s response to Ebola and mpox,follow them on X orvisit the URCS website.You can also click here to donate to the IFRC’s Uganda Ebola outbreak appeal and support their lifesaving work.In recent years, the Uganda Red Cross Society has worked hard to improve its epidemic preparedness and response with support from:TheCommunity Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness Programme (CP3), funded by USAIDTheProgrammatic Partnership, funded by the European UnionAnEbola preparedness emergency appeal(2018-2021) and aDisaster Response Emergency Fund (IFRC-DREF) operation(2018-2020)

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21/03/2025 |

Article

World Water Day 2025: Angola Red Cross and IFRC bring safe, treated water and hygiene messages to communities hard hit by cholera

Ever since a cholera outbreak in Angola was first confirmed on January 7, 2025, Angola Red Cross volunteers have been at the forefront of the response, helping people avoid exposure to this often deadly water-borne disease. Sometimes, they even brought water into communities in buckets, balanced on top of their heads, to prepare oral hydration solutions or provide people with safe drinking water.The outbreak started in Cacuaco, a suburban area of Luanda Province. which hosts the country’s capital and approximately 1.2 million residents. Since then, the disease has spread to 14 provinces and 57 municipalities, with Luanda reporting the highest number of cases (3,788) .“The oral cholera vaccine is an important tool in the fight against cholera and this is the first time it is being used in Angola, but we always need to combine this with other preventative measures such as water treatment, handwashing with soap and sanitation.”Catarina Laurinda, coordinator of the Angola Red Cross response to the cholera outbreakThe outbreak continues to escalate due to poor sanitation, limited access to clean water, and high population density. In Cuanza Norte Province, the disease is taking lives at an alarming rate. Since the outbreak started, the Angola Red Cross trained 478 volunteers across six provinces (Luanda, Bengo, Cuanza Norte, Cuanza Sul, Uige, and Zaire) to support the Ministry of Health in raising awareness.Volunteers disseminated information on cholera’s causes, symptoms, prevention measures, and hygiene promotion through door-to-door and mass communication in schools, markets and other public venues.“Our volunteers are visiting households in cholera hotspots, supporting the Ministry of Health in setting up hand-washing facilities in key places, as well as providing safe, treated water and cleaning solutions for households,” explains Catarina Laurinda, who is coordinating the cholera response for the Angola Red Cross.“As part of water disinfection efforts, they have distributed more than 20.000 household water-treatment tablets in affected communities.”Angola Red Cross volunteers also track cholera transmission routes and ensure that people have access to safe water supplies, sanitation and hygiene services. Teams treat people at the community level by administering oral rehydration therapy to people with cholera and refer the most severe cases to hospitals.“When the cholera outbreak started in Cacuacuo, our first work was distributing water treatment tablets to ensure the population had access to safe water to drink,” saysJoana Manuel Joao, an Angola Red Cross volunteer.“This way, sick people could prepare the oral rehydration salts. We then demonstrated how to use the tablets and how to store the water properly so it does not get contaminated.”One of the main ways the volunteers support the cholera vaccination campaign is by building trust and engaging with communities. The volunteers reach out to traditional community leaders and disseminate information about the cholera vaccine, proper hygiene and sanitation practices.“The oral cholera vaccine is an important tool in the fight against cholera and this is the first time it is being used in Angola,”Catarina Laurina adds, “but we always need to combine this with other preventative measures such as water treatment, handwashing with soap and sanitation.”The larger challenge, however, is to ensure that future outbreaks can be avoided.“With the tools we have today and the knowledge we have had for over a century, cholera should not be a public health concern,”says Alexandra Machado, currently in Angola serving as IFRC’s public health coordinator. “We have seen cholera outbreaks becoming annual occurrences during the last years in this region.”“This is why the IFRC is supporting National Societies and communities to be better prepared, so that they are able to prevent cholera and other epidemics at community level.” This preparation and development work is a key part of IFRC’s Ending Cholera Plan, which stresses that water and sanitation services need to be accessible to all – and not just in response to outbreaks or emergencies.“If we really want to put an end to cholera, we need to acknowledge its roots causes,”explains Naemi Heita, who heads the IFRC’s Country Cluster office in Maputo and Angola. “Governments, NGOs, and the private sector must mobilize and increase investments in water, sanitation and hygiene infrastructures, health, and social systems so that they can withstand the fallout from disasters, conflicts, and climate change.”Learn more about the IFRC’s approach to water, sanitation and hygiene:IFRC water, sanitation and hygiene webpageIFRC Water and Sanitationresources for WASH practitionersIFRC and World Water DayRead other World Water Day 2025 storiesWorld Water Day 2025: From glaciers to the kitchen sink, a story of water and resilience from two mountain villages in TajikistanWorld Water Day 2025: Clean water is about safety, health and so much moreWorld Water Day: After the quake, Red Cross brings life-changing water to Vanuatu’s hidden communities

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18/03/2025 |

Article

Cholera: Early detection by Cameroon Red Cross volunteer helps limit epidemic

In November 2024, Cameroon Red Cross volunteer, Rouyatou, from Maroua was going about her day when she received an urgent call from one of her neighbours, Habiba. She had suddenly developed stomach pain, acute diarrhea and was vomiting.Rouyatou rushed to Habiba’s house. Thanks to training she’d received from IFRC, Cameroon Red Cross and French Red Cross incommunity-based surveillance, Rouyatou knew how to recognize signs of different diseases and quickly report them using a digital tool on her phone calledNyss.“When I saw Habiba, I had oral rehydration solution (ORS) with me, so I gave her a sachet and referred her to the nearest hospital. I also directly alerted my supervisor that it was a potential case of cholera,” explains Rouyatou.Upon receiving the alert, Rouyatou’s supervisor called her to discuss Habiba’s symptoms and immediately escalated the alert to local health authorities, triggering a rapid response to curb the spread of disease.In the days that followed, Cameroon Red Cross teams formed an integral part of the cholera outbreak response—continuing to alert authorities to potential cases and conducting a wide range of activities to keep the community safe.“We worked hard to raise awareness of the outbreak in the community—visiting people at their homes, mosques, water points, churches and markets and sharing messages over the radio. We told people about the importance of good hygiene and showed them how they could make their water safe to drink. We also conducted disinfection in homes around the neighbourhood,” explains Ali Adoum, President of Maroua 3 District, Cameroon Red Cross.Stronger, faster, closer, saferIn recent years, Cameroon has experienced repeated outbreaks of cholera, with the Far North region being one of the hardest hit areas. But with effective preparedness and response it’s possible to minimize their impacts and stop them in their tracks.Through theProgrammatic Partnership with the European Union, the IFRC and French Red Cross have teamed up to make sure Cameroon Red Cross’ epidemic preparedness capacity isstronger; outbreak response isfaster; health assistance iscloser to communities; and people aresaferfrom disease outbreaks.“The Far North region of Cameroon is prone to cholera epidemics due to communities’ limited access to hygiene and sanitation facilities and the region’s vulnerability to flooding. Through the programme, we thought it would be useful to train community volunteers to recognize and notify potential cholera cases in the community in good time, so that we can take action quickly to bring any epidemics under control,”explains Chimène Kenmeugne Tchuente, Deputy Head of the Epidemic Preparedness pillar of the programme in Cameroon from French Red Cross.In addition to training, the Programmatic Partnership had also provided handwashing equipment and cholera kits—consisting of oral rehydration serums, glucose serums and aquatabs for water disinfection—to local health workers prior to the outbreak, which were able to be quickly used in the response.The epidemic may be over, but preparedness never stopsThe November 2024 cholera outbreak in Maroua was contained within four weeks. Habiba, the first person to contract cholera in the outbreak, and who received support from Rouyatou, made a full recovery.127 cases were ultimately recorded, with two confirmed deaths. While even one death from cholera is a great tragedy, local health authorities report that this epidemic likely would have been far worse, and claimed even more lives, had it not been for the Cameroon Red Cross:“Thanks to the Red Cross, the cholera epidemic that broke out in the district was brought under control by the provision of medicines, logistical support, and the sensitization work by community volunteers in the neighbourhood. I’d like to thank the Red Cross for its support, for its swift and effective action, which really limited the damage in our district,”says Dama Patrice, Head of Maroua 3 District Health Office.Though the cholera epidemic was contained, Cameroon Red Cross volunteers continue regular sensitization efforts to keep people informed about a wide range of disease risks, making sure they know how to stay safe and keeping a close eye out for unusual health events.Rouyatou puts it best:“If we hadn't detected this case, just imagine.... The whole community would be suffering from this disease. I want the best for my community, and above all I want to see my community in good health. So, I am proud to volunteer.”--The activities outlined above were made possible thanks to theProgrammatic Partnership with the European Union—an innovative, multi-year partnership between the IFRC, member National Societies and the EU to help communities worldwide reduce their risks and be better prepared for disasters and health emergencies.

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16/01/2025 |

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Guinea Red Cross supports rural community to build its own health post to prevent epidemics

Imagine you fell really sick one day and instead of an ambulance coming to get you, or a loved one driving you to the hospital, the only option was for people in your village to physically carry you for hours across difficult terrain to reach the nearest health centre.This used to be the reality for people living in Kabayaba—a small, rural village of around 2,500 people in central Guinea. Located 24 kilometres by road from the nearest town (Tiro) and health centre, a costly journey which becomes nearly impossible in the rainy season when the surrounding rivers rise, the people of Kabayaba had long suffered from a lack of access to health services. This put villagers at a high risk of epidemics, as historically it took a long time to report disease outbreaks and for help to arrive."Previously, when someone fell ill here, we used to carry them on a stretcher to the Tiro health centre. When a woman had to give birth, we would put her on the stretcher, and we'd carry her all the way to Tiro," explains Sékouba Kandé, a resident of Kabayaba village.Through the Community Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness Programme (CP3), local Guinea Red Cross teams engaged the people of Kabayaba in a ‘community diagnostic’ process to identify villagers’ biggest health concerns and find potential solutions. Knowing that women in the community are typically expected to go along with their husband's wishes, volunteers held separate discussions with men, women, and young people so that each group’s needs and ideas could be heard in an equal and balanced way.Villagers unanimously decided they wanted to build their own health post in Kabayaba so they’d no longer need to evacuate sick people and pregnant women to Tiro for medical assistance. Guinea Red Cross teams then supported the community to develop an action plan—identifying the steps they needed to take to fund, build, and staff the health post—and come up with a timeline for the works.Over the course of three years, the Kabayaba community rallied together to build bricks, chop wood, and source all the materials needed to build the health post. People worked in the nearby town, grew crops in the village, and fundraised from the village diaspora to collect the money needed to complete the project.At the same time, the Guinea Red Cross helped the community advocate to local health authorities, who, recognizing the community’s resourcefulness, agreed to assign three medical staff to the health post and fully stock it with medical supplies.Opening its doors in February 2024, the Kabayaba Health Post is now the pride and joy of the community, offering a wide range of health services including check-ups, immunization, maternal and child health, and minor surgery.“Before, to get help for my high blood pressure, my son had to hire a motorbike to take me to Tiro or Faranah. But now, with this health post, I regularly come here on foot. A lot of people now come for a quick consultation because it's close by and doesn't require a lot of money. We thank God and those who built this health post,”says Fèrai Oularé, Kabayaba resident.While the risk of infectious diseases persists in Kabayaba, the presence of the local health post significantly reduces the risk of diseases spreading by ensuring early detection and action of unusual health events.“This health post plays an important role in preventing epidemics. It is close to the community and allows us to treat patients quickly. Our job is to provide initial care or alert our supervisors in the event of an epidemic,” explains Saliou Oulare, Head of the Kabayaba Health Post.Alongside continued support from CP3 volunteers, the Kabayaba health post helps strengthen the health system in Faranah by offering local, timely and high-quality medical services and by improving the community’s health resilience to epidemics."Today, my family and my community benefit from the health post. If someone falls ill, they go to thehealth postfor treatment and then go home. We've said goodbye to our problems," adds Fatoumata Condé from Kabayaba.---The activities featured in this article are part of the multi-countryCommunity Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness Programme (CP3).Funded by theU.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), CP3 supports communities, Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, and other partners to prepare for, prevent, detect and respond to disease threats.If you enjoyed this story and would like to learn more,sign up to the IFRC’s Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness Newsletter.

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14/01/2025 |

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Early detection and action save young girl from dengue in Indonesia

Single mother, Evi Herawati, from Saruni village in Pandeglang, Indonesia had already suffered unimaginable loss when she discovered her youngest child, Syera, had contracted dengue fever last February.Within the space of a year, Evi had not only lost both of her parents, but her husband passed away unexpectedly, too, leaving her to raise their four children alone. So when little Syera started showing worrying health symptoms—fever, shivering, and a bleeding nose—Evi feared the worst.“When my child got sick, I didn’t know it was dengue fever. When I found out it was dengue, my heart dropped. I felt like my soul left my body. Why does it have to be my daughter? Take me instead,” she explains.Thankfully, help swiftly came in the form of family friend and Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) volunteer, Bu M’Bai.Recognizing the symptoms and the urgency of the situation, Bu M’Bai quickly reported the suspected dengue case to her supervisor, who escalated it to the local health authorities. She and her fellow volunteers then quickly took Syera and Evi on their motorbikes to the nearest health centre, where Syera received the urgent medical assistance she needed to survive.“My daughter was treated for six days. The PMI team always came to visit, they monitored every day. I was very moved by PMI. I was delighted that there is someone who could help, who is always ready to help,” says Evi.Happily, Syera made a full recovery and is back to her normal, bright self—playing with her friends, going to school and helping Evi around the house.What is dengue fever and why is it a public health threat in Indonesia?Dengue fever is a viral disease spread by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, typically found in countries with tropical and subtropical climates. Symptoms include fever, headache, pains and a rash, and severe dengue can lead to death if not detected and treated quickly.Dengue cases surged across Indonesia in 2024 and there are fears that rising temperatures due to climate change will create more favourable conditions for dengue-carrying mosquitos to replicate and survive longer, risking even more lives across the country.But through the Community Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness Programme (CP3), funded by USAID, the Indonesian Red Cross is supporting communities and partners to reduce dengue risks so stories like Evi and Syera’s can become a thing of the past.A prepared community is a healthy communityCP3 volunteers conduct regular house visits, hold community meetings, and run sessions in schools to educate people about the dangers of dengue, what to do if they notice symptoms, and the steps people can take to stay safe. These include wearing long clothing, applying mosquito repellent, and following the ‘3M program’ to eliminate potential mosquito breeding grounds in the home: draining water containers (‘menguras’), covering water sources (‘menutup’), and recycling items which could collect water (‘mendaur ulang’).Ade Sutisna, Head of Saruni Village, reports seeing real change thanks to this community engagement:“The community here is vulnerable to diseases. But with the presence of CP3, thank God, when community members are ill, they take swift action and the volunteers quickly bring them to the hospital. A few years ago, a lot of people would die here due to dengue fever. Now, with the health promotion and preventive measures from volunteers, the number of cases has reduced.”Promoting a clean environmentTo further reduce dengue risks at the community level and foster community spirit in the fight against dengue, CP3 volunteers run weekly ‘Clean Saturday’ events whereby community members conduct a mass clean-up of their local area. People unite with brooms, dustpans and brushes, binbags and other cleaning equipment to tidy up their community, remove litter, and drain any stagnant water sources. CP3 volunteers also assist with larvae monitoring at these events, distributing a special insecticide powder called Abate which can be safely added to people’s drinking water stores to kill mosquito larvae.Early detection, early action, healthier communitiesUsing a digital community-based surveillance system set up in 2022 called ‘SatuSBM’, CP3 volunteers, like Bu M’bai, are constantly on the lookout for signs of dengue and other unusual health events in their community and can report alerts at the press of a button to their supervisors and local health authorities. Not only does this facilitate a rapid health response and help save lives, like in Syera’s case, the data collected also supports the Indonesian government to monitor dengue cases, identify any hotspots, and take further action at scale.As Dian Handayani, Deputy of Prevention and Disease Control for Pandeglang District Health Office, puts it:“We have dengue endemic districts here in Pandeglang which experience cases throughout the year. We greatly appreciate PMI, we feel like partners. PMI has mobilized the people to be on the lookout for mosquito larvae at home, to help us by reporting cases discovered by the people to our health workers so that we can treat them quickly and appropriately. This can support the eradication of dengue fever.”--The activities featured in this article are part of the Community Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness Programme (CP3).  Funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), CP3 supports communities, National Societies and other partners to prepare for, prevent, detect and respond to disease threats.  If you enjoyed this story and would like to learn more, sign up to the IFRC’s Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness Newsletter or visit the Indonesian Red Cross Society’s website.

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03/02/2025 |

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Two years later, a survivor of the Türkiye-Syria earthquake is seeing a better, safer and healthier future

The devastating earthquakes that struck southern Türkiye in 2023 affected millions of lives, leaving destruction and hardship in their wake. Among the survivors is Canan, a mother of four who, along with her family, resides in a container city in Hatay.Canan’s story is one of perseverance despite physical and emotional scars. “During the earthquake, a wall collapsed on my face and back,” she recalls. “I was badly injured. That period was incredibly painful. For a while, I was bedridden. I went through long treatments. Now, I can walk without a walker”.While Canan regained her mobility after her prolonged treatment, she also lost vision in one eye due to debris falling on her face. What affected her most deeply was losing her eyelid, which left her unable to close one of her eyes.“I couldn’t bear to look in the mirror. I always felt bad seeing myself like that and didn’t want to go outside,” she said, reflecting on the emotional toll the experience took on her.Not aloneFortunately, Canan did not have to face this enormous life challenge on her own. Along the way, her psychological recovery has been supported by the Turkish Red Crescent (TRC), which provided trauma counseling for earthquake survivors. The project was done in cooperation with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), which launched a global emergency appeal within days of the initital earthquakesShe also received critical help through another collaborative TRC and IFRC programme that aims to ensure the safety and protection of people who are often particularly vulnerable following a large-scale disaster – women, children, the elderly and the disabled.Those efforts include financial aid that can provide people with greater stability and independence while also helping them meet other urgent needs such as health care, access to medicine, education opportunities, legal help or psychological support.Such services greatly reduce the chances that people in vulnerable situations are further harmed, abused or exploited, and they greatly increase the chances for a full and dignified recovery.In Canan’s case, the program enabled her to access health services for physiotherapy and treatment to restore her eyelid function.Though she still cannot see from one eye, Canan feels immense relief and gratitude for the chance to regain her confidence.“They supported me a lot,” she says of the Red Crescent. “I didn't want to show my face to anyone. I even got over that. Now I am very confident. I am normal. One of my eyes is blind, but I still have many friends and loved ones.”Comfortable and confidentAnother significant impact of the earthquakes was her intense fear of entering buildings, a common reaction among survivors. "I couldn’t enter concrete buildings before. I was terrified. But after receiving weekly psychological support from the Turkish Red Crescent for several months, I began to overcome it.”Canan can now get into the buildings, even into high-rise ones.“For the first time after the earthquake, I even went to my sister’s apartment on the 12th floor. Before the psychological support, I wasn’t even going outside. Now I feel more comfortable, more confident. I feel much better," she explained.The earthquakes left millions without homes or livelihoods, and vulnerable groups have been particularly affected. For individuals like Canan, who faced both physical and psychological challenges, these support mechanisms offer a crucial lifeline, enabling survivors to regain their dignity and rebuild their lives.A better life aheadA recent survey showed that the cash assistance programme is having a concrete, measurable impact. According to the study, 88 percent of the people who participated in the project reported improved living conditions.Thefollow-up assessment of the programme, known as Post-Distribution Monitoring, reveals that 51 percent of those who took part used the provided assistance to reduce or eliminate health-related protection risks.Ninety-five percent of people also reported improved household communication and relationships, reinforcing the broader social benefits of the assistance.By Sevil ErkuşSenior Communications Officer, IFRC Türkiye Delegation

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23/12/2024 |

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International Day of Epidemic Preparedness 2024: Early detection, early action, healthier communities

Epidemics and pandemics are some of the biggest threats to a safe and healthy world. They are on the rise, and in today’s connected world, they are spreading further and faster than ever before.  Known epidemics—such as cholera, measles, Ebola, and malaria—continue to threaten large parts of the world’s population. And, as we saw with COVID-19, the world is also at risk from new infectious diseases that can claim millions of lives, bring health systems to their knees, and reverse decades of development progress. But the good news is that with effective preparedness and response measures, we can reduce the impacts of epidemics and pandemics and even stop them in their tracks.  The IFRC and our member National Societies have long focused on helping people prepare for, respond to, and recover from health emergencies. Born in the wake of the 1918 influenza pandemic, at the IFRC we know from experience that communities can be the first line of defence against epidemics and pandemics when equipped with the right knowledge, behaviours, skills, and tools.   Through global programmes—such as the Community Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness Programme (CP3) with USAID and the Programmatic Partnership with the European Union—we’ve been engaging and training people worldwide in epidemic and pandemic preparedness and response for many years. We help people prevent, detect and quickly respond to outbreaks—saving countless lives and building healthier, more resilient communities. Stepping up our efforts in 2024In 2024, the IFRC significantly stepped up our work in epidemic and pandemic preparedness:With support from the World Bank’s Pandemic Fund, and in collaboration with key national and international partners, IFRC was selected to launch two new regional epidemic preparedness programmes. In Africa, the Preparedness for Pandemic Response (PREPARE) programme will strengthen cross-border collaboration, disease surveillance and health systems in East and Central Africa to address health challenges such as the ongoing mpox epidemic. And in Asia Pacific, the Enhancing collaborative surveillance and diagnostic readiness for pandemic preparedness and response in South-East Asia Region will improve early warning and disease surveillance systems, laboratory systems and community health workforce capacity across eight countries.With USAID support, we were delighted to expand the CP3 programme this year into 11 new countries—Burundi, Cambodia, Ivory Coast, Laos, Malawi, Malaysia, Philippines, Tajikistan, Thailand, Vietnam and Zambia—to prepare even more communities for epidemics and pandemics.Together, these new commitments take the total number of countries where IFRC is directly supporting epidemic preparedness programmes up to 48. This figure doesn’t include the great work being done at the national level by many more Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies around the world.Trusted, local, and always thereAs trusted local actors embedded in their communities and permanently present in areas other organizations cannot reach, National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies are best placed to support community-level epidemic and pandemic preparedness. The IFRC works to strengthen National Societies’ ability to prepare for and respond to epidemics through training, technical assistance, advocacy support and coordination. Together, we also engage a wide range of stakeholders in epidemic and pandemic preparedness—such as governments, religious leaders, businesses and the media—because we know that all parts of society need to come together to keep people safe from epidemics and pandemics. The time to prepare is nowCOVID-19 was a wake-up call to the world to prepare now for the next health crisis. The pandemic claimed millions of lives and revealed major gaps in epidemic and pandemic preparedness around the world.The IFRC network is doing essential work right now to prepare communities for the next pandemic. But more investment is needed globally to strengthen health systems and ensure societies are prepared for an increasingly hazardous world.--To stay up to date with the IFRC’s work in epidemic and pandemic preparedness, sign up to our monthly newsletter which features highlights from Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies around the world.And for practical epidemic preparedness resources, check out our Epidemic Control Toolkit—available in multiple languages—for guidance on evidence-based methods to prevent and control the spread of epidemics at the community-level.

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23/12/2024 |

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Red Cross responds to the largest dengue outbreak in Central America with education and prevention

Dengue has been a major public health threat in Latin America for decades, with epidemics occurring cyclically every three to five years. Transmitted by female Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, the virus affects millions of people every year, but never more than now.So far this year,more than 12.7 million suspected cases of dengue were reported in the Region of the Americas, a record number in the history of the disease.In Central America and Mexico, more than 17,000 new suspected cases of dengue were reported in the last week of November alone. This equates to 100 cases every hour, a 198 per cent increase over the average over the past five years.This increase in the spread of dengue poses a challenge to health systems in a region facing complex climatic and health conditions.The effects of the climate crisis, extreme temperatures and more intense weather events – such as hurricanes Eta and Iota in 2020, the historic heat waves earlier this year, or the recent tropical storm Sara – are changing the habits of thousands of Central American families living in conditions of risk and vulnerability.Growing poverty and inequality, coupled with insufficient and inadequate water and sanitation services, are forcing people to store what little water they have access to. Water is often stored improperly, due to a lack of information or the lack of adequate means to store it safely.This and other practices, such as poor solid waste management, can facilitate the creation of mosquito breeding sites in items such as uncovered water containers, tires, flowerpots, piles and gutters.Amid this multi-factorial challenge, National Red Cross Societies from around the Central American region have engaged in a comprehensive response, which encompasses a variety of strategies focused on prevention and education.During 2023 and 2024, local Red Cross teams have implemented six dengue response operations in Central America, with support from the Disaster Response Emergency Fund (IFRC-DREF).This year, dengue response efforts have also been carried out in operations in response to a hospital fire in Roatan, Honduras, and flooding in June in El Salvador.Thanks to these eight IFRC-DREF operations, National Societies in the region will be able to reach more than 182,000 people in Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Costa Rica and Panama with response actions, but also with prevention for future outbreaks.Community-based preventionOne of the Red Cross' main initiatives has been to raise community awareness of the dangers of dengue and the importance of eliminating mosquito breeding sites.Volunteers work directly in communities, in coordination with health authorities, to carry out community-based prevention and vector control activities.The main activities include educational talks, identification and elimination of mosquito breeding sites, application of larvicide in stacks and water containers, fumigation and cleaning campaigns, and home visits.These activities teach people how to avoid stagnant water, where mosquitoes prefer to lay their eggs, and promote practical and effective measures such as turning over containers and regularly cleaning drainage systems.The response also includes the distribution of safe water storage containers and household cleaning kits, as well as water filters, repellents and mosquito nets for groups at risk, such as pregnant women, children under five, the elderly, and people with disabilities and/or reduced mobility.Strong and prepared communitiesThe Red Cross has a long-term focus on training local staff to strengthen community capacity to fight dengue.Through workshops and training sessions, volunteers learn how to recognize the symptoms of dengue, how to effectively prevent outbreaks and how to implement sustainable mosquito control programs.Volunteers have also helped to establish and train community health committees to promote epidemiological surveillance at the community level.In several locations, local health workers are also being trained in the clinical management of dengue patients, especially in areas where health infrastructure is limited.Through its comprehensive approach to education and prevention, the Red Cross has played a key role in the fight against dengue in Central America, a region highly vulnerable due to climatic, social and health factors.The actions carried out by volunteers and trained staff have not only allowed the response to emergencies, but also to prepare communities for future outbreaks.From eliminating breeding sites and distributing supplies to training in clinical management and sustainable vector control strategies, these interventions have built community resilience. In some places, the actions of the National Red Cross Societies in support of the health ministries in the region have led to reductions in dengue cases.In Panama, for example, there has been a reduction in dengue cases in recent weeks, which could be linked to the efforts of several actors, including the Ministry of Health, the Panamanian Red Cross, other international agencies and the communities themselves.Some small communities have also provided anecdotal accounts that suggest the dengue education and eradication efforts are making a difference.Despite the progress, dengue remains a challenge, underscoring the importance of continuing to adapt our response strategies to the climatic and social changes affecting public health in the region.

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17/12/2024 |

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Reach Initiative: How a simple act can have a revolutionary impact on family health

Every morning, Aisha sets out on foot to fetch water from the river, carrying heavy buckets back home, knowing each drop is precious. Aisha’s life revolves around caring for her three young children, but despite her best efforts to provide for her family, illness has seemed unavoidable.Her youngest, Musa, has often suffered from painful stomach troubles. Frequent trips to the clinic were becoming a strain on her family. Like many in her village, Aisha had always believed that sickness was just a part of life—something they would have to endure.Things began to change when volunteers for the Nigerian Red Cross arrived in her village. They came as part of the Resilient and Empowered African Community Health (REACH) initiative, a program of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Cresent Societies (IFRC) and the Africa Centre for Disease Control (Africa CDC) to improve health and hygiene practices in underserved communities.The volunteers and villagers gathered under the shade of a large tree, and with warmth and patience, the volunteers explained how regular handwashing with soap and water can, in fact, save lives.Aisha and her neighbours listened intently as the volunteers explained how washing hands with soap, especially before eating and after using the bathroom, could prevent diseases like cholera and diarrhoea.For many in the crowd, this was a revelation. In many villages here, soap is a rare luxury, often reserved for laundry or bathing, and few had ever thought to use it to wash their hands. The volunteers demonstrated proper hand-washing technique, showing the community members how to scrub their hands thoroughly, reaching every nook and cranny to remove invisible germs.Intrigued, Aisha decided to try it. She set up a simple handwashing station outside her home, using a jerrycan, a small bar of soap, and some rope to make the process easier. She taught her children the new routine, and they watched, wide-eyed, as she explained that this small act could keep them safe.Over the following weeks, something extraordinary happened. Musa, who had been frequently ill, stayed healthy. The constant worries about stomach aches and fevers lessened, and Aisha realized that this small change had a profound effect on her family.It wasn’t long before her neighbours started noticing, too. One by one, other families in the village began setting up their handwashing stations. For the first time, the community was discovering a sense of control over their health.The impact was visible. Children attended school more regularly, free from the recurring ailments that had once disrupted their studies. Parents had fewer trips to the clinic, easing both their schedules and financial strain. Aisha became a quiet champion of the handwashing movement, proudly showing others her setup and sharing the knowledge she had gained.Through the REACH initiative, Nigerian Red Cross Society volunteers (NRCS) have been going door-to-door, gathering people in small groups in villages, schools, and marketplaces, teaching them about handwashing and hygiene.Halima, a mother of four, reflects on the change in her household: “My children used to be sick all the time—coughs, stomach pain. Since we started washing our hands, they’ve been healthier. Now, it’s the first thing we do when we come back from the market or the farm.”For young Sani, a student, it’s a new habit he’s eager to share. “At school, they taught us how to wash our hands properly. I showed my family, and now we all do it. I feel proud because I know I’m helping to keep them safe.”Lilian Adeogba, IFRC Program Officer for the Reach Initiative, notes that while handwashing may seem simple, it is a powerful tool in the fight against infectious diseases. “Diseases like cholera, diarrhoea, and respiratory infections spread quickly, and without proper hygiene, families, especially young children, fall ill often," she say."In a place like Adamawa, where healthcare resources are limited, teaching people to wash their hands is not just about cleanliness—it’s about saving lives.”

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11/12/2024 |

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Mpox in DRC: How being prepared for epidemics leads to a more effective response

“The first symptom was fever. The next day, I noticed the appearance of spots. They burned like a rash. They spread everywhere on my body. I thought: what kind of disease is this?”Basele from Mbandaka, Équateur province is one of more than 8000 people confirmed to have caught mpox in DRC this year amid an alarming surge in cases. Fortunately, Basele was quickly pointed in the right direction by the DRC Red Cross to get the support she needed to recover and limit the spread of infection.“The Red Cross volunteers came to my home. They told me that the disease was contagious, that if someone in my family gets sick we can all become infected in our house. So we have to get off our feet and go to the hospital when the illness starts,” explains Basele.Mpox is the latest in a long line of epidemics to hit DRC, with the country suffering from recurrent outbreaks of cholera, Ebola and measles—among other diseases—in recent years.The DRC Red Cross has learned many lessons from responding to these health crises. And through the Community Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness Programme (CP3), with funding from USAID and technical support from IFRC, the National Society has done lots of work in recent years to prepare its volunteers, communities and partners to leap into action against mpox.Early detection, early action, healthier communitiesThrough the CP3 programme, more than 300 Red Cross volunteers in Équateur had already been trained in epidemic control and community-based surveillance (CBS)—gaining the knowledge, skills and tools needed to be able to rapidly detect and report potential mpox cases. Since the escalation of the epidemic, this training has been expanded and delivered to a further 700+ volunteers in the province.Together, these volunteers play a vital role in their communities finding people showing mpox symptoms, alerting local health authorities through a CBS system, and encouraging people to seek help at mpox treatment centres.“With regard to CP3, we work in close collaboration with Red Cross volunteers. They go out into the community, they look for sick people, they bring them to the health centre... we take care of them here at our mpox site,” explains Monique Itala Mulo, Head Nurse at Mama Elikya Referral Health Centre in Mbandaka.By quickly finding and reporting suspected mpox cases, and encouraging people to seek treatment, the risk of the disease spreading is reduced. The National Society and local health authorities also use the data collected through CBS to inform their response activities.Trust built over time enables wide reach and accessAs members of the communities they serve, DRC Red Cross volunteers are known and trusted by the local population in Équateur and benefit from wide reach and access. Before the current surge in mpox cases, volunteers were already reaching far and wide into communities to raise awareness about the disease and tell people to stay safe.“We go door-to-door to speak to people in their homes. We go to schools, we go to churches, we go to hot spots—markets, ports, entry points, checkpoints—any places where we can interact with the community. The community is starting to raise [mpox] alerts themselves. In other words, the impact is already positive,” says Dr Leblanc Monzeba, Head of Health Division in the Équateur branch of DRC Red Cross.Having already established deep and trusting relationships with communities, volunteers are able to effectively challenge mpox stigma and rumours that may prevent people from seeking help and convince people to adopt healthy behaviours, such as following good hygiene practices.According to Dr Leblanc, one particularly notable area of behaviour change observed is within the traditional healer community.“We held advocacy sessions with traditional healers to explain the importance of notifiying health authorities of people showing signs of mpox. Previously, the traditional healers would keep the patient at home. But now they are starting to pass on information, and when they see patients who present signs of mpox, they send them directly to the nearest health centre,” he explains.Strong partnerships lay the foundation for effective responseBefore the current surge in mpox cases, the DRC Red Cross had already established strong working relationships with government authorities and various stakeholders to prepare for epidemics and pandemics.“The Red Cross is our go-to partner during epidemics, just as we work together outside of an epidemic. We always collaborate,” says Dr Elaba Bibiche, Head Doctor in Mbandaka Health Zone.Thanks to its prior preparation and auxiliary role to health authorities, DRC Red Cross has been able to fit seamlessly into the government’s mpox response plan and intervene in clearly defined areas.Pre-existing relationships with various media outlets are also enabling DRC Red Cross to reach tens of thousands of people across the province with lifesaving health information."I've been partnering with the Red Cross for six years. We have a really good working relationship. They were the first organisation to start raising community awareness about mpox. We do programmes with their staff and volunteers, phone-in shows where people call in to ask questions about mpox and get the answers they need,” explains Trésor Ikonda, Director General at Radio Evangile Eternel in Équateur.As the response to mpox continues, and though significant challenges remain, DRC Red Cross staff and volunteers feel positive that their preparedness efforts are paying off as they strive to reduce the impact of the epidemic on communities.“The DRC Red Cross branch in Équateur has the capacity to manage epidemics thanks to the IFRC. Since 2018, we have faced a series of large epidemics in Équateur. It’s from the experience of managing other epidemics and from implementing the CP3 programme—which meant that we already had trained volunteers on the ground working in the different health zones—that we had the capacity to respond to mpox,” explains Colomban Mampunya, DRC Red Cross Équateur Branch President.--The activities featured in this article are part of the Community Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness Programme (CP3).  Funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), CP3 supports communities, National Societies and other partners to prepare for, prevent, detect and respond to disease threats.USAID’s Bureau of Global Health has also provided additional support to IFRC and DRC Red Cross for mpox response activities.If you enjoyed this story and would like to learn more, sign up to the IFRC’s Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness Newsletter or visit the DRC Red Cross website.

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05/12/2024 |

Press release

As many as seven in ten migrants in the Americas require comprehensive healthcare

Panama City/Geneva, 3 December -As migration in Latin America continues to surge, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is warning of the pressing health needs of vulnerable migrant populations, particularly women, children, older adults, and individuals with disabilities. According to the IFRC study presented today, “Migration and Health in the Americas: needs and services assessment”, these groups face growing barriers to access health services and suffer a lack of comprehensive health care in transit and destination countries.The study compiles data from 2021 to 2023 and explores the nutritional status, rates of vaccination, rates of chronic and infectious disease, mental health, and health-seeking behavior of migrants by age group. One of the main findings is that insufficient health services and barriers to access them are putting lives at risk, exacerbating health inequalities, and placing immense strain on already fragile national health systems.“Access to healthcare is a fundamental human right, and the barriers faced by migrants -whether due to their irregular status, lack of documentation, or fear of deportation - must be dismantled. It is essential to provide comprehensive healthcare that meets the diverse needs of migrant populations, from basic medical care to specialized treatments for chronic conditions, mental health support, and disability services,” said Pedro Porrino, IFRC’s Health in Emergencies Coordinator for the Americas.Regardless of age, healthcare remains a critical issue for migrants in both transit and destination countries. Among in-transit migrants, some 60 to 70% require healthcare, with general medical services being the most needed. Sexual and reproductive healthcare is also a high priority, with over 40% of migrants expressing a need for these services. Migrants in destination countries face similar challenges, with up to 74% requiring healthcare services, including maternal and pediatric care, chronic disease management, mental health services, and specialized care.These findings are confirmed by Red Cross teams on the ground in 22 countries in the Americas. In Panama, Red Cross humanitarian service points have provided nearly 750,000 services in the last six years, most of them to migrants in need of first aid, general medicine, mental health support, access to clean water, vaccines and sexual and reproductive healthcare.In Ecuador, El Salvador and Guatemala, Red Cross volunteers have provided humanitarian assistance, mainly primary healthcare (the first point of contact with a healthcare system), to nearly 200 migrants per day in the last two years, with a total of 143,438 people assisted. In Argentina, Honduras and on the southern border of Mexico, Red Cross teams provided medical care to over 6500 migrants in the first six months of this year alone.“Addressing the health needs of migrants should be a priority and recognizing the role of local Red Cross teams in providing them with care, relief and dignity is an opportunity for governments and donors to guarantee migrants' right to health. By partnering with the Red Cross, countries can not only facilitate humanitarian assistance, but also alleviate pressure on their public health systems,” said Martha Keays, IFRC Regional Director for the Americas.IFRC humanitarian service points will continue to provide humanitarian assistance in countries of origin, transit and destination in the coming months, as the number of people heading north is expected to remain one of the continent's biggest and most under-resourced humanitarian challenges.Notes for editorsAccording to an IFRC study, funded by the Norwegian Red Cross, the following are the main health needs of migrants by age group:Health Needs of Children and AdolescentsAmong the most vulnerable are migrant children, who are disproportionately affected by nutritional deficiencies, with chronic malnutrition rates categorized as moderate to high. Malnutrition leaves these young migrants more susceptible to long-term health complications, yet interventions remain inadequate. While some receive nutritional assessments, deworming medication, or micronutrients, more comprehensive treatments, such as management of acute malnutrition, are rarely provided.The mental health of children and adolescents in migrant communities is also of concern. While the prevalence of anxiety and depression in children has not been fully documented, the mental health needs of this group are often unmet, leaving them vulnerable to long-term psychological trauma from the migration process.Health Needs of Women and Pregnant MigrantsThe rate of maternal mortality among migrant women is two times the national average in countries like Colombia and Brazil. In Colombia alone, 73 extreme cases of maternal morbidity are reported each week among the migrant population. Additionally, obstetric violence has been documented in several countries, further complicating the already precarious healthcare situation for migrant women.The nutritional status of many pregnant migrants is also of major concern. One third suffer from moderate or severe anemia, leaving them and their children vulnerable to long-term health complications, increasing their susceptibility to acute and chronic diseases.Sexual and reproductive health is a critical issue for migrant women. Alarmingly, underage girls account for one in ten pregnancies among Venezuelan migrant women, highlighting a major public health concern. Many women also report that their pregnancies are unwanted—two-thirds of pregnant migrant women in Brazil, for example, did not intend to become pregnant. Furthermore, sexually transmitted infections, including HIV, affect migrant women at twice the rate of the general population, with only 38% and 50% receiving treatment in Colombia and Peru, respectively.Health Needs of Older Migrants and People with DisabilitiesBetween 62-78% of Venezuelan migrants aged 60 and above have chronic diseases such as hypertension and diabetes. However, only 22-39% of older migrants receive consistent treatment for their conditions.Mental health challenges are prevalent among this group, with up to 56% suffering from moderate to severe anxiety and depression. However, mental health services are lacking, leaving many of them to endure their struggles alone. They are also at increased risk of violence, particularly during transit; and many are also living with disabilities—up to 66%.Migrants with disabilities face unique challenges that are often neglected in humanitarian response. Despite the high prevalence of disability among elderly migrants and a smaller yet significant proportion of adults, there are few, if any, interventions designed to meet their needs.For more information and to set up an interview, please contact: [email protected] Panama - Susana Arroyo Barrantes +50769993199In Geneva – Tommaso Della Longa +41797084367 Hannah Copeland +41762369109

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22/11/2024 |

Article

IFRC at COP29: Invest when and where it matters most – early on, in the health of people hardest hit

Extreme heat and prolonged heatwaves.Unprecedented floods and storms in every corner of the globe.Dry spells and storms that defy precedent.These are some of the ways climate change is having profound and sometimes devastating impacts on the health of people and communities around the world. As world leaders met at the COP29 climate summit being in Baku, Azerbaijan (11-22 November), IFRC is once again spotlighting what it sees every day through its emergency responses to sudden floods, extreme heatwaves, prolonged drought, economic crisis and hunger.Not only are people dying, losing homes and livelihoods, the climate crisis is having long-lasting impacts on people’s health and well-being. Extreme heatwaves, floods and storms are putting more and more people at risk of infectious diseases and malnutrition while reducing their access to care.“The impacts of the climate crisis are having a massive effect on people’s health,”IFRC Secretary General Jagan Chapagainsaid during the first day of the COP29 Conference. “So we must address the health impacts in a very comprehensive way.”Equally important is how and when those issues are addressed, he adds. Financing and investment on community health and preparedness must not only be increased, they must be directed to local communities where it is needed most.“The investment has to be at the right level and they must reach the right place,”Chapagain said. “At the moment, there is not enough investment and that investment is not reaching the community level. Less than ten percent of climate financing reaches the community level.“We need to be supporting community action on the ground, where people are living and facing the consequences every day.”That investment cannot wait until after disaster strikes. “How and when do you make that investment is also important,”he added. “If you make the investment early – with early warning systems oranticaptory actions -- it saves lives, livelihoods and dollars.”A burning issueCase in point is the growing threat of extreme heat. In recent years, global temperature records are being broken month after month, as climate change makes heatwaves – an already silent and deadly killer – more extreme. Every year, heat kills almost half a million people worldwide.Yet only 0.5 percent of multilateral climate adaptation finance goes to health measures that could drastically reduce that number. Such health measures could also improve people’s well-being and save money in the long run. By 2030, experts predict between USD two to four billion in additional health costs will be incurred if adaptation action is not taken now.Solutions involve a range of actions, from buildingclimate-resilient cities and health systems, to developing national heat-action plans andearly-warning early-action protocols. Other actions would ensure that social protection and health systems are responsive to climate-related shocks, while nature-based solutions could harness the natural protective power of ecosystems to shield communities from extreme heat or storm surges.“As climate impacts intensify, health systems must adapt to protect the most vulnerable,” said Petra Khoury, Director of IFRC’s Health and Care Department, speaking at a special COP29 event organized by the Alliance for Transformative Action on Climate and Health (ATACH), a programme hosted by WHO.“The IFRC network is on the frontlines, building climate-resilient health systems through community mobilization,” she said. "Solutions addressing the triple nexus of health, climate and migration should be community centered.“Bringing both host and displaced communities in the decision-making process and solutions is key to mitigating the impact of this nexus.”Among other things, the IFRC is working to scale up community level surveillance of climate–related diseases, deepen its existing community engagement efforts and broaden the scope of its work though a 'one health' approach.The ‘one health’ approach is a moreholistic way of improving human health by looking at the health of the environment in which people are living. For example, if livestock are rendered vulnerable to illness by heat, lack of food or water, that has a knock-on effect on human health. Up to 75 per cent of emerging infectious diseases that affect human beings start in animals.The IFRC is also heavily involved in street-by-street, house-by-house surveillance around diseases such as dengue, malaria and cholera, and many others, but climate change demands greater efforts in community engagement around disease tracking, prevention and response.To do all this, investments must be made at all levels – from national government budgets but also from multilateral development banks, multilateral climate funds, health financing institutions, bilateral development agencies, and private-sector actors.Putting this into action also means integrating health and heat action as part of a holistic approach to adaptation action in national climate plans, as well as enhancing coordination across government with local authorities, actors and communities.There have already been signs of progress. At COP28, the UAE Framework for Global Climate Resilience strengthened adaptation action while 151 countries signed the first-ever COP Climate and Health Declaration. And there is mounting awareness about the urgency of addressing the health impacts of heatwaves. IFRC continued to sound the alarm hosting the first Global Summit on Extreme Heat with our annual Heat Action Day on 2 June.Recent severe hurricanes – sometimes referred to as ‘monster storms’ – along with a spate of severe flooding in large parts ofEurope,Western and Central Africa, theAmericas andSoutheast Asia and Oceana are also showcasing the urgent need for this kind of local investment.These floods are displacing millions of people, leaving them without access to safe water and sanitation. Often the communities hit hardest also already are coping with limited access to safe water, sanitation, nutrition, healthcare and education.Whether COP29 is ultimately judged a success will depend on whether commitments are made toward reversing these realities with real investments in health, preparedness and early warning that reach the local level. “These are the three key areas – health, investment and timing – if we can make progress on these areas at COP29, I would see this as a success,” Chapagain concluded.More information:IFRC’s approach to health and careIFRC’s approach to the climate crisisWorld Meteorological Organization Early Warnings for All InitiativeIFRC Early Warnings for All page

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19/11/2024 |

Article

World Toilet Day 2024: Everyone, everywhere deserves access to a toilet they can use safely and with dignity

In 2024, 3.5 billion people still live without access to safely managed sanitation. That's nearly half of humanity lacking one of the most basic human needs – a safe and private toilet. Even more concerning, an estimated 419 million people still practise open defecation, which not only increases the risk of infectious diseases, but also puts people—particularly women and girls—in unsafe and vulnerable situations.For the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, ensuring access to safe and dignified sanitation is not just about building toilets – it's about understanding and addressing the diverse water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) needs of all community members."Equitable access to WASH services and facilities is a human right," says Alexandra Machado, IFRC Senior Officer for WASH in Public Health. "Water, sanitation and hygiene are fundamental for life, and for the dignity, health and wellbeing of everyone -- regardless of their age, disability, social status, gender identity, ethnicity or sexual orientation."Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies worldwide are working to ensure that sanitation facilities are accessible, safe, and appropriate for everyone. On World Toilet Day, let’s look at a couple of examples.Making a Difference: Community-led sanitation in remote, underserved areas in ColombiaThe Colombian Red Cross has been active in promoting community-led sanitation improvements, particularly in remote and underserved areas including Tumaco, Buenaventura, Condoto, and Timbiqui. These projects included installing and upgrading sanitation units in schools, homes, and community centres, directly benefiting children and families in both urban and rural areas.Through workshops and hygiene campaigns, they’ve engaged community members to build and maintain latrines, which has significantly reduced the risk of water and sanitation related diseases. This effort is a collaborative approach that involves both local authorities and community representatives, enhancing ownership and sustainability.For example, in Santa Rita primary school, upgrades to the sanitation facilities now serve 140 students, fostering better hygiene at school which can be a catalyst for change in the wider community.Kenya: ‘Together we can end open defecation’Across Kenya, the Kenya Red Cross is supporting communities to adopt healthy WASH behaviours—including the building and using of latrines—to improve their hygiene and reduce their risks of infectious diseases.Through the Community Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness Programme (CP3), Red Cross teams are partnering with the Kenyan government and WASH charities, such as Dig Deep, in a bid to end open defecation. Trained Red Cross volunteers regularly go out into their communities and educate people on why they should use latrines, how they can build their own simple pit latrines in their homes, and the importance of handwashing and other related hygiene practices to stay healthy.Volunteers’ consistent engagement is already starting to pay off, with widespread uptake of latrines and positive WASH behaviour change observed within many communities covered by CP3.“We used to have diarrheal diseases every now and then. And even we had cholera, which is fecal related. But when CP3 was introduced by the Red Cross, it has really assisted us in health education and even in tackling those diseases,” explains Lucina Bett, Sub-County Public Health Officer in Bomet County, Kenya.Find out more in this new video:The IFRC’s approach to WASHSuccessful WASH programmes are participatory and community-led. Our approach focuses on four key principles: dignity, access, participation, and safety. This means ensuring that:Everyone has access to sanitation facilities they can use with dignityFacilities are designed and built so that all people can use themCommunities are actively involved in decisions about their sanitation facilitiesPeople feel safe and comfortable using toilets, day and night"Vulnerability to violence is increased by a lack of safe and secure sanitation infrastructure," explains Peter Mamburi, IFRC Regional WASH Coordinator for Africa. “That's why our National Societies work closely with communities to ensure facilities are well-lit, private, and located in safe areas.”On World Toilet Day, we renew our commitment to leaving no one behind in sanitation. Because everyone, everywhere deserves access to a toilet they can use safely and with dignity.--Want to learn more about the IFRC’s work in water, sanitation and hygiene? Visit https://wash.ifrc.org or contact [email protected]

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15/11/2024 |

Article

Burkina Faso: When insecurity, conflict and other challenges get between people and the healthcare, the REACH Initiative connects people with the care they need

In Burkina Faso, healthcare challenges have worsened since 2019 due to the escalating security crisis driven by fighting between armed groups and the state military. Many communities face significant barriers to accessing medical care, with long distances to health centers, a shortage of trained healthcare workers, and limited resources. For families in rural areas, even basic services can seem out of reach.Pregnant women often struggle to get to a clinic, especially at night, and diseases like malaria, dengue fever, and malnutrition take a heavy toll. This fragile healthcare system is further strained during emergencies, making every day struggles even more daunting. For years, this harsh reality has taken a toll on families, with women and children bearing the brunt of these healthcare gaps."Healthcare here has long been a privilege of the few, rather than a right for all," says Dr. Diao Watton Rodrigue, an epidemiologist with the Ministry of Health. "When children die from preventable diseases like malaria, it’s not because the medication don’t exist, it’s because they often don’t reach the people who need them most."The Africa-wide REACH Initiative seeks to change that by transforming the way healthcare is delivered. Short for “Resilient and Empowered African Health Community,” REACH is led by the IFRC, along with the Africa CDC, and Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies in their respective countries (in this case, the Burkina Faso Red Cross).In partnership with the Ministry of Health, the REACH Initiative in Burkina Faso is supporting the development of a national health safety plan to guide healthcare reforms over the next four years. It has also supported the development of the country’s first action plan for non-communicable diseases, vaccination campaigns, and improved health surveillance.The Burkina Faso Red Cross, meanwhile, plays a critical role in transforming healthcare access, serving as a bridge between underserved communities and essential health services. By leading efforts to bring care directly to those who lack access— often in remote or marginalized areas—they ensure that life-saving support reaches those who need it most, fostering trust and resilience within communities. Through this partnership, Burkina Faso is becoming better equipped to tackle future health challenges while building healthier, stronger communities.‘They turn to us’One recent example of REACH's impact was during a dengue fever outbreak at the beginning of 2024. With health workers stretched thin, the Burkina Faso Red Cross stepped in, mobilizing volunteers to target mosquito breeding sites and disinfect high-risk areas.Led by 90 trained volunteers, an awareness campaign reached over 123,000 people, spreading life-saving information on dengue prevention. These swift actions not only controlled the outbreak but also strengthened the community’s preparedness for future crises.As an example, consider the story of Nakanabo Ismael, a Red Cross volunteer trained through the REACH Initiative."At night, when someone is sick, they turn to us,” Nakanabo says. “The community trusts us—they bring their babies for us to treat.We might not have all the answers, but we’ve been trained to help."Nakanabo’s dedication, along with the support of REACH, has brought hope to communities where healthcare once seemed out of reach.Across Africa, REACH continues to strengthen health systems, scale up the community health workforce, and empower local volunteers. By addressing critical health challenges, training volunteers on the ground to shaping national health policies, REACH is helping to create a future where healthcare is accessible, equitable, and sustainable for all Africans.

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05/11/2024 |

Press release

IFRC launches Emergency Appeal to address immense humanitarian impact of hostilities in Lebanon

Geneva/Beirut, 5 November 2024: In the wake of the dramatic escalation of hostilities in Lebanon in September, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has today launched a Federation-wideEmergency Appealfor 100 million Swiss Francs.The ‘Lebanon: Complex Emergency Appeal’ aims to provide immediate and long-term relief to around 600,000 people affected by the conflict there and to support the critical ambulance services of the Lebanese Red Cross, whose volunteers have been on high alert since October last year.From the outset of escalations, the Lebanese Red Cross (LRC) mobilised its staff and volunteers and activated contingency plans to address the ongoing crisis, with support from the IFRC, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and other Red Cross Red Crescent Movement partners.The severe escalation of hostilities has led to widespread destruction and mass displacement in Lebanon, exacerbating an already dire socio-economic situation, and necessitating a new appeal to address the rapidly evolving humanitarian situation there more effectively.With winter approaching and many people now homeless or living in overcrowded conditions without proper heating, theLRC is crucial to the humanitarian response, providing essential relief including food, water, first aid, ambulance services, primary healthcare, hygiene kits and psychosocial support."We are seeing a huge need for basic goods to help the hundreds of thousands of people who have fled their homes. Many are now staying with family members or living in temporary shelters, such as schools,"said Lotte Ruppert, Operations Manager for the IFRC in Beirut."Going back to their houses is not an option at this moment, as the conflict areas are still very dangerous. On top of that, we are concerned for the safety of all health workers, including LRC volunteers, especially in the south of Lebanon.”On a visit to Beirut to launch the appeal and meet with the LRC, Jagan Chapagain, Secretary General of the IFRC, said,“Humanitarian needs in Lebanon are growing by the day. The funds raised in this appeal will allow the Lebanese Red Cross to sustain their life saving programmes and to reach far more people with far more positive impact. The needs are immense. I urge potential donors to do what they can to help contribute.”As the country faces one of its worst humanitarian crises in decades, the launch of this new Emergency Appeal will ensure a robust IFRC-wide response to the current crisis in Lebanon, while also addressing the longer-term consequences through recovery efforts.In parallel, the Middle East Complex Emergency Crisis Appeal will remain active until December 2025, covering the Red Cross Red Crescent response across the region. From November 2024, contributions to support the response efforts in Lebanon should be directed through this new Lebanon Complex Emergency Appeal. For more information, please contact:[email protected] Geneva:Tommaso Della Longa, +41 79708 4367Hannah Copeland+41 76 236 9109In Beirut:Mey Al Sayegh, +961 7617 4468Bastiaan van Blokland, +31 6 46 80 80 96

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05/11/2024 |

Emergency

Lebanon: Complex Emergency

Lebanon’s southern border has been the scene of continued conflict since 8 October 2023, with a massive increase in airstrikes and attacks, leading to over 2,710 deaths and 12,592 injuries as of 28 October 2024. Through this emergency appeal, the IFRC and its membership aim to address the urgent needs of 600,000 people by providing interventions involving healthcare, food security and shelter, as well as support with water, sanitation and hygiene. This appeal will also help scale up the search and rescue capacity of the Lebanese Red Cross.

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31/10/2024 |

Article

One Health Day 2024: Protecting humans, animals and the environment for a healthier world for all

Up to 75 per cent of emerging infectious diseases that affect human beings start in animals. These are called ‘zoonotic’ diseases, and they can spread to humans through direct contact with infected animals or through food, water or the environment. Recent high-profile diseases that have spread from animals to humans include COVID-19, Ebola and mpox.And when our environment is polluted or not looked after properly, it can cause health problems in both animals and humans. For example, there is evidence that global warming is leading to more favourable conditions for a specific type of mosquito which carries the dengue virus to reproduce and thrive, and is even pushing them to new areas and countries that have never experienced dengue before.Taking a ‘One Health’ approachOne Health is an approach to health care that recognizes these close links between human, animal and environmental health, and considers how they affect one another.It involves governments and organizations working in these different areas coming together to better prepare for and respond to health challenges, such as epidemics and pandemics.Through the Community Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness Programme (CP3), many Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies are taking a One Health approach to help communities prepare for, prevent and respond to disease outbreaks. And they’re supporting government health, agriculture and environmental departments—as well as key partners—to collaborate using a One Health approach, too.Let’s take a look at some examples.Training DRC’s next generation of nurses to be on the lookout for zoonotic diseasesIn the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the DRC Red Cross runs nursing schools across the country whose students go on to work in both the country’s public and private health system. Through the CP3 programme, the DRC Red Cross developed a special One Health learning module, which they piloted in two schools in Kinshasa and Maluku.Final year nursing students who took part in the pilot learned all about the intersection of human-animal-environmental health. They learned case definitions for different types of zoonotic diseases—from rabies to chikungunya—and how to effectively engage their communities on the risks and prevention measures for each disease. And they learned the principles of community-based surveillance (CBS), enabling them to quickly sound the alarm when unusual health events occur.The DRC government was so impressed with the pilot, they intend to roll the training out nationally to every nursing school in the country, believing that the sooner nurses learn about One Health and how to work effectively with animal and environmental counterparts, the better for the country’s health security.Knowledge is power: raising community awareness of environmental and animal health risksThere are lots of simple steps communities can take to reduce disease risks linked to animals and the environment. Through the CP3 programme, National Societies are engaging and motivating communities to take action.For example, in Kenya, Red Cross volunteers are teaching people how to recognize the signs of anthrax—a serious and potentially deadly infectious disease that can spread from animals, usually livestock, to humans. They’re encouraging communities to avoid handling any animals that die in unusual circumstances, report any cases immediately to volunteers or animal health authorities, and thoroughly disinfect contaminated areas. They’re also supporting vaccination efforts to make sure people know when, where and why to vaccinate their animals—making breakthroughs even within remote and vaccine-hesitant communities.And in Indonesia, the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) runs regular clean-up events to help communities reduce the risks of dengue in their local environment. People come together to inspect and drain stagnant water reservoirs, properly cover and seal drinking water supplies, and sweep up litter and debris. These steps all minimize potential mosquito breeding sites. Teamed with personal protective measures, such as wearing mosquito repellent and using bed nets, these simple steps can greatly decrease the risk of catching dengue fever, and help families stay healthy.Bringing the government together for One Health action in GuineaThrough the CP3 programme, the Guinea Red Cross has been supporting the government at the national, regional and community level to adopt a One Health approach in order to strengthen the country’s health system.They’ve been facilitating regular meetings with government agencies and stakeholders working in human, animal and environmental health to discuss existing and emerging disease threats, plan vaccination campaigns for both human and animal populations, and collaborate on environmental management. For priority zoonotic diseases, such as rabies in particular, the Guinea Red Cross has been instrumental in informing and protecting communities, and rapidly alerting human and animal health authorities when a bite incident occurs.These are just a few of the many examples of how taking a One Health approach can lead to a healthier world. By working together to keep animals and our shared environment healthy, we can help humans to be healthier and safer, too.---The activities featured in this article are part of the multi-country Community Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness Programme (CP3).  Funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), CP3 has supported communities, Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and other partners in seven countries since 2018 to prepare for, prevent, detect and respond to disease threats. In October 2024, the programme is expanding to six new countries—Burundi, Ivory Coast, Malawi, Tajikistan, Thailand and Zambia—where it will continue to implement a One Health approach among National Societies, partners and governments.If you enjoyed this story and would like to learn more, sign up to the IFRC’s Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness Newsletter 

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30/10/2024 |

Article

Burundi Red Cross Volunteers: ‘Every day and everywhere’ for the community, responding to Mpox and beyond

In Bujumbura, the former capital of Burundi, the local branch has more than 26,000 volunteers. When the mpox outbreak was reported in the province, Burundi Red Cross volunteers stepped up to ensure that the spread of the disease would be contained and that anyone with symptoms would seek the necessary medical treatment.Volunteers have a lot of experience in sharing health information in the communities, as they were active during the COVID-19 pandemic and previous disease outbreaks. Volunteers work shifts to inform as many people as possible about mpox, its symptoms, and the prevention measures they can take to keep themselves safe.They do it by going door-to-door, sharing messages in markets and other public gatherings, on the radio and via posters. They also provide handwashing stations and clean water.'Happy to support'“I started volunteering when I saw how the Red Cross volunteers were helping their community during severe flooding,” says Christopher Hatungimana, a 38-year-old who has been volunteering with the Burundi Red Cross for 14 years. “I was impressed with these humanitarian activities and decided to join this important work.” Christopher learned first aid and has helped people suffering from all kinds of injuries, from burns or broken bones. Since then, he’s also played a role in helping thwart the spread of infectious diseases.With mpox, it was not easy at first to convince people that mpox should be taken seriously. But volunteers like Christopher persevered with their messages and now people are slowly starting to understand much more about the outbreak.Christopher admits that he and his fellow volunteers are afraid that they may catch mpox when they visit people with their prevention messages. But he says, they are are careful to take all the necessary precautions. He feels secure to continue his work as he is “happy to bring support to the people in the community”.‘Volunteering is in my blood’In one of Bujumbura’s districts, pairs of volunteers go door-to-door sharing information about mpox symptoms and how to prevent the disease. The volunteers also take the time to address any misinformation as there is unfortunately some stigma surrounding the disease.That kind of stigma and misinformation may prevent people from seeking timely medical treatment when the first symptoms occur. And that makes prevention even harder. When seeking treatment, people are tested for mpox and that helps authorities track how the outbreak is developing.“We are helping them to deal with the epidemic,” says Joselyn Ndayishimiye, who started volunteering in 2006 when she was 17 years old. “After our visits, family members shared the important information with others who were not present. The result is fewer mpox cases.”Spreading awareness about mpox in the community here is important, she says, because the epidemic needs to be contained. She also sees how their efforts are appreciated by the community.Melance Kamenyeros runs a café-bar that is a local gathering place in his village in the province of Mwaro. Thanks to Burundi Red Cross volunteers and staff, the 47-year-old father of five is well aware of the ongoing mpox epidemic.“Anyone has good reason to be afraid of an epidemic that has suddenly come to the community,” he says. “Mpox is a disease that can kill a person. But if we observe the proper measures it can be prevented.”One of the measures is Melance has adopted is insisting that clients entering his establishment first wash their hands properly. Melance thanks Burundi Red Cross volunteers for raising awareness about mpox and for setting up a water source to ensure there is enough for everyone in the village.These kind of results are encouraging. Why does Joselyn, now 35 years old, continue her work after 18 years of volunteering in support of her community? She just shrugs and says:“I started volunteering when I was young. It is in my blood.”At the end of the day, the volunteers gather to meet Red Cross staff from the branch and national headquarters. Their discussion starts, as always, with one person greeting everyone with “Tugire Ubuntu” or, in English, “Let us have humanity”. The whole group replies in unison: “Imisi yose na hose” – “Every day and everywhere”.Learn more about IFRC's response to mpox:Africa-wide mpox emergnecy appeal to combat the spread of mpox.Mpox explained

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28/09/2024 |

Article

‘We are ready’: For hospital workers in Southern Lebanon, years of training face another test as conflict arrives at their doorstep

The ongoing crisis in the Middle East, sparked by the Israel-Gaza conflict, has sent shockwaves throughout the region, affecting neighboring countries and communities far beyond the initial conflict zone.In the city of Sidon in Lebanon’s South Governorate, staff and volunteers at the Palestine Red Crescent Society’s Al-Hamshari hospital have been preparing for worst-case scenarios, as bombings occur regularly right on their doorstep and Lebanon’s southern region becomes increasingly affected by the escalation of hostilities.Al-Hamshari is one of two Palestine Red Crescent hospitals in south Lebanon, serving Palestinian refugees and people of all nationalities. It’s also the largest of all five PRCS hospitals in Lebanon, meaning it is a crucial healthcare facility, especially in times of conflict, when its services are needed the most.This volatile environment has compelled the Palestine Red Crescent Society in Lebanon to brace for a surge in need, mobilizing resources and being on full alert to respond to the unfolding crisis.“We have more than 300 volunteers and staff members who have been receiving trainings as part of our emergency plan,”says Dr. Ziad El Ainen, Director of Emergency and Ambulance service in the Palestine Red Crescent’s Lebanon branch.A significant part of that training has been done with the Lebanese Red Cross, which also has significant experience responding to mass casualty events. “[Hospital personnel] have been well trained by the Lebanese Red Cross to respond effectively in times of conflict,” El Ainen says.To bolster its capacity to respond effectively to the escalating conflict, PRCS’s Al-Hamshari hospital initiated a comprehensive training program, which encompassed a range of essential skills, including basic life support, advanced cardiac life support, emergency echocardiography, mass casualty triage, and advanced first aid techniques. These trainings equipped the hospital's personnel with the knowledge and skills necessary to mitigate the impact of conflict-related injuries and ensure timely and appropriate medical intervention.One person who has benefited from these trainings and is geared up to serve his people, especially during this conflict, is 58-year-old Hossam Sabha, a first responder who has been with the Palestine Red Crescent Society in Lebanon for almost 40 years.“As the Emergency Medical Services unit in the Palestine Red Crescent Society in Lebanon, we have taken all necessary precautions and steps to respond to any emergency,” Hossam says.“We’ve completed our trainings, and we are ready to mobilize at any time. We have an emergency plan in place for the South and Beirut, and all our teams are on stand-by. We are not afraid."It’s not just Hossam who’s driven by a sense of humanity. His own daughter, Saja, has inherited her father’s fearlessness. The conflict will not stop her from delivering life-saving services, she says.“I’m not afraid at all. I come to the hospital every day because I want to help other people, including my colleagues,” says 22-year-old Saja, who volunteers at Al-Hamshari hospital and is studying to become a nurse. Volunteering, she reckons, is unlike anything she’s experienced.“When you volunteer, you’re exposed to so many people, you get to see what’s happening in the real world. There’s nothing quite like the look of gratitude and relief on a person’s face after you have provided them with the help that they need.”There is no shame in feeling afraid, however, and hospital volunteers and staff are also trained to support each other in coping with their emotional reactions to the events unfolding around them. Saja works closely with 20-year-old Nagham Chanaa – the youngest intern in Al-Hamshari hospital – who's pursuing her dream of becoming a doctor.Despite the stressful nature of her job and the country’s turbulent situation, Nagham somehow manages to smile through it all.“I’m someone who’s very anxious, actually,”she says. “I felt very afraid when I heard an explosion a few days ago — which turned out to be fake air raids — but everyone at the hospital came to me and tried to comfort me. I get a lot of mental support from my colleagues here. We support each other, and we convey that support to our patients as well.”While medical professionals like Nagham and Saja are essential in providing emergency care, anyone can contribute to their community during times of need. All it takes is a caring heart and a willingness to volunteer.19-year-old Ahmad Marwan El Issa, who’s pursuing a Mechanical Engineering degree, is a prime example of that. He volunteers for the Palestine Red Crescent Society in Lebanon as an Emergency Medical Technician, and he does so knowing the risks involved.“The situation is scary because of its unpredictability,” he says. “We don’t know when an airstrike will hit and where it will hit, but we are ready to serve those in need, no matter what.”

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25/09/2024 |

Emergency

Argentina: Economic Crisis

Argentina has been facing one of its most complex socioeconomic crises in recent years, marked by an increase in the number of people living in poverty and extreme poverty, coping with limited access to health services and food, and facing significant difficulties in sustaining livelihoods. Through this Emergency Appeal, the Argentine Red Cross seeks to provide humanitarian assistance, protection and recovery support to families and homeless individuals most affected by the crisis. The operation is designed to benefit 20,000 people over a 12-month period, initially concentrating on integrated assistance and health.

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23/09/2024 |

Article

Mpox: Saving lives by bringing the mpox message directly to the people

Known to some in her community as ‘Mama Eyenga’, Eyenga Bamboko is one of many volunteers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo who are leading the fight against mpox in their local communities.Interviewed in the Lingala language in her home city of Mbandaka, she talks about the work volunteers have been doing to protect people from infection and prevent unnecessary deaths among those who do get ill.“My name is Eyenga Bamboko and I'm a first aider and I've been with the Red Cross movement for nearly two years.Colleagues from Kinshasa came to train us as part of CP3 [Community Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness Programme] so that we could go out into the field and raise people’s awareness on mpox, even before the disease had spread. We were trained intensively on the disease before it even existed in the region.And then mpox arrived. We observed a few cases. We reported these suspected cases to the provincial health authorities. We told them that we had observed cases as we had been trained. They took them to hospital.But the problem was that, in the beginning, we lost a lot of people. Because many people didn't want to believe in this illness. Some thought it was witchcraft, others said it was a curse or traditional illness.A lot of people died because they didn't go to hospital, they went to see the witchdoctors instead. By the time they did get to hospital, it was often too late. We found that those who went to hospital straight away were cured. But those who arrived late were the ones who succumbed to the disease.'I'm going to tell Mama Eyenga’We tried to help the stronger ones recover and we started to raise awareness in the community. Now many people have started going to hospital. They come to see us to say ‘Mama Eyenga, what you said the other day [about mpox], we have seen.’ Sometimes we go and we see that it is exactly that [a suspected mpox case].We ask people to go to hospital, telling them that they will be looked after free of charge, so that we can protect the rest of the family in the home before they too became infected. They are really starting to understand.We're encountering a lot of difficulties in the field. Many people still don't want to believe in this disease. And you can see that a lot of hospitals are overwhelmed at the moment. But we're not going to stop raising awareness.In my own home, I've seen a real change. Especially when it comes to hand washing. When my grandchildren want to play or eat they make their brothers and sisters aware and they say ‘if you don't wash your hands, I'm going to tell Mama Eyenga’. Even at school, they also raise awareness among their friends and classmates.At first, my husband and children didn’t agree with me volunteering. They thought I worked too much and there’s a risk of me getting sick. But now they don’t ask any more questions because they’ve understood that I am helping the community.”Read more about mpox and the IFRC network’s response:What is mpox? Your questions answeredIFRC’s regional mpox emergency appealRed Cross mpox response in the Republic of CongoProfile of Red Cross volunteer Helene: 'I have no choice but to go and try to save lives.'

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