The International Council of Nurses (ICN)
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
The International Hospital Federation (IHF)
The World Medical Association (WMA)
invited the international health care workforce to participate in a panel discussion, about their experience in tackling or mitigating violence, including safe working environments or the safety of health care personnel.
The online event was a follow-up of a report published in July 2022, with results of a joint survey amongst the membership of the four organizations, and looking into the reality and the responses to violence against health care. The panelists of the webinar were representatives of the membership of the above organizations and they displayed selected examples from their experience in tackling or mitigating the issue of violence against healthcare. As a peer-to-peer exchange opportunity, the event provided space for dialogue amongst practitioners as the organizations hope to encourage more members to take action and connect on the issue of violence against healthcare
Panel Members:
Moderation:
Sara Perazzi – Senior Partnership and Programme Manager, International Hospital Federation
Speakers:
Professor Ching-Min Chen – President of Taiwan Nurses Association (TWNA)
Rudy Lukamba – Health Coordinator for ICRC’s operations in Burkina Faso
Laura Castellanos – Associate Director at the American Hospital Association (AHA)
Lwando Maki – Deputy-chair of WMA Junior Doctors Network
BACKGROUND
Since the start of the pandemic, there has been a growing focus on violence occurring in healthcare facilities and against health personnel. Although these risks are not new, the health emergency has exacerbated the risk of stigmatization and violence against health personnel in different healthcare settings and contexts. There is a crucial need to look at the global trend of violent incidents among health personnel, the driving factors of these incidents, and actions that can be taken to ensure safe working environments and healthcare personnel safety.
From May to July 2021, the International Council of Nurses (ICN), the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the International Hospital Federation (IHF) and the World Medical Association (WMA) – four international umbrella organizations which are members of the global Community of Concern of the Health Care in Danger initiative – carried out a joint survey to evaluate the perceptions of violence against health care during the early stages of the pandemic and to identify good practices implemented to prevent, reduce or mitigate incidents according to country’s circumstances and health personnel’s perspectives. In addition, the report highlighted the devastating impact of violence and abuse on the health workforce and access to healthcare.
The collaboration aims to raise awareness of this global issue and identify strategies and actions implemented by representatives and members from all four organizations to address and mitigate violence against healthcare. This also provides an excellent opportunity for disseminating the learning and good practices from the health sector and operational teams and encouraging actors from the field to adopt the strategies to overcome the challenges.
Read the report of a joint survey published in July 2022, which highlights the devastating impact of violence and abuse, and identifies good practices implemented to prevent, reduce, or mitigate incidents according to country’s circumstances and health personnel’s perspectives.
About the organizers:
The International Council of Nurses, the International Committee of the Red Cross, the International Hospital Federation, and the World Medical Association are members of the global Community of Concern of the Health Care in Danger initiative. The collaboration aims to raise awareness of this global issue and identify strategies and actions to address and mitigate violence against health care.
