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When I was a student at Fuller Theological Seminary, one of my professors, Bryant Myers, taught me that, “At the heart of poverty is broken relationships.” Years later, that teaching shapes the way I see the world and the way I lead at World Relief. Myers taught that before the fall, God established five foundational…
The post Go Far, Go Deep, Go Together in 2023 appeared first on World Relief.
Support Waste Collectors & Recyclers
Since 2018, DoTW has been working with waste collectors and recyclers in the Kathmandu Valley, and in 2020, has extended its activities to Nepalgunj.
The activities carried out in the two regions contribute to improving the health, well-being and livelihoods of collectors and recyclers in the waste sector. In concrete terms, DoTW aims to mitigate the risks associated with their professional activity and their exposure to a harmful environment and to improve their access to information and to appropriate, quality health services – including in the field of occupational health. Finally, this intervention should enable better recognition of their contribution to sustainable waste management in Kathmandu and Nepalgunj.
In 2021, DoTW supported the creation of a coordination platform in Kathmandu and Nepalgunj with public and private organizations, civil society or non-governmental organizations involved in the collection and recycling waste: the players in this sector were able to meet, discuss and draw attention to the problems encountered by workers in this sector, thus strengthening their power to act.
Throughout these years, DoTW strengthened the access of collectors and recyclers in the waste sector to quality health services adapted to their professional activity. Awareness sessions were organized for beneficiaries, in particular on the prevention of musculoskeletal disorders, the prevention of risks related to the dismantling of waste, or even on the prevention of animal bites and the tetanus vaccine.
DoTW has further strengthened the capacities of health care facility staff on health and safety at work: the staff of these facilities can thus offer medical consultations adapted to waste collectors and recyclers. Finally, Médecins du Monde has supported the municipality of Kathmandu in upgrading an innovative health center, becoming an “urban center for the promotion of health”, accessible to workers in the waste sector but also to the inhabitants of the Valley.
The post The Cost of Urbanization on Nepal appeared first on Doctors of the World.
Support Waste Collectors & Recyclers
Since 2018, DoTW has been working with waste collectors and recyclers in the Kathmandu Valley, and in 2020, has extended its activities to Nepalgunj.
The activities carried out in the two regions contribute to improving the health, well-being and livelihoods of collectors and recyclers in the waste sector. In concrete terms, DoTW aims to mitigate the risks associated with their professional activity and their exposure to a harmful environment and to improve their access to information and to appropriate, quality health services – including in the field of occupational health. Finally, this intervention should enable better recognition of their contribution to sustainable waste management in Kathmandu and Nepalgunj.
In 2021, DoTW supported the creation of a coordination platform in Kathmandu and Nepalgunj with public and private organizations, civil society or non-governmental organizations involved in the collection and recycling waste: the players in this sector were able to meet, discuss and draw attention to the problems encountered by workers in this sector, thus strengthening their power to act.
Throughout these years, DoTW strengthened the access of collectors and recyclers in the waste sector to quality health services adapted to their professional activity. Awareness sessions were organized for beneficiaries, in particular on the prevention of musculoskeletal disorders, the prevention of risks related to the dismantling of waste, or even on the prevention of animal bites and the tetanus vaccine.
DoTW has further strengthened the capacities of health care facility staff on health and safety at work: the staff of these facilities can thus offer medical consultations adapted to waste collectors and recyclers. Finally, Médecins du Monde has supported the municipality of Kathmandu in upgrading an innovative health center, becoming an “urban center for the promotion of health”, accessible to workers in the waste sector but also to the inhabitants of the Valley.
The post The Cost of Urbanization on Nepal appeared first on Doctors of the World.
Infection, Prevention and Control
The first objective in our COVID-19 programs was to ensure that the healthcare facilities were prepared for a COVID-19 outbreak in their region. The DotW team carried out training sessions to prepare healthcare staff and community health workers on COVID-19. These sessions focused on IPC strategies (quarantine, isolation, etc) as well as providing information on the COVID-19 virus including its etiology, transmission, symptoms, risk, diagnosis and treatment. Staff were also trained on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS), particularly within the context of COVID-19.
Besides training healthcare staff on COVID-19, Doctors of the World donated Infection, Prevention and Control (IPC) supplies like PPE as well as medicine and medical equipment to the various healthcare facilities it supported in Haiti, Ukraine and South Sudan.
Another key aspect of our COVID-19 response was raising community awareness by disseminating information about the virus to the public so that individuals were better equipped to recognize symptoms, prevent infection and seek out treatment. DotW prepared messages and presentations that were shared on the TV, radio, and across various social media platforms like Facebook. DotW had additionally partnered with local community leaders and organizations that could further amplify the message.
In Ukraine, Doctors of the World organized phone consultations where individuals could call and receive the necessary information about COVID-19, as well as launched a video competition among children on how to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
The post Our COVID-19 Response in Haiti, South Sudan and Ukraine appeared first on Doctors of the World.
Infection, Prevention and Control
The first objective in our COVID-19 programs was to ensure that the healthcare facilities were prepared for a COVID-19 outbreak in their region. The DotW team carried out training sessions to prepare healthcare staff and community health workers on COVID-19. These sessions focused on IPC strategies (quarantine, isolation, etc) as well as providing information on the COVID-19 virus including its etiology, transmission, symptoms, risk, diagnosis and treatment. Staff were also trained on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS), particularly within the context of COVID-19.
Besides training healthcare staff on COVID-19, Doctors of the World donated Infection, Prevention and Control (IPC) supplies like PPE as well as medicine and medical equipment to the various healthcare facilities it supported in Haiti, Ukraine and South Sudan.
Another key aspect of our COVID-19 response was raising community awareness by disseminating information about the virus to the public so that individuals were better equipped to recognize symptoms, prevent infection and seek out treatment. DotW prepared messages and presentations that were shared on the TV, radio, and across various social media platforms like Facebook. DotW had additionally partnered with local community leaders and organizations that could further amplify the message.
In Ukraine, Doctors of the World organized phone consultations where individuals could call and receive the necessary information about COVID-19, as well as launched a video competition among children on how to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
The post Our COVID-19 Response in Haiti, South Sudan and Ukraine appeared first on Doctors of the World.
The Democratic Republic of Congo is facing a multitude of compounding crises with serious consequences for the civilian population.
Political instability, chronic conflict, and natural hazards, like volcanic activity and flooding, have left a large part of the population in need of humanitarian assistance.
Doctors of the World (DotW) has drawn its attention to one region where populations are left vulnerable to a variation of health and security disasters. In the Fizi Highlands, civilians have found themselves trapped between two conflicting territories: the Minembwe and Itombwe. The region has endured violence and armed conflict for over a decade, however in the spring of 2020, there was an escalation in violence between the Mai-Mai and the Banyamulenge communities. Civilians have been further targeted as human rights organizations report cases of murder, rape, burning of villages, and looting of livestock. In response, the Armed Forces of the DRC have mobilized in the areas of violence, in order to put an end to the fights between armed groups.
The consequences of the conflict have also resulted in forced displacement, lack of access to essential services like healthcare and sanitation, as well as impacted the population’s food security. The situation remains tense as this conflict has caused division of the population by ethnicity, and individuals are forced to continuously move between territories to avoid further violence. According to OCHA, about 39,700 persons (approx. 7,940 households) were displaced during the violence in this region. Many internally displaced persons (IDPs) have been separated from their homes since 2019 and returns remain very low.
In response to these conflicts, Doctor of the World ran a project, funded by USAID, that used multi-sectoral lifesaving interventions targeting the most vulnerable conflict-affected individuals in Itombwe and Minembwe territories in. The sectors of focus for this project included health, nutrition, water, hygiene and sanitation (WASH), and protection.
The post Doctors of the World response to humanitarian crisis in Eastern DRC appeared first on Doctors of the World.
by Dr. Sonasha Braxton
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Oct 18, 2022
It’s October, so that means it is World Mental Health Awareness month.
So why is mental health so important for Black, Indigenous, & People of Color, or BIPOC folks in the United Stat…
Democratic Republic of Congo
Political turmoil, as well as chronic conflicts and humanitarian crises due to insecurity and violence, has deeply impacted the wellbeing of many in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The additional environmental hazards, including flooding and volcanic activity, has put many at risk without any access to care. In certain regions, the violence against civilians and the cases of human rights violations have increased significantly since 2020. The cases of gender-based violence have also increased by 73% since the previous year.
In Kinshasa, the capital city of DRC, DotW has partnered with the local NGO Afia Mama. This NGO is a prominent figure at the community level and uses its platform to advocate for human rights and better sexual reproductive health (SRH), especially for women facing unwanted pregnancies.
Through its partnership with Afia Mama, DotW has formulated a program that strengthens the supply of health services based on an approach adapted to young people, community mobilization, and advocacy, for legal access to family planning services. It is a staunch supporter of the Maputo Protocol, an international agreement that guarantees women’s rights, including social and political equality with men, and improved autonomy in their health decisions and the termination of female genital mutilation. The program also works to bring schools together, to inform adolescents about their SRH and raises awareness about risks associated with clandestine abortions. Its primary goal is to reduce mortality linked to unsafe abortions that occuring in these communities.
The post Doctors of the World: Community Approach to Health and Wellbeing appeared first on Doctors of the World.