Article Summary Dr. Selma Saadeldeen is a dedicated physician and humanitarian leader who works in war-torn Sudan. As a child, her best friend and neighbour died because she was unvaccinated and there were no nearby healthcare facilities. Working at International Medical Corps, Dr. Saadeldeen has helped strengthen local health facilities, support mobile health and nutrition …
In Somalia, pregnant women in rural and conflict-affected areas can face overwhelming obstacles when trying to access lifesaving healthcare. A limited number of functional health facilities and shortages of skilled birth attendants leave many women with no choice but to give birth at home—a dangerous proposition in a country with one of the highest maternal …
Delivering Mental Health Support in Ukraine For people living close to the front lines in Ukraine, the sounds of war are a daily reality. The constant threat of shelling, the loss of homes and loved ones, and the stress of displacement have left many people carrying invisible wounds—often with limited access to the mental health …
Nyabol Ochol is a young woman living in South Sudan, a country with one of the world’s highest maternal mortality rates. Women who live in remote areas often are hours from skilled maternity care, and seasonal flooding can further delay access to lifesaving treatment. Nyabol lives in Ahiaobang, a village in Fashoda County along the …
Being pregnant in a war zone is difficult enough. But when a woman is expecting multiple babies, the uncertainty of survival can make it all seem even more overwhelming. Nisreen Abu Zreik, a 35-year-old mother of three from Nuseirat in central Gaza, had been living with constant worry since learning that she was pregnant with …
In many countries around the world, midwives are critical to ensuring safe deliveries for both mothers and babies. Yet the International Confederation of Midwives estimates that the world is facing a shortage of nearly 1 million skilled birth attendants. Chuol Ker Yat Pan is one of a growing cohort of midwives helping to fill the …
Fighting Ebola and Saving Lives in the DRC The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is once again facing a serious Ebola outbreak, prompting the World Health Organization to declare the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on May 16 after cases of the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola were confirmed in the DRC …
Pregnancy doesn’t stop for war, displacement or outbreaks of disease—and neither should healthcare. Though progress has been made globally on maternal and newborn health outcomes, progress is threatened in the 29 countries with humanitarian response plans—which, while representing only one-third of global births, account for 58% of maternal deaths, 41% of stillbirths and 39% of …
Teaching Preparedness in North Carolina Most national, state and local governments plan for large-scale disasters—floods, fires, earthquakes, tornadoes—but preparing for such disasters can be challenging, especially for smaller communities. International Medical Corps frequently works in unpredictable scenarios—the “edge cases” that might not be covered even by the most robust plans, such as large-scale sudden-onset disasters, …
The humanitarian crisis in Gaza has displaced more than 80% of the population and limited access to healthcare, food, water, electricity and other essential services. Security risks and a fragmented health system have left many thousands of children without lifesaving immunisations. According to estimates, one in five children under 3 has either missed their vaccinations …