Rudy Coninx, WHO on Health Care in Danger

8/2/2019 Rudy Coninx, WHO on Health Care in Danger

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WHO's roleinKeeping Health workers and

facilities safe in war

London, 23 April 2012


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WHO and Health Care in Danger | London, April 23, 20123|

What does WHO do ?

Expresses concernAt 64th World Health Assembly

(May 2011)

"We are extremely distressed by reports of assaultson health personnel and facilities in .. conflict situations

We urge parties to ensure the protection of health workersand health facilities in conflict situations, to enable themto provide care for the sick and the wounded"


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What does WHO do ?

Documents the problem

Reports on damaged healthStructures in

Occupied Palestinian Territories


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What does WHO do ?

Engages in humanitarian diplomacy

YemenWHO negotiated

"the continuous delivery of health services to all affectedpopulation without discrimination"

Bahrain

Quiet diplomacy


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What does WHO do today ?

Advocates

e.g. Article in

WHO Bulletin


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What does WHO do ?

PrinciplesHealth facilities must be treated as neutral premises.

Their sole purpose must be to treat, and protect the

health of sick and/or wounded patients.

It is the professional and ethical duty of all medicalprofessionals and institutions to remain dedicated toproviding medical care to those in need regardless ofpolitical affiliation or any other condition


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What does WHO do ?

PrinciplesThe protection of civilians, health facilities and healthprofessionals during conflict is an obligation underinternational humanitarian law

Unhindered humanitarian access to health facilities for theinjured, for those who need care for chronic conditions andfor the general public should be secured at all times.


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Recognition of the problem

On January 21, 2012

WHOs 130th Executive Board adopted the

Resolution EB130.R14

which called upon WHO


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to provide leadership at the global level in

developing methods for systematic collection anddissemination of data

on attacks on health facilities, health workers, healthtransports, and patients in complex humanitarianemergencies

in coordination with other relevant United Nations bodies, the

International Committee of the Red Cross, and intergovernmental andnongovernmental organizations, avoiding duplication of efforts


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There is a serious and widespread problem of attacks onhealth workers, patients and facilities during armed andcivil conflict.

Where is the evidence ? Reliable information will assist the international community

in better understanding the nature of the problem

and provide the basis for policy decisions on how to dealwith the problem


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Follow up on the Resolution

WHO organized a first meeting

(March 5, 2012)

To identify the scope of the problem

To look at specific objectives and uses for datacollection

To discuss methodological issues in data collectionand reporting


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Outcomes (1)

An evidence base is needed to understand threats andvulnerabilities.

Analysis will raise awareness and inform preventionstrategies

It is important that the data be available publicly

Security precautions need be put into place to addressproblems of retaliation against individuals or groupsreporting and facilities and health workers that are subjectsof reporting.


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Outcomes (2)

There is a role for both incident/event reporting andpopulation based methods.

Should health personnel report attacks to WHO ?

(like an alert system)

There is potential for using multiple sources andtriangulating.


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Role of WHOand the international community

Document

Provide evidence of the extent of theproblem

Look at trends

Advocate

Do preventive diplomacy


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Way forward

Mapping of what different agencies are doing

Examine methodologies already existing

Obtain reports from WHO representatives in the field

wherever possible

Run a pilot project collating data from open sourceswith a view to developing a methodology that otherscan use


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Way forward

Collaborate with all interested agencies to come to acommon agreement on collecting data and developingstrategies for advancing this file

Adoption of this resolution at the 2012 World Health

Assembly


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Thank you