Healthcare

Providing assistance around the clock, worldwide: In cooperation with the national Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies on the ground, the German Red Cross is committed to humanitarian healthcare and the prevention of health crises.

Girl fills jug with water — Improved water supply in Bangladesh

Doctor proceeding a dialysis — Care for people with kidney disease (dialysis) in Yemen

Besides providing rapid medical aid in acute emergencies, the GRC aims to improve health conditions long-term and seeks to strengthen the national health systems.

The emphasis in the area of global healthcare and the prevention of humanitarian health crises is placed on particularly vulnerable population groups in countries of the Global South.

This includes, in addition to direct healthcare services, extensive and sustainable support in the areas of nutrition, water, sanitation and hygiene, as well as disaster risk reduction, resilience, and shelter. After all, these areas also have a significant impact on people’s health.

Since local actors play the most crucial role in providing immediate assistance during emergencies, the GRC always aims to strengthen the respective national Red Cross or Red Crescent Societies, too.

doctor weights infant — A doctor of a mobile health team checks the weight of an infant.

Two women in front of blackboard — Red Cross staff educating children in Mozambique about the menstrual cycle

Medical staff talking to each other — Greece: Emergency medical aid for refugees

Red Cross Volunteer and information poster — Raising awareness about Ebola in Uganda

Hands and pills — Somalia: Handing over medicines at a mobile health clinic

Volunteers in a meeting — Arrangements before distribution of hygiene kits in Chad

Voluneers finger painting with children — Syria: Red Crescent volunteers care for traumatised children.

Primary and basic healthcare
Prevention and treatment of communicable and highly infectious diseases
Treatment of chronic illnesses
Immuniation
Mental health and psychosocial support
Sexual and reproductive health
Maternal and child health
Response to acute malnutrition
Emergency medical services
Blood banks/blood donation services
First aid

Emergency relief activities

In acute health crises, the German Red Cross supports national healthcare facilities in providing essential medical care. The goal is to ensure that injured and ill individuals receive the urgent medical assistance they need and to save lives.
When necessary, the GRC can deploy mobile Emergency Response Units. These modular units enable to temporarily cover parts of the urgent healthcare needs.

Long-term health activities

In increasingly protracted humanitarian crises, the GRC places greater emphasis on supporting psychosocial health and care, as well as on providing treatment for people with chronic and non-communicable diseases – especially when the national health system is temporarily unable to do so.

The GRC´s long-term health programmes also focus on health promotion and disease prevention, for example through comprehensive and regular community awareness campaigns.

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Three boys at a water dispenser in Africa

Water, sanitation and hygiene

Clean water and hygiene are essential for our health. With dozens of projects in various countries the German Red Cross is committed to improve water supplies, sanitation and hygiene, thereby reducing the outbreak of diseases.

Food security

Food security is a precondition for people to be able to lead a healthy and active life. The access to basic food is not only a fundamental human right, but also a central task of the Red Cross.

African woman carrying water can on head

Resilience

GRC projects always have the objective to strengthen the resilience of the most vulnerable people and the National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies to enable them to better cope with crises and disasters in the future.