Emergencies, Disaster Risk and Humanitarian Actions Annual Report 2014-2015

By: Marjon Feenstra (Program Coordinator)

Context

Program structure

Interim Program Coordinator Emergencies, Disaster Risk and Humanitarian Action till September 2015 is Marjon Feenstra (IFMSA-The Netherlands). The program team consists of Yamen Jabr (IFMSA-Egypt) and Marjon Feenstra. The SCORP Director, Jessica Zhang, and the Liaison Officer on Human Rights and Peace, Moa Herrard are the TO members, who support us with work in this Program.

Emergencies, Disaster Risk and Humanitarian Action focuses on medical students actions in conflict and peacebuilding, in country refugees, placement of refugees and migration within the country, disaster management and resilience, humanitarian action including humanitarian law, education of medical students on these topics, border health, health care in danger. There is already a lot of work been done in this field by the National Member Organisations (NMOs) and IFMSA. There is still potential for NMOs and IFMSA to grow in this field and have a significant impact on medical students and vulnerable groups in the society, but also in working with stakeholders.

Currently, the work NMOs are working on a local level and IFMSA is working on an international level with external partners. As a result of this, is that NMOs and IFMSA are working separately from each other. With the Program Emergencies, Disaster Risk and Humanitarian Action, there will be created a bridge between the both to exchange results and opportunities, to have a higher impact on the community.

The majority of the projects currently reported focus on disaster risk, refugees and humanitarian action. However, there is potential for the same projects to extend their work and target other vulnerable groups and medical students using similar interventions to fulfill their outcomes.

IFMSA has been actively involved in capacity building for Disaster Risk Management and Health care in Danger via preGAs and during sessions in Regional Meetings,General Assemblies and SRT’s. Here medical students are empowered and equipped to work in this field in their NMO and in IFMSA.

Program areas

Topics covered by the Program Emergencies, Disaster Risk and Humanitarian Actions are:

  • Conflict and peacebuilding, in country refugees.
  • Placement of refugees and migration within the country.
  • Disaster management and resilience.
  • Humanitarian action including humanitarian law.
  • Education of medical students on these topics.
  • Border health.
  • Health care in danger.

Targeting criteria

Medical students are engaged via trainings during General Assemblies in the SCORP Sessions and during joint sessions. The last three General Assemblies there were three intensive capacity building workshops during the preGAs for approximately 30 medical students each preGA in Disaster Risk Management and Health Care in Disasters. Also during pre-regional meetings there have been held intensive workshops, for example the Health Care in Danger at the EMR 2015 with ICRC and EuRegMe 2015 with Human Rights Violations and Disasters in Europe. Next to the official meetings of IFMSA, there have been Sub Regional Trainings who touched upon topics covered by this Program for example the Health Care in Danger SRT of IFMSA-Sweden. In september 2015 there will be held the first Training Disaster Medicine Trainers (TdmT) in cooperation with CRIMEDIM.

Approach

Questions that need to be answered

What has been done in the past by IFMSA and the NMOs in emergency, disaster risk and humanitarian actions?

Assessment of existing surveys, transnational project reports, and reports of existing external partners.

Which NMOs are already involved in this topic? And what kind of activities are held in this topic?

Here will be used first a quantitative method to list the NMOs. Afterwards a qualitative method will be used to asses the different activities in problem statement, objectives, indicators.

Which NMO’s want to be engaged in this topic? And why want they be involved?

Here will be used first a quantitative method to list the NMOs. Afterwards a qualitative method will be used to asses the different activities in problem statement, objectives, indicators.

What do NMOs need for the program coordinator and the program team for support in existing activities and proposed activities?

A qualitative method will be used. First to asses the NMO reports and sending a survey to the National Officers to get the information about supporting the NMOs.

How many students, healthcare workers and vulnerable groups have already been reached? And how can they be reached more easy?

A quantitative method will be used to asses the number of participants for the existing activities.

Where can we, as IFMSA, work on in this topic with our external partners?

Quantitative assessment via the LRP to contact external partners and assessing existing MoU’s.

Methods applied

The methods that are used for the collection of the data related to the program were reviewing the NMO reports of AM2014 and MM2015. Furthermore, data was collected from the Activity Fair application, previous MSIs and the projects reports of MM2013 and AM2014. For the institutional arrangements the LRP was called for input and the existing policy statements were used. For input about previous surveys and data from previous official IFMSA meeting the SCORP D and the LRP were asked. Analysis was qualitatively made about IFMSA global action and NMOs advocacy efforts in different areas that the program serves.

Conducted surveys

There has been held a survey under medical students on the degree of Disaster Medicine in Medical Education. The data has been collected, but still needs to be assessed. Therefor the results are not there yet to present.

Analysis

Results

Focus areas of NMOs

  • Refugees
  • Disaster Risk Management
  • Humanitarian Action
  • Health care in danger

In the NMO reports of March Meeting 2015 and August Meeting 2014 there is stated that 44 NMOs are involved in topics covered by this program. Every IFMSA Region is represented, only not equally. Mostly, the topic of refugees is touched upon in the NMOs. Examples are Warm to the Refugees from IFMSA-Kurdistan and Medinetz from bvmd Germany. Other activities are training medical students in healthcare in danger or inequalities in health care for vulnerable groups. This data is collected from the NMO Reports from August Meeting 2014 and March Meeting 2015, there is a possibility that some NMO did not mention their activities in this field.

IFMSA has covered in country refugees, placement of refugees and migration within the country, disaster management, humanitarian action including humanitarian law, education of medical students on these topics, health care in danger in specific NMOs. There is still no cohesive group in IFMSA, who are working on Emergencies, Disaster Risk and Humanitarian Action. The African Region and the East Mediterranean are more focused on refugees and migrant health. The Asia-Pacific focusses on Disaster Medicine. Americas and Europe are focusing on different topics of the Program. There can not be made an estimation of the impact on the population, due to lack of data. As IFMSA, we can increase the NMO involvement in this program, to increase the impact.

Approximately, 44 percent of activities are campaigns that raise awareness on vulnerable groups, 22 percent trainings for medical students, 24 percent other activities as advocacy and community outreach. Here could not be made a specific percentage only an estimation due to the lack of information about kind of activity in the NMO report. With upcoming surveys for NMOs this problem will be tackled and there will be made a more specific estimation of the work of the NMOs.

During the Activities Fair in March Meeting 2015 and August Meeting 2014 the following activities within this program were presented:

March Meeting 2015

  • Operation Hope from IFMSA-Jo
  • K4A from KUMSA
  • NorPal from NMSA
  • Disaster SISM from SISM Italy

August Meeting 2014

  • Amigo by MMSA Malta
  • Emergency Alert by CISMA-ISMKI
  • Give Them Hope LMSA Libya
  • PalSpain by IFMSA-Spain
  • Refugee Camp Project (ReCap) by IFMSA-Palestine
  • Processus by CISMA-ISMKI

Transnational projects

GoSCORP aims to establish a database that unites the humanitarian projects run by the various Standing Committees on Human Rights and Peace around the world. Originally, GoSCORP was an exchange project between FASMR Romania and LeMSIC Lebanon. As a transnational project the aim was to create a database. The first steps were taken to involve more NMOs. Associamed-Tunisia, IFMSA-Poland, IFMSA-Egypt and IFMSA-Mexico were involved. At MM 2012 there has been created a small working group on GoSCORP. Then it has been silent around the project. At August Meeting 2015 there will be a new small working group in the SCORP sessions about how to move further with this project within the programs.

ACTION (Asia Collaborative Training on Infectious disease, Outbreak, Natural disaster and refugee management) is a transnational project of SCORP that aims to develop future health professionals that are aware of the importance of disaster medicine, and are able to respond properly to emergency situations. Every year, there is held a summer course with approximately 100 participant from organizing NMOs. Follow-up activities were Mini-ACTION in Thailand, and a training session at EAMSC (East Asia Medical Students Conference) organized by AMSA (Asia Medical Students Association).

IFMSA Policy Statements

  • Access to Healthcare for Undocumented Persons (AM2011)
  • Disasters and Emergencies (AM2012)
  • Refugees and Asylum Seekers (MM2012)
  • Protection of Health Services (MM2014)
  • Assuring access to Medical and Humanitarian Aid in Syria (MM2014)
  • Disaster and Emergency Management (AM2014)

The Medical Students Issue (MSI) 31 had as theme Humanitarian Action, where articles from all the IFMSA Regions and different Standing Committees placed to touch upon this topic from different perspectives. Other related articles from the previous MSI the projects bulletin and SCORP bulletin are:

  • MSI 31 ReCap by IFMSA-Palestine
  • MSI 31 Land in Sicht by bvmd Germany
  • MSI 29 Arivu by MSAI India

Institutional Arrangements

WHO - World Health Organisation Department Disaster Risk Management & Humanitarian Response. Link to website - Click here

Areas of collaboration between IFMSA and WHO ERM Dept.:

  • Interns in WHO Headquarters;
  • The WHO are supporting by sharing documents and information.

Ways we can increase collaboration:

  • Interns in regional offices
  • Have WHO contribute to Training disaster medicine Trainers training with expertise.
  • Webinars
  • Input in documents
  • Invitation to panels

Relevant material

  • WHO Resolution on Strengthening National Health Emergency and Disaster Management Capacities and resilience of Health System
  • WHO Overview of Emegency Risk Mangement for Health
  • Health Cluster Guide

CRIMEDIM Link to Website - Click here

Areas of collaboration

  • Training disaster medicine Trainers & Summer Course of 2 week
  • Research disaster medicine in Medical Curriculum.
  • Speaker in IFMSA meetings
  • Invite to IFMSA for CRIMEDM events

Ways we can increase collaboration:

  • Institutionalize Training disaster medicine Trainers after round 1
  • Develop mentorship program

Relevant material

  • About CRIMEDIM
  • Info about CRIMEDM

WADEM link to website - Click here

Areas of collaboration

  • Discussion on mentorship program

Ways to increase collaboration:

  • Launch mentorship program
  • Youth section in the WCDEM

Relevant Material:

  • Pre Hospital & Disaster Medicine
  • MoU with IFMSA (attached in email)

ICRC - Health Care in Danger ProjectLink to website - Click here

Areas of collaboration:

  • Support technically IFMSA HCiD initiative

Ways to increase collaboration

  • ICRC in TdmT training
  • MoU with ICRC
  • Start working with other departments
  • Connect more of NS of IFRC and IFMSA NMOs

Overview - on current efforts of IFMSA and NMOs

Main goal and expected impact

The main goal is to engage more medical students from all the different IFMSA regions and NMOs in Emergencies, Disaster Risk and Humanitarian Actions via trainings, workshop, campaigns and internships. And to create a stronger advocacy for the IFMSA stance. As medium-term objective we, as Program, want a higher level of NMO involvement and start collecting data from existing activities to make our impact visible. This will be used for plan of action of the medium goals to improve the NMO involvement and involve more NMOs to work in this field. Long-term objectives are involvement of NMOs with external partners in advocacy and influence on a worldwide level. For advocacy there will be looked into policy making in Disaster Risk Management and Humanitarian Actions for IFMSA to have a stronger position to stakeholders.

End-goal of the Program

Investing in prevention and preparedness, especially of health systems and safe environment while having empowered future health professionals that will be able to address disaster, whether natural, biological or man-made while ensuring humanitarian support to the ones in the need. Creating a resilient and safe health systems equipped to tackle hazard and prevent it into turning into a disaster.

Outcomes

Outcomes will be present by NMO reports/Activities Fair, Policy Statement and MSI review studies and an outcome-based overview conclusion.

Outcome 1: IFMSA collaboration with external partners and professionals

Current situation: There are existing collaborations with CRIMEDIM, WADEM, ICRC and WHO.

Targets:

  • To establish sustainable collaborations with existing external partners
  • Identify opportunities for students to represent the stance of IFMSA to these stakeholders

Expected impact: External representation of IFMSA within international organisations involved in this area will provide the federation with opportunities to advocate internationally for what we believe in.

Outcome 2: Capacity building for medical students to equip them with knowledge, advocacy skills and tools to start working on Emergencies, Disaster Risk and Humanitarian Action on NMO level or international level within IFMSA or with external partners.

Current situation: Sessions related to this programme have been included in SCORP sessions during IFMSA meetings as preGAs, General Assemblies, Regional Meetings and Sub Regional Trainings.

Targets:

  • Continue to hold workshops on Disaster Risk Management
  • Include workshops that focus on humanitarian action and vulnerable groups, for example migrants.
  • Increase the training opportunities on skills such as advocacy.
  • Start work together with the Program Dignifying and Non-discriminatory Health care.

Expected impact: An increase in number of activities on a local, regional and international levels and increased NMO involvement.

Outcome 3: Establish a sustainable team for this Program with involved NMOs and volunteers to coordinate future actions.

Current situation: There is no cohesive group who is working on this Program.

Target: Use SCORP and AM 2015 as a platform to create this network of students that could drive these actions.

Expected impact: Increase the number of volunteers, who are working in this Program.

Outcome 4: Improving the existing policy statements and create a cohesive IFMSA stance for this Program

Current situation: There are a few policy statements, who expire in the upcoming General Assemblies.

Target: Use the involved NMOs, Liaison Officer on Human rights and Peace and SCORP Director for improving the policy statements

Expected impact: To have a clear IFMSA Stance in Emergencies, Disaster Risk and Humanitarian Actions.

Summary

The Program Emergencies, Disaster Risk and Humanitarian Action consists of a Program Team with Yamen Jabr and Marjon Feenstra (coordinator). With support of Jessica Zhang, the SCORP Director) and Moa Herrard, the Liaison Officer on Human Rights and Peace. There are institutional arrangements with WHO - World Health Organisation Department Disaster Risk Management & Humanitarian Response, CRIMEDIM, WADEM, ICRC - Health care in Danger, and UNHDR. Topics this Program is focused are conflict and peacebuilding, in country refugees, placement of refugees and migration within the country, disaster management and resilience, humanitarian action including humanitarian law, education of medical students on these topics, border health, health care in danger. In the past at IFMSA Meetings there has been presented activities by NMOs with topics covered by this program, via the activities fair, Rex Crossley Awards and Medical Students Issue (MSI). There were two transnational projects that covered this program; GoSCORP and ACTION. GoSCORP aims to establish a database that unites the humanitarian projects run by the various Standing Committees on Human Rights and Peace around the world. At AM 2014 there will be created a small working group on GoSCORP about how to proceed with this project in the Programs. ACTION (Asia Collaborative Training on Infectious disease, Outbreak, Natural disaster and refugee management) is a transnational project of SCORP that aims to develop future health professionals that are aware of the importance of disaster medicine, and are able to respond properly to emergency situations. Every year, there is held a summer course with approximately 100 participant from organizing NMOs. One survey has been under medical students conducted about Disaster Medicine in Medical Education. Capacity building has been particular during different IFMSA Meetings, for example SRT’s and regional meetings. The upcoming time the approach is to asses were IFMSA stance and were NMOs work on in Emergencies, Disaster Risk and Humanitarian Action. There will be held surveys under the NMOs, especially under SCORP members. There will be more contact with NMOs who have existing activities on Emergencies, Disaster Risk and Humanitarian Action. This data will be used to analysis the impact and reached population. The other focus is on the external partners. Here will be assessed how the collaboration can be improved and if there are possibilities for volunteers from our NMOs to represent IFMSA to these stakeholders. This will be done via quantitative and qualitative surveys sent to the NMOs and external partners. The main goal is engaging medical students and work on a stronger advocacy in Emergencies, Disaster Risk and Humanitarian Action. This will be done by identifying what NMOs want and need from the Program Team and IFMSA. Long-term goals are having sustainable activities and advocacy by NMOs and the IFMSA. And connecting our members with important stakeholders and external partners. The outcomes of the program are increasing the NMO involvement and regions. There are already NMOs working on Emergencies, Disaster Risk and Humanitarian Action. The African Region and the East Mediterranean are more focused on refugees and migrant health. The Asia-Pacific focusses on Disaster Medicine. Americas and Europe are focusing on different topics of the Program. There could not be made a proper estimation on the impact on different population due to lack of data. Hopefully, this will be solved the next term to show the impact of the NMOs and IFMSA.