Health Emergencies in Large Populations - The H.E.L.P. Course

1. Participants are able to explain the concept of humanitarian protection and identify main protection issues of people affected by acute and protracted humanitarian crises

1.1. Participants are able to explain how humanitarian protection is defined and understood by humanitarian actors

• IASC definition

Keep people safe from violence, abuse, coercion and deliberate deprivation

• Authorities (state, non-state) have the primary responsibility to protect and uphold the rights of people within their territory (legal obligations) -Link to module Legal framework

1.2. Participants are able to identify protection problems and underlying risks that people and communities may encounter

• Understanding protection risks in context

  • Protection from what?

    • Violence / the threat of violence, abuse,coercion, deprivation

  • Who are affected?

    • Individual, family, community, population group, services....

    • Vulnerabilities

• How do people and communities address those risks/issues?

  • Capacities, resilience

  • Negative coping mechanisms

2. Participants are able to identify appropriate interventions to meet protection needs of affected people in acute and protracted humanitarian crises

2.1 Participants are able to explain complementary roles of authorities and humanitarian actors in addressing the protection needs of a population. See also modules Setting the Scene and Actors in Humanitarian Interventions /Coordination

• Layers of responsibilities

  • Authorities - other actors

  • Actors with a specific protection mandate

  • Actors without a specific protection mandate

• The role of affected people and communities in their own protection: resilience?

• Protection mainstreaming

• Minimum protection approach?

  • Do no harm

2.2 Participants are able to explain types of interventions that are carried out in the area of humanitarian protection

• Egg model for levels of protection interventions

  • Preventive action

  • Responsive action

  • Remedial action

  • Environment building

• Response strategies

  • Modes of action See Module Program cycle management

    • Encourage and persuade authorities to fulfil their obligations

    • Support existing capacities!

    • Mobilization of third parties

    • Substitution/Setting up own services

    • Denunciation

• Selected examples activities

  • Individual, family, community, authority level

• Related to health /public health interventions

3. Participants are able to describe ways in which protection and health interventions are intertwined

3.1. Participants are able to explain in which ways health interventions may contribute towards protection aims and objectives and vice versa

• Public health professionals' closeness, listening to, contact with affected people -> source of information for protection issues

  • Need for respect of dignity

  • Informed consent

  • Patient confidentiality /medical file

  • ‘'Data dilemma'' for collecting and sharing data (do no harm)-See Module Data collection, analysis and sharing

• Violence against health care see Module Violence against health care

• Practical examples, e.g. distance water point, separate well-lit latrines, livelihood support, evacuation of wounded outside of conflict zone

3.2. Participants are able to describe ways to strengthen the Protection – Health relationship

• Integrated approaches

  • Clear process in place in respect of confidentiality and local law, communication, cooperative coordination, collaborative activities -See Module Actors in humanitarian interventions /coordination