7 July 2010
Humanitarian
Resource Institute
Phone: (203) 668-0282
Url: www.humanitarian.net
United Nations Arts Initiative
Arts Integration Into Education
Url: www.unarts.org
Twitter: unarts
HRI:UNArts - Millennium Medicine Project
Url: www.unarts.org/mmp
HRI:UNArts - Millennium
Medicine Project
3.5 billion people live in severe poverty,
2.4 billion people lack access to basic sanitation and over 1 billion people
lack access to safe drinking water.... Each day in the developing
world, 30,000 children die from mostly preventable and treatable causes
such as diarrhea, acute respiratory infections or malaria. [1]
In the context of the worlds most wealthy countries,
according to the "World Vision responds to G20 Communiqué" [2]:
- While
G20 leaders have been focused on finding concrete solutions to economic
challenges, almost 14,000 children in their own countries will have died,
mostly from preventable causes.
- These
countries are now the 21st century’s economic powerhouses, with 87 per
cent of the world’s GDP, yet many are still failing to address dire living
conditions and lack of access to health services in their communities.
The World Health Organization Global
Initiative for Emergency and Essential Surgical Care (GIEESC) was
established in December 2005 as an international collaboration of Ministries
of Health, WHO country offices, local and international organizations
and academia. GIEESC is involved in reducing death and disability from
road traffic accidents, trauma, burns, falls, pregnancy related complications,
domestic violence, disasters and other surgical conditions. The specific
objectives are:
- strengthen
capacity to deliver effective emergency surgical care at the first referral
level facility, working towards achieving the WHO Millennium Development
Goals
- improve
the quality of care through safe and appropriate use of emergency and
essential surgical procedures and linked equipment in resource limited healthcare
facilities
- strengthen
existing training and education programs in safety of essential procedures
in low and middle income countries
Today, despite the formation of GIEESC
in 2005, 5 Billion people across the globe lack access to basic
surgical services and advanced medical technologies.
Even after half a century of independence,
“not more than 20 percent of the population has any
access to….. basic surgical services like life saving
caesarian section, or a life saving repair of typhoid perforation…”
(National Human Development Report 2001). This situation
can be improved only if there is adequate number of rural
surgeons in India whose surgery is affordable and available
near the homes of the patients. -- Realising the
vital role of rural surgeons in the nation’s health care,
Dr. Gazeiry, MD., FRCS., the past Regional Director of
W.H.O. East Mediterranean Region remarked that rural surgery
be made into a specialty.
The concept of rural surgery has been developed
in India in the last thirteen years to make modern
surgical care accessible to the five billion havenots of the developing
world. Only one billion out the total of six billion population
of the world has any access to the type of surgical care
seen in the hospital of Western Europe and America. In
India, out of the population of one billion as of today,
not more than 10% has any access to this type of surgical
care. -- Association of Rural Surgeons in
India. [3]
Strategic Planning and Development
The focus of the HRI:UNArts -
Millennium Medicine Project is G-192 unmet needs analysis
that includes (1) review of countries and emergencies [4], (2) demographic and
public health infrastructure, and operational needs on the rural healthcare
level. This information will serve as our basis for strategic planning,
NGO integrational support, education initiatives and international appeals.
Access points for low cost
medical equipment and supplies for humanitarian operations at the rural clinic
level is a priority focus [5] Current discussions include access to:
- Low cost
diagnostics technologies (including PCR) to assist with surveillance, containment
and control of high consequence pathogens. [7]
- Ultrasound
Technologies that include Low-Cost USB-based Ultrasound Probes and Ultrasound
imaging and training for FAST (Focused Assessment with Sonography for Trauma),
and early diagnosis of developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH). [6]
- Low cost
access to pharmaceuticals, to address public health challenges classified
under the umbrella of an international public health emergency. [8]
- Low cost
JESS/FIX CLIP Technologies: Orthopedic supplies
for rural surgeons. [6]
For corporations, physicians, veterinarians, scientists that would
like to serve in an advisory or product development role (included in the Millennium
Medicine Project medical equipment and supplies
portal), contact
Stephen M. Apatow
Millennium Medicine Project
Corporate, NGO, Field Operations Liaison
References:
1. The Ultimate Objective: Humanitarian Resource Institute. Url: http://www.humanitarian.net/interfaith/studycenter/Omnia_vincit_amor
2. World Vision responds to G20 Communiqué: 27 June 2010. Url: http://www.wvi.org/wvi/wviweb.nsf/maindocs/
A52C3000496FA92A882577500003F68D
3. Association of Rural Surgeons in India. Url: http://www.arsi-india.org/
4. Reliefweb: Countries and Emergencies. Url:
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/dbc.nsf/doc401?OpenForm
5. 42 Extremely Affordable Global Health Innovations: Global Health Ideas.
http://globalhealthideas.org/2009/07/42-extremely-affordable-global-health-innovations
6. Orthopedics: Millennium Medicine Project, 6 July 2010. Url: http://www.unarts.org/mmp/orthopedics_762010.html
7. Public Health Infrastructure and Emerging Infectious Diseases: Millennium
Medicine Project, 6 July 2010. Url: http://www.unarts.org/mmp/eid_762010.html
8. Declaration/Scope - International Public Health Emergency: Pathobiologics
International, Nov. 2006. Url: http://www.pathobiologics.org/btac/UNIHR1292007.html
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