YANA Panel: Global Health & New Ways of Working in Africa

The presentations and discussion were content-rich; a full video recording and access to the presentations can be found below.

The following briefly summarizes some of the key messages:

Dr. Nelson set the global context, noting that the world is in constant flux and movement is a core characteristic of our modern world, including mass migration and forced displacement. New humanitarian aid solutions need to be developed to address the challenges that arise along the way as people move, so that critical support services are not delivered only at the beginning and end of the journey.

Myriam Ghorbel noted that 20 of the most violent crises in the world are at the origin of more than 80% of displacement and humanitarian needs. The Red Cross has predicted that Syria, Iraq, Yemen, the Horn of Africa, the Lake Chad Basin and the Sahel, will continue to be hotspots in 2019.  In countries gripped by protracted conflict, and with healthcare systems further weakened by armed conflict, resources are often unavailable to deal with treatable diseases. Some locations have decimated health facilities. In others, armed groups block attempts to reach patients, e.g. Ebola case.  While outbreaks of disease are a medical concern, it is the larger structural and political issues that allow diseases to thrive and recur.  The combination of weak systems, flaws in prevention efforts, ineffective response capabilities, and ongoing conflict is making healthcare a great source of concern for humanitarian workers.

The United Nation’s 2030 Agenda and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) sets a framework for global sustainable development and public policy. For fragile and conflict-affected states, this agenda is particularly relevant.

Save the Children works all over the world with the mission to protect children from harm and provide children and families with better opportunities. Meghan Gallagher described how Save continues to experiment and adjust its best practices based on critical learning in the field.  For example, in Syria, women were uncomfortable receiving Save’s services because men were not included. Save re-targeted its programs and saw that by including men, Save helped refugees creates a stronger, more equitable society in their new location. Other new approaches are being tried, including cash vouchers to provide individuals with immediate support to address their most pressing needs. The use and importance of cash vouchers is being evaluated.

Mick Hirsch discussed the long term impact of forced displacement on those who survive.  Mental health trauma lingers, taking the form of depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, and loneliness. It interferes with one’s ability to get an education or hold a job. It disrupts relationships and tears apart families. It leads to alcoholism and gender-based violence. And it gives birth to 2nd- and 3rd-generation trauma. THRIVEGulu addresses the complexity of trauma through a holistic approach they call the “5 to THRIVE” model, which includes five different aspects of “health” necessary to move from being a survivor to a thriver: mental, financial, social, spiritual and family.