Health Workers

States Must Do More to Stem "New & Frightening Trend" of Attacks Against Health Care

Thursday, September 25, 2014
A high-level panel during the United Nations General Assembly concluded States must take concrete action to ensure the protection of health care—particularly in situations of armed conflict and emergencies—and garnered support for an eventual UN resolution on the topic. Peter Maurer, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross, co-chaired the event with Margaret Chan, director general of the World Health Organization.

How to Protect Health Workers in Conflicts and Crisis

Wednesday, October 1, 2014
Recruiting health workers with high levels of internal motivation is critical for work in difficult conditions, where their personal security and health might be compromised, according to new research published today in Health Policy and Planning. Health workers often witness the deaths of friends and colleagues during conflict situations and also face abduction, injury and death, themselves. Life history interviews with 26 health workers who lived through conflict in Northern Uganda reveal their resilience and how they coped by building trusting relationships with the community, seeking support from managers and elders, and finding strength from their faith and commitment to serve their community.

Central African Republic: A Never-Ending Quest to Promote Humanitarian Rules

Friday, October 3, 2014
Killings and acts of physical violence committed against civilians, the destruction of homes and businesses, attacks against rescue workers: the list of violations of international humanitarian law taking place on an almost daily basis is long. Just as it is imperative that emergency action be taken to save lives, it is essential that weapon bearers be convinced that they must obey the rules that protect civilians.

Intrusion into a Health Facility: Health Workers and Health Facilities Must Be Protected in Afghanistan

Wednesday, September 24, 2014
Since January 2014, 140 security incidents have directly harmed NGOs. ACBAR calls upon all parties to the Afghan conflict to end all forms of violence against humanitarian actors—including NGOs and their employees. ACBAR—the Agency Coordinating Body of Afghan Relief & Development—has been aggrieved to hear of the intrusion into a health facility providing essential assistance to patients.

Fear, Trust, and Attacks on Ebola Workers

Wednesday, September 24, 2014
As health workers fan out across the Ebola-stricken areas of Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, they are facing a battle on two fronts: fighting Ebola and addressing the fears, rumors, and myths of those at risk of Ebola. Sadly, those fears, rooted in a lack of understanding of a deadly disease never seen before in these countries and a long history of corruption and mistrust of government, has led to health workers being attacked and killed.

Bodies Found After Ebola Health Care Workers Go Missing in Guinea

Thursday, September 18, 2014
A spokesman for the government in Guinea said on Thursday that eight bodies were found two days after a group of health workers and journalists went missing in the country. The journalists and officials came under attack near the southern city of Nzerekore, close to the Liberian border. One journalist was able to escape and later told reporters that she could hear villagers looking for her. The Associated Press said that the group "was doing disinfection and education on prevention methods" when it went missing.

A Day in the Life of Su-Su, A Prosthetic Technician in Myanmar

Monday, September 15, 2014
28-year-old Su-Su loves her job helping injured children and adults walk again. She works in the Hpa-An Orthopaedic Centre in southern Myanmar, where she makes and custom fits artificial limbs for victims of landmines, traffic accidents and other injuries. Her specialist training was entirely funded by the ICRC, making her one of only 10 fully trained prosthetic technicians in the whole of Myanmar.

UN Security Council Open Debate on Children in Armed Conflict: Building Momentum for the Need to Ensure Children's Access to Health in Conflict

Friday, September 12, 2014
On September 8, the United Nations Security Council and Member States convened at an Open Debate on Children and Armed Conflict, to address the devastating impact these violent settings have on the security and healthy development of children. This occasion marked the second open debate on this issue, following the Secretary General’s July 1 Annual Report on Children and Armed Conflict, and sadly comes at a time when children have been forced to bear the brunt of some of the most severe ramifications of war and civil unrest.

Ukraine: Health Workers Fear for Their Safety

Saturday, August 30, 2014
Armed separatists in Ukraine are disrupting health-care services and threatening health professionals, forcing some medical staff to leave their jobs. Human rights organisations have called on both sides in the Ukrainian conflict to respect the neutrality of medical workers amid reports of medical staff being threatened as they do their work, medical equipment being stolen, and the treatment of civilian patients being compromised.

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