Mass casualty events occur on a regular although unpredictable basis within the contexts of both Mèdecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) activities. The ...frequency of both natural disasters and other mass casualty incidents is increasing with urbanisation and industrialisation, compounded by climate change and conflict. Both organisations have recognised that the historical training focus on full-scale mass casualty simulations has not always been followed through to the resolution of action points and dissemination of learning. Staff training for mass casualty management has been variable. This led MSF and ICRC to develop a multimodal approach to assist development of mass casualty plans and preparedness. Capitalising on our presence in these contexts we are incorporating our experience of quality improvement and change management to complement simulation to ‘stress and test’ systems. We examine the challenges and share our efforts to improve training of staff in field projects across both MSF and ICRC and discussing future innovations.
In 2015, thirteen per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), including perfluorohexanesulfonate (PFHxS), perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS), perfluorooctanoate (PFOA), perfluorononanoate (PFNA), and ...perfluorodecanoate (PFDA) were analyzed in human plasma that were collected from a total of 616 American Red Cross male and female blood donors (ages 20–69) at 6 regional blood collection centers. Plasma samples were analyzed using a validated solvent precipitation-isotope dilution direction-liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry method. The data were analyzed in conjunction with prior cross-sectional investigations 2000–2001 (n =645), 2006 (n =600), and 2010 (n =600) to determine PFAS trends. Age- and sex-adjusted geometric mean serum (2000–2001) and plasma (2006, 2010, 2015) concentrations (ng/mL) were, respectively: PFHxS (2.3, 1.5, 1.3, 0.9); PFOS (35.1, 14.5, 8.4, 4.3); PFOA (4.7, 3.4, 2.4, 1.1); PFNA (0.6, 1.0, 0.8, 0.4); and PFDA (0.2, 0.3, 0.3, 0.1). The percentage decline in these geometric mean concentrations from 2000–2001 to 2015 were: PFHxS (61%); PFOS (88%); PFOA (77%); PFNA (33%); and PFDA (50%). The results indicate a continued decline of PFHxS, PFOS, and PFOA concentrations in American Red Cross blood donors. For the remaining PFAS measured in 2015, including the shorter chain perfluoroalkyls perfluorobutanesulfonate (PFBS) and perfluorohexanoate (PFHxA), the majority of samples were below the lower limit of quantitation.
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•In 2015, plasma from 616 American Red Cross adult blood donors measured for PFAS.•Prior collections of other donor samples were measured in 2000–2001, 2006, and 2010.•Percentage declines 2000–2001 to 2015 were 61% (PFHxS), 88% (PFOS), and 77% (PFOA).•In 2015 shorter chain perfluoroalkyls PFBS and PFHxA remained primarily < LLOQ.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is today a staunch proponent of the need for humanitarian organisations to remain independent of state interests, yet it deliberately solicited ...intergovernmental intervention in international relief after the First World War of 1914–18. This paper examines why an organisation committed to upholding the independence and impartiality of humanitarian action might still choose to partner with governmental bodies. It also highlights the historical beginnings of a linkage between international aid and geopolitics. To secure governmental funding for refugee relief during the 1920s, the ICRC argued that the humanitarian crises of the post‐war years were a threat to the political and social stability of Europe. While this has become axiomatic, the interwar history of the ICRC demonstrates that the perceived connection between relief and geopolitical stability is historically constructed, and that it must continue to be asserted persuasively to be effective.
The Korean Empire, its state sovereignty threatened by the Empire of Japan, joined the Geneva Conventions in 1903 for the purpose of neutral diplomacy and established the imperial Korean Red Cross ...Hospital in 1905. This hospital was a result of the effort of the Korean Empire to seek a new medical system based on the Western medicine. However, after the Russo-Japanese War, Japan interfered straightforwardly in the domestic affairs of Korea and eventually abolished the Korean Red Cross Hospital in 1907 to create Daehan Hospital under Japanese colonial rule. With newly-found historical records, this study investigates the whole process of the Korean Red Cross Hospital, which has remained unknown so far, despite its importance. From the very beginning, the Korean Red Cross Hospital was under strong influence of the Empire of Japan. The site for the hospital was chosen by a Japanese army doctor, Junryō Yoshimoto, and the construction was supervised by Rokurō Katsumata, who also later on are involved in the construction of Daehan Hospital. Moreover, all the main positions for medical treatments were held by Japanese practitioners such as Gorō Tatami and Kaneko Yano. Nevertheless, the Korean government had to shoulder the all operating costs. The office of the Korean Red Cross was relocated away from the Korean Red Cross Hospital, and the government of the Korean Empire was not willing to burden the expenses of the Hospital. Moreover, the list of employees of the Korean Red Cross and that of the Korean Red Cross Hospital were drawn up separately: the former is left only in Korea and the latter in Japan. These facts suggest that those two institutes were managed dualistically unlike any other nation, implying that this may have been a means to support the Daehan Hospital project. According to the statistics, health care services in the Korean Red Cross Hospital seems to have been carried out successfully. There had been an increase in the number of patients, and the ratio of female patients was relatively high (26.4%). Only Western medications were prescribed and surgical operations with anesthesia were performed routinely. The approach to Western medicine in Korea was changing during that period. The rise and fall of the Korean Red Cross Hospital represent the urgent situation of the Korean Empire as well as the imperialistic methodology of the Empire of Japan to use medicine as a tool for colonization. Although the transition process of medical policy by the Japanese Resident-General of Korea still remains to be fully elucidated, this paper contributes to a better understanding of the history of modern medicine in Korea.
The activities of the institutions of the Russian Red Cross Society in Tobolsk Province during the Russo-Japanese War are presented. The source of the study is a regional periodical publication — the ...newspaper ‘Sibirskiy Listok’. Publications such as appeals, appeals, notifications, reports, telegrams, and others for the period 1904-1905 (a total of 202 newspaper issues) are examined. It is revealed that the beginning of the Russo-Japanese War contributed to the establishment of the Tobolsk Red Cross Administration and the development of the Tobolsk community of mercy sisters. The extensive materials studied allow us to conclude that the local branch of the Red Cross fully developed during the years of the war. The Ladies’ Committees served as management and organizational structures. The main activity, providing medical assistance, was carried out by the community of mercy sisters. The key directions of the activities of the Tobolsk branch of the Russian Red Cross Society during the Russo-Japanese War were the establishment and maintenance of the community of mercy sisters, the creation of a stage hospital, and the provision of all necessary support to the wounded. For this purpose, donations were collected from the population. Analysis of publications in ‘Sibirskiy Listok’ showed a high degree of activity of the province’s population in the activities of the Tobolsk branch of the Russian Red Cross Society.
The nature of humanitarian response has evolved in response to increasing humanitarian needs, number and scale of emergencies, and the expansion of certified Emergency Medical Teams. This research ...examines the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies' clinical and public health Emergency Response Units in emergencies from 2015 through 2019 using a mixed methods approach, consisting of a desk review and primary qualitative data, to inform prioritization of response activities and optimization of health surge support in emergencies. Identified opportunities for improvement include needs assessment, increased modularity, context-appropriate support/integration, human resources and capacity building, monitoring and evaluation, and the overall nature of health surge response to various emergency types. Greater focus on public health response; standardizing deployment criteria, standard operating procedures, and monitoring for clinical surge support; and regional and local capacity building could all improve health service quality and sustainability and facilitate more cost-effective emergency response.
Burnout syndrome (BOS) is a work-related constellation of symptoms characterized by emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment. A cross-sectional survey was performed to ...study the prevalence of BOS among a randomly selected sample of 280 Italian Red Cross volunteers. A socio-demographic questionnaire and the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI)-HSS were used to collect data. 241 volunteers participated (response rate: 86.1%). A significant proportion of the workers had BOS subscale scores in the highest tertile: emotional exhaustion 8.0%, depersonalization 35.9% and perceived lack of accomplishment 23.5%, respectively. Volunteers in emergency care reported higher levels of emotional exhaustion (p=0.004) and depersonalization (p=0.001), and lower level of personal accomplishment (p=0.042) than volunteers engaged in non-healthcare social and administrative duties. These findings support the opportunity of a set of administrative, organizational and individual preventive interventions for emergency volunteers’ mental health.
Making Endless War is built on the premise that any attempt to understand how the content and function of the laws of war changed in the second half of the twentieth century should consider two major ...armed conflicts, fought on opposite edges of Asia, and the legal pathways that link them together across time and space. The Vietnam and Arab-Israeli conflicts have been particularly significant in the shaping and attempted remaking of international law from 1945 right through to the present day. This carefully curated collection of essays by lawyers, historians, philosophers, sociologists, and political geographers of war explores the significance of these two conflicts, including their impact on the politics and culture of the world’s most powerful nation, the United States of America. The volume foregrounds attempts to develop legal rationales for the continued waging of war after 1945 by moving beyond explaining the end of war as a legal institution, and toward understanding the attempted institutionalization of endless war.
A History of Violence Cotter, Cédric; Policinski, Ellen
Journal of international humanitarian legal studies,
06/2020, Letnik:
11, Številka:
1
Journal Article
Recenzirano
The International Review of the Red Cross, an academic journal produced by the International Committee of the Red Cross (icrc) and published by Cambridge University Press, traces its origins back ...more than 150 years. Throughout its existence, the publication has featured international humanitarian law (ihl) prominently. Because of this, it is possible to trace how the icrc was communicating publicly about ihl since 1869, allowing researchers to draw conclusions about how that body of law has evolved. In this article, the authors divide the history of the Review into five time periods, looking at trends over time as ihl was established as a body of law, was expanded to address trends in the ways war was waged, was disseminated and promoted to the international community, and how it is interpreted in light of current conflicts. Based on the way the law has been represented in the Review, the authors draw conclusions about the evolution of the law itself over time, and lessons this may provide for those who seek to influence the future development of the law regulating armed conflict.
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