Community Health

International Medical Corps works with both residents and their leaders within the communities we serve to promote and support programs and other efforts that improve access to basic health services.

An example of this approach, known as integrated community-based case management, is used to treat common childhood illnesses such as diarrhea, chest infections, malaria and acute malnutrition. It relies on local residents—community health workers and members of village health committees—to promote and conduct health education and support social behavior change.

Actively seeking out and involving community residents is key to implementing effective community-level programs, which is why International Medical Corps pursues this approach at every stage of the program cycle. We believe community ownership and stewardship are crucial ingredients to build sustainable programs that ultimately contribute to better health outcomes for all.

Our approach aims to:

mobilize members of the community to advocate for their own health and for better health outcomes;
train, support and supervise community health workers and volunteers;
educate and inform community residents about positive health-seeking behaviors and create demand for quality services; and
engage with and enable communities to actively participate in and contribute to health programming.

Our Response

Our work to improve the level of health among those who live in the communities we serve is grounded in strong and meaningful community engagement and involvement. We achieve this by involving community leaders and partners, as well as by drawing on expertise already present in the community, employing local residents where possible. In fact, about 95% of International Medical Corps staff of more than 8,000 worldwide is made up of local employees.

The use of community-based programing creates more favourable outcomes than alternatives because the programme becomes a better fit for the community and increases local buy-in. As an example, community outreach workers have often been extremely successful in promoting community health education.

Our use of community health is part of an integrated strategy and present in all of our work, including nutrition, mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS), water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) and more.