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International Child Health Partners Gather at Centennial Symposium
Written by Bonnie Gillespie, Staff Writer, RedCross.org
December 10, 2002 —
When American Red Cross President and CEO Marsha J. Evans discussed the Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI) strategy, many audience members at the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Centennial Symposium were well aware of the dramatic impact the program has had in the Americas. Health professionals from Nicaragua, Honduras and eight other countries have witnessed firsthand how the IMCI strategy improves the lives of children in their communities.
Red Cross President Marty Evans with Mr. Timothy E. Wirth (left), President of
United Nations Foundation (UNF) and Dr. George A.O. Alleyne (right), the Director of Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)
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The two-day event held at PAHO headquarters in Washington, D.C. served as a gathering point for international public health leaders and became a forum for future innovations and partnerships in the field, while also celebrating past successes.
"A wonderful example [of a collaboration success] is the American Red Cross partnership with PAHO and the United Nations Foundation in the Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI) strategy," said Evans to a capacity crowd during the closing session of the event.
As part of the Healthy Children: Goal 2002 initiative launched by PAHO in 1999, IMCI is an effective, low-cost strategy for improving the quality of child health at the facility and community levels in ten Latin American and Caribbean nations.
"Three of every four children taken to a health service facility in Latin America suffer from one or more of a group of diseases that we know how to control: acute respiratory infections, diarrhea, malnutrition, malaria, and measles," said Dr. Yehuda Benguigui, PAHO/WHO Regional Advisor for IMCI.
By targeting these diseases, which are responsible for 70 percent of all child deaths worldwide, IMCI partners equip local residents with a variety of public health interventions and practices. The five-year, $10 million project is part of a regional IMCI effort that saves the lives of 25,000 children annually.
Reflecting the symposium's theme "Celebrating Partnerships," it was announced that the United Nations Foundation (UNF) would be a new IMCI teammate. The Red Cross, PAHO, World Health Organization (WHO), United Nation's Children's Fund (UNICEF), Ministries of Health, and many other IMCI partners welcomed UNF to the endeavor, as its contribution will facilitate increased efforts in Bolivia, Peru and Ecuador.
"The expanded alliance," said Mr. Christopher Drasbek, PAHO/WHO Regional Technical Advisor on IMCI, "will maximize the advantage of Red Cross organizational structure and volunteer networks and UNF funds to strengthen the implementation of IMCI household and community activities and increase the capacity of PAHO and the Red Cross to deliver community-based IMCI activities."
During her comments, Evans also emphasized the importance of using the strengths of each organization to positively impact the greatest number of young lives.
"We at the American Red Cross are proud that so many organizations are partnering with us in high-impact programs that leverage our unique structure to achieve results," she said. "No nation, no organization, no corporation, no individual can dramatically improve the situation alone. In partnership, we can accomplish so much more than any of us can accomplish individually."
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