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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Recorded presentation

Geraldine Gorman, RN, PhD, College of Nursing at University of Illinois at Chicago, Department of Public Health, Mental Health and Administration, 845 S. Damen Ave, Chicago, IL 60612, 312-413-9013, ggorman@uic.edu

Emergency is an international war relief NGO founded in 1994 by Italian surgeon, Gino Strada. Established to provide free medical care to civilian victims of land mines, Emergency currently operates in 8 countries: Iraq, Cambodia, Afghanisatan, Sierra Leone, Nicaragua, Angola, Sudan and Sri Lanka. Emergency's mission is to “provide free-of-charge, high standard medical and surgical care in war-torn areas and to promote a culture of peace, solidarity and respect for human rights.” Recognizing that 90% of war victims are civilians, Emergency maintains neutrality in providing services which include: surgical interventions, from trauma to reconstruction; medical treatment, from obstetrics, pediatrics to internal/primary care; rehabilitation from vocational training to social programs to the production and fitting of prostheses. Since inception, Emergency has provided surgical and medical assistance and rehabilitation to more than 1,500,000 patients. In this session, the author, a public health nurse and faculty at the University of Illinois @ Chicago will describe efforts to establish support chapters across the United States and, specifically, at the College of Nursing @UIC for the work of Emergency. In addition to hosting Dr. Strada in November of 05, students have provided community outreach and education around the needs of war victims. Included will be discussion of the author's upcoming visit to Afghanistan in June, 07, to assess the public health needs of clinics and first aid posts which comprise Emergency's response to the human rights of a devastated population.

Learning Objectives:

• -expanded understanding of how public health disciplines can support the human rights and primary health care needs in war-torn countries
• -model of potential for partnership beyween an American College of Nursing and an international NGO

Keywords: , Community Response

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No

Recorded presentation