Country: Switzerland
Registration deadline: 12 Apr 2019
Starting date: 17 Jun 2019
Ending date: 28 Jun 2019
The HELP course (Health Emergencies in Large Populations) is a multidisciplinary training course for managing humanitarian operations in disasters, conflicts and other crises.
It was created in 1986 by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), in partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the University of Geneva, to professionalize the delivery of humanitarian assistance during emergencies, and to promote professional ethics and humanitarian principles.
In 2019, the course in Geneva is organized in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Center for Education and Research in Humanitarian Action (CERAH).
Content
The course explores the principles underlying the provision of humanitarian assistance in health emergencies and major health crises, and the methods of providing such assistance. It begins with a consideration of certain key concepts: public health tools, humanitarian principles, professional ethics, and effective decision-making in crises. After that, various aspects of health emergencies are examined: health care, nutrition, economic security, water and habitat, environmental health, prevention and control of communicable diseases, epidemiology in the field, mental health, sexual violence, the safety of humanitarian workers and the stresses to which they are subject, and the imperatives of international humanitarian law. Every section – nutrition, for instance – begins with an overview of the various stages of the planning process: assessing needs, analysing the context, selecting priorities, setting objectives, mobilizing resources, drafting plans, and implementing and evaluating activities.
Depending on the local context and current events, other topics may also be addressed: first aid in the field, war surgery, management of dead bodies, responses to nuclear, radiological, biological or chemical threats, pandemics, protection of medical personnel and facilities during crises, health needs of women, children and other vulnerable groups, and so on.
Participants are encouraged to share their field experiences. The course essentially sets out various approaches to public health that can be adopted by all humanitarian organizations; by doing so, it contributes indirectly to more effective coordination in emergency operations.
Teaching concepts and methods
The course emphasizes problem solving and participatory teaching and learning: analysis of situations and group discussions are key elements. Various teaching methods are used: lectures by experts, selected readings, group work in problem solving, simulations of disasters, field visits, and presentations by the participants themselves. In some places, distance-learning modules allow participants to prepare for or supplement the residential course.
How to register:
To apply for the course, please send the registration form, a cover letter, a CV and 2 letters of recommendation to help@icrc.org