Helping to build resilience for the vulnerable in communities by Red Cross, Red Crescent Movement (IFRC) 9:19pm 3rd May, 2012   One Thousand Critical days - Community-based innovative solutions to increased health equity and improved maternal and child health.    Whilst significant progress has been made on reducing child mortality over the past 50 years, it is recognized that the progress is not equitable. In rich and poor countries alike, the poorest and most disadvantaged children and mothers continue to miss out on life-saving interventions.    The next 1,000 days are critical. The achievement of Millennium Development Goals 3 through 6 (promote gender equality and empower women, reduce child mortality, improve maternal health and combat HIV/AIDs, malaria, TB and other diseases) and 8 (develop a global partnership for development) will require intensified efforts at all levels – increased political will at the international and national levels as well as an acknowledgment of the important role played by individuals themselves at the district, community and household levels.    As the world’s largest humanitarian organization, the Red Cross Red Crescent movement is privileged to play an active role in reducing vulnerabilities through its presence in the last mile and the most remote communities around the globe as well its participation at global and national decision-making tables.    As independent auxiliaries to their government- a unique relationship entailing mutual responsibilities and based on international and national laws - Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies are well positioned to advocate for the increased political will that will be necessary to ensure the world’s sustained commitment to child survival and women’s health. National Societies support the achievement of national health priorities, with a focus on ensuring that the poorest and most disadvantaged children and mothers are able to access life-saving interventions.    The Red Cross Red Crescent 13 million strong volunteers, as members of their own communities, are familiar with their environments and know how best to bridge the social, cultural and other barriers that impede progress towards reducing preventable maternal and child deaths. Red Cross and Red Crescent volunteers extend health services beyond the health facility door through innovative operational models that are culturally appropriate, cost-effective and sustainable.    These volunteers have learned two important lessons from first-hand experience: 1. strengthening community action with innovative approaches ensures that health care reaches the most vulnerable, targets appropriate gatekeepers and crosses local barriers to uptake of health services; and 2. increased biological and community resilience is not something outsiders can do or bring to individuals or communities. The starting point for any humanitarian or development support must be recognition and appreciation of the efforts of individuals, households and communities to strengthen their own resilience.    The Red Cross Red Crescent fully support the commitment governments made in Busan in 2011, that “development strategies and programmes prioritise the building of resilience among people and societies at risk from shocks, especially in highly vulnerable settings.... Investing in resilience and risk reduction increases the value and sustainability of our development efforts.”    For example, most interventions related to maternal, new born and child health focuses primarily on improving women''s knowledge and practices to maternal health issues. However, in most societies women are dependent on the male members of the family to either accompany or permit them or their children to seek medical care. Hence it is pertinent that men and boys are aware of risk factors women and girls (early marriages) can face during pregnancy and the consequent complications that may arise as a result.    These interventions which aim to build communities’ resilience and achieve improvements in maternal and child health need to involve the elders (both men and women), religious leaders and more specifically men and boys given their familial and social roles within communities in order to improve maternal and child health outcomes.    The world will stand accountable in one thousand days.    New IFPRI/IFRC report maps out long-term paths to end global hunger    Assisting in the development of smallholder farms can help improve the food security of communities.    The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) have today launched a new report which examines the issues of food security in vulnerable populations. The paper, Reducing the Risks of Food and Nutrition Insecurity among Vulnerable Populations, illustrates the importance of food security and suggests that breaking the cycle of hunger - and building resilience - in affected communities is not impossible.    Dr Shenggen Fan, the president of IFPRI, said the report was an example of the cooperation and commitment needed to overcome the challenges of food insecurity. “Despite some progress over the past two decades, almost 1 billion people worldwide are undernourished,” he said.    “Vulnerable populations are particularly susceptible to chronic food insecurity because they lack the ability to ‘bounce back’ from drought or conflicts. Building the resilience of these communities in the longer term is essential to eliminating chronic food insecurity.”    While the problems are complex, the report says, the solutions are within reach, recommending more effective support for smallholders to reduce their vulnerability; the development of national food reserves; and better early warning systems at local and national level so that communities can be better prepared for coming shocks.    The paper also calls for better coordination between global donors and those on the ground in areas of crisis, and for international humanitarian agencies to understand the importance of developing long-term solutions rather than trailing communities from crisis to crisis with short-term aid.    Goli Ameri, IFRC Under Secretary General for Humanitarian Diplomacy, said that there was a growing consensus that Africa has the capacity to feed itself and end hunger. “I, too, believe this can be achieved, but some concrete steps must be taken now to get there: better access to finance and insurance, for example – especially for women who make up the majority of small scale food producers – along with improved trade policies at national, regional and continental levels and sustained investment in irrigation agriculture.”    Global challenges in water and sanitation    The global picture about water and sanitation is stark. Today, 2.6 billion people are exposed to a variety of preventable diseases through poor access to basic sanitation, and 880 million lack clean water supplies. Recently more than 50 participants from National Societies, donors and peer organizations came to Geneva for the Global Water and Sanitation Initiative (GWSI) to take stock of the global situation and discuss the best ways to move promote and provide good sanitation for all.    Uli Jaspers Manager of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies'' (IFRC) Water, Sanitation and Emergency Health Unit, said it was shocking how far water and sanitation had slipped down the global agenda. "The idea for the Red Cross Red Crescent is not to deemphasize the need to safe water, but to increase focus on sanitation. We need to carry on scaling up our efforts collectively in order to reach the Millennium Development Goal targets and go to beyond that,” he said.    “To do this, we need to align with other global water and sanitation efforts carried out by other key players, and to encourage partnership and generate support, while always trying to meet first the basic needs as set by the local communities we serve."    In 2005, the IFRC launched its ten-year GWSI; a common approach by Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies to establish larger-scale, longer-term sustainable water and sanitation programmes.    In the second phase of the initiative, leading up to 2015, particular focus will be placed on addressing sanitation challenges in South Asia, both by increasing the scale of existing projects and considering new project start-ups.    GWSI focuses on community-based approaches with National Societies as prime implementers at grass roots, acting in their auxiliary role to governments. And through its network of volunteers, the Red Cross Red Crescent engages with communities with a view to achieving sustainable sanitation solutions.    Anemari Ciurea, Programme Manager at the European Union Water Facility, said the Red Cross Red Crescent was among the organization''s best partners, especially as they were able to reach areas where existing schemes were not yet established. "Their projects reach a big number of end beneficiaries not only in terms of water supply and improved sanitation, but also in hygiene promotion," she said "I can now say I understand better the work they do and am convinced they can do more and contribute to our shared goals.”    The largest sanitation shortfall is in Asia, home to 72% of the 2.6 billion people who lack basic sanitation. Across India, Pakistan and Nepal, open latrines remains the only option for over 700 million people.    Amar Poudel, Nepal Red Cross Society''s Water and Sanintation Coordinator, said that in Nepal, 17 million people are still practicing open defecation. "It is a major issue but still not getting the attention it deserves. As a result, 13,000 children die each year from water and sanitation related diseases. Our duty is to reach out to the communities that are living in remote areas in order to address their needs in the most practical terms possible adapted to their local realities”.    Kathryn Clarkson, water and sanitation coordinator for the IFRC in Asia Pacific, said that poor sanitation leaves people vulnerable to a multitude of negative health and economic problems. “Lack of access to appropriate sanitation not only relates to the health of communities, but also has much broader impacts on the well-being of families and their dignity, security and safety. Toilets in schools would encourage children to go to school, particularly girls,” she said. Visit the related web page
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