Nepal earthquake: 6 months update

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Created: 18 November 2015

Six months ago, on April 25 at 11:56 am local time, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck Nepal. International Medical Corps was mobilizing their emergency response by nightfall that same day.

Eight million people were affected by the earthquake, including millions who were displaced from their homes. More than 8,800 people were killed in the earthquake and subsequent aftershocks, and another 22,300 people were injured. There was, and still is, widespread damage and destruction of buildings, health facilities, roads and other public infrastructure.

Thanks to donors like Earth Council Geneva has it been possible for International Medical Corps’ response and recovery efforts to save lives immediately. We have been helping communities recover and start to rebuild and return to self-reliance through International Medical Corps’ education and training programs.

International Medical Corps’ continued efforts and support on the ground include rehabilitation services, water and sanitation programs, malnutrition prevention and treatment, mental health services and women’s reproductive health services.

In the first six months of recovery efforts, International Medical Corps’ programs have benefitted more than 213,000 people. Here’s who we’ve been able to help through our donation to International Medical Corps’ response.

• 8,806 people given access to ongoing care through three mobile physical therapy units
• 157,552 people with greater access to primary health care through 13 rebuilt health posts
• 19,950 people benefitting from 798 emergency latrines
• 106 local health workers trained on proper infant and young child feeding practices
• 567 people trained on psychological first aid

International Medical Corps’ work on the ground continues, helping thousands of people who are still in need. The impact we’re having has saved lives and helped the people of Nepal recover from this devastating disaster.

International Medical Corps’ three month update on our response to the Nepal Earthquake

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Created: 11 August 2015

International Medical Corps shares an update on the Nepal Earthquake response, while expressing their deep appreciation of the Earth Council Geneva’s modest support. 

To date, in just over three months, International Medical Corps’ work has benefitted more than 200,000 people in the hardest-hit communities, including:

• 157,552 people will have greater access to care through 13 health facilities that International Medical Corps is rebuilding, in partnership with the Nepal government
• 28,200 men, women and children benefitted from the distribution of cash grants, helping them access food and other urgently-needed supplies
• 21,155 people are benefitting from the distribution of 4,231 hygiene kits, helping families purify water, wash their hands and maintain good hygiene practices
• 19,625 people are benefitting from 785 newly-built emergency latrines across 5 districts, thwarting the spread of disease
• 8,806 people have access to ongoing care through mobile physical therapy units, helping them overcome quake-related and other injuries
• And much, much more.

Today, 2.8 million people in Nepal are still in need of assistance; many of them are also at risk from landslides and other effects of the current monsoon season.  Much remains to be done and International Medical Corps will continue to bring services to those most in need, and work with local partners and the government of Nepal to build back stronger.

EARTH COUNCIL GENEVA responds with INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL CORPS to the needs of the NEPAL earthquake

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Created: 29 April 2015

Earth Council Geneva is responding to the Nepal earthquake by supporting International Medical Corps to provide emergency care to survivors with lifesaving medical supplies and care. 

Two days after the massive earthquake rocked Nepal, International Medical Corps First Responders were on the ground in the hard-hit Gorkha district, at the epicenter of the quake, delivering urgently needed health care and distributing lifesaving supplies. 

In Kathmandu, International Medical Corps teams visited overwhelmed hospitals and a displaced persons camp, the largest in town, with roughly 5,000 people. No shelter is available and water and sanitation systems are very limited. Roads are destroyed and blocked, making some communities accessible only by foot – at times, a 2 hour trek over harrowing terrain. The potential for outbreaks of waterborne illnesses and other communicable diseases is very high, and deteriorating weather conditions, including cold temperatures, rain and thunderstorms will only exacerbate already difficult conditions. 

Earth Council Geneva, in line with many previous engagements, supports the efforts through International Medical Corps to provide clean water with the mobile medical units for people in need to prevent disease.

UPDATE ON THE EARTH COUNCIL-GENEVA PROJECT IN ETHIOPIA WITH IMC, DOW AND IBM

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Created: 20 April 2015

INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL CORPS (IMC) - EARTH COUNCIL-GENEVA (ECG) PARTNERSHIP

With the support of Earth Council-Geneva, International Medical Corps identified specific activities designed to improve sanitation and hygiene practices at the community level in the Wolyata Zone in Southern Ethiopia beginning September 2014. This project is in line with the ECG Mission statement and is complementing and leveraging 500.000 euros in funding from ECHO.

The tools and approaches derived from the formative research and Sanitation Marketing Strategy carried out by DOW CHEMICAL and IMC will enable IMC and ECG to be pioneers in expanding the sanitation marketing approach in Ethiopia, influence other hygiene and sanitation actors in Ethiopia, and scale its contribution to the improvement of community health and livelihoods in Ethiopia's most vulnerable communities - with the view of replicating the process in other countries in need for such programs.

The sanitation Marketing Project in Boloso-sore and Damot-pulassa districts of Wolayita was launched to support the Community Led Total Sanitation and Hygiene Programs in those districts.

Both communities are receiving nutrition, mental health support and livelihoods through the program. The project is designed to increase adoption of safe hygiene practices and to ensure effective use of new WASH infrastructure, especially latrines and hand-washing stations, developed under the overall project.

The EARTH COUNCIL-GENEVA funded-project is implementing the sanitation marketing program developed by DOW and IMC.

NEXT STEPS FOR THE EARTH COUNCIL-GENEVA:

We are providing funds to document each step of the program and its implementation. This will allow us to replicate the project in other countries in need of improving sanitation and hygiene.

DETAILED ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Activities to date have included:

Government Participation

Working closely with district level officials to create buy-in; integrate local expertise; and help ensure successful adoption and implementation of the marketing program.

• International Medical Corps teams in Ethiopia brought together 20 district level officials (10 from each district) from the following units:  Agriculture and Rural Development; Finance and Economic; Marketing and Cooperatives; Rural Job Opportunity; Small and Medium Enterprises; Microfinance; Health Office and Water; Mines and Energy, among other.
• Meetings included a presentation on the program; participatory discussion to answer questions and integrate local expertise
• As a result of the ongoing meetings and discussions, both administration units officially endorsed the marketing program, including adding it to the top of their respective agendas to be reviewed with International Medical Corps monthly over the length of the program, helping to ensure that learning is shared with district officials and that challenges can be addressed in a timely manner.
• International Medical Corps also worked with the government officials to select the four pilot kebeles, two in each region.  Kebeles were chosen based on the fact that they had existing programs to combat open defection; easy access to markets; communities had some level of buying capacity; the presence of a dedicated, strong health extension agent; presence of cooperatives/associations; and availability of artisans to construct latrines and materials.

Sanitation Marketing Teams 

International Medical Corps also worked with the government officials to form Sanitation Marketing Enablers Teams in each district – 9 district level experts in sanitation and marketing programs that will work hand-in-hand to implement the program with International Medical Corps and ensure that local knowledge and expertise is integrated into the program; and so that International Medical Corps can train these teams on the approach for future use.

• Sanitation Marketing Teams liaise with artisans building latrines and with government officials to ensure that local, government rules and regulations are met.
• Teams provide regular and ongoing communication with government and local leaders to create additional buy-in, expand outreach programs and encourage community participation through all channels
• Teams are working with religious leaders, health extension workers, agricultural health extension workers, heads of health centers and clinics, and key religious leaders.

Artisan Team

An artisan team of 15 local artisans trained in latrine and handwashing construction has been formed to support the project.  These artisans are certified with the government, helping to ensure the supply chain and that latrines and handwashing stations can be built quickly and maintained.

Key Learnings to Date

• The project has reinforced the work required to build consensus among local government officials to ensure success of the project.  The challenges in ensuring local buy in led to the creation of the Sanitation Team and Artisan Team – selected participants that already work with the government and local leaders and can ensure that the program follows local rules and regulations.  The formation of these teams is an innovation in how we approach our work.
• Specifically, emphasis was initially placed on latrine construction by the government.  It took quite a bit of meeting and discussion to help stakeholders understand the role of marketing in creating behavior change and adoption of safer practices.

Ongoing activities

• Marketing Campaign: Mass media radio messaging; Deployment of “development armies” who work with household leaders to deliver messages; ongoing work with community leaders to integrate messaging across sectors.
• Demonstration Latrines: Construction and “showcasing” of improved latrines
• Artisan Teams:  Ongoing training and supportive supervision of artisan teams who are constructing/repairing latrines and handwashing stations.