Violence Against Healthcare

University of Geneva via Coursera

Go to Course: https://www.coursera.org/learn/violence-against-healthcare

Introduction

**Course Review: Violence Against Healthcare on Coursera** In a world rife with conflict and crises, the protection of healthcare workers and patients is often overlooked. The Coursera course titled **"Violence Against Healthcare"** addresses this pressing issue by providing a comprehensive overview of the challenges faced by healthcare systems in regions affected by violence. This course, part of the broader 'Health Care in Danger' project, is not only timely but essential for anyone involved in healthcare, humanitarian work, or policy-making in high-risk areas. ### Overview of the Course The course is meticulously designed to equip learners with the knowledge and tools necessary to address the multifaceted issue of violence against healthcare. It is aimed at policy-makers, healthcare professionals, and humanitarian organizations seeking to implement practical measures that can effectively mitigate violence during armed conflict and other emergencies. ### Syllabus Breakdown #### **General Introduction** The course begins with a general introduction that sets the stage for the complex issues surrounding healthcare and violence. It prepares students to delve deeper into specific situations faced by healthcare providers and patients in times of crisis. #### **Module 1: Ethical Principles of Healthcare in Armed Conflict** This module offers a nuanced understanding of the ethical considerations healthcare workers must grapple with during emergencies. It emphasizes the dual perspective of caregivers and beneficiaries, focusing on critical areas like mental health support, ethical dilemmas, and risk analysis. This foundational module lays the groundwork for the ethical obligations healthcare personnel hold in high-stakes environments. #### **Module 2: Legal Framework for Healthcare Protection** An exploration of international laws designed to safeguard healthcare delivery is the focus here. While laws exist to protect patients and healthcare providers during armed conflicts, the module emphasizes the gap between legal frameworks and practical implementation. Understanding this disconnect is crucial for healthcare professionals who must navigate these laws in real-world scenarios. #### **Module 3: Ambulance and Prehospital Services Challenges** This module provides insight into the security challenges faced by ambulance services during conflicts. It discusses targeted attacks and threats against healthcare services and offers practical solutions tailored to diverse contexts. The module emphasizes that there is no one-size-fits-all solution, making adaptability essential. #### **Module 4: Hospital Preparedness and Security** The resilience of healthcare facilities during emergencies is examined here. Students will learn about the burden hospitals face during crises and strategies to ensure safety and preparedness. This module is particularly relevant in today’s climate, where healthcare facilities are increasingly targeted. #### **Module 5: Military Practices for Safer Healthcare Delivery** This module tackles the complex role of Non-State Armed Groups in delivering healthcare. It sheds light on how they can both disrupt and provide healthcare and discusses essential practices to protect healthcare access in conflict zones. This duality makes it essential for students to appreciate the intricate dynamics at play. #### **Module 6: Role of Civil Society in Healthcare Protection** The final module emphasizes the crucial role of civil society, including communities, religious leaders, and health organizations in safeguarding healthcare access. It underscores the importance of collaboration among various sectors to ensure the sanctity of medical missions in times of danger. ### Global Summary of Violence Against Healthcare The course concludes with a global summary that encapsulates the critical insights gained from the preceding modules. This summary ties together the various threads of discussion, empowering learners with a holistic understanding of the topic. ### Recommendations **Who Should Enroll:** This course is highly recommended for healthcare professionals, humanitarian workers, policy-makers, students in international relations or public health, and anyone interested in understanding the complexities of violence against healthcare. **Why Take This Course:** - **Informed Decision-Making:** Equip yourself with the knowledge necessary to navigate challenging environments in health care. - **Critical Perspectives:** Gain insights into ethical, legal, and practical challenges in protecting healthcare delivery. - **Real-World Applications:** Learn strategies and practices relevant to various contexts worldwide. **Conclusion:** In an era where healthcare is often compromised by violence, the **"Violence Against Healthcare"** course provides vital insights that can empower individuals and organizations. By understanding the challenges and legal frameworks surrounding this issue, you can be part of the solution in fostering safer healthcare delivery in conflict areas. Enrollment in this course is not just an academic pursuit; it is a step toward making a tangible difference in the lives of those affected by violence.

Syllabus

General Introduction

Module 1: Health-care personnel: ethical principles of health care in times of armed conflict and other emergencies

The purpose of this first module on violence against health care Is to highlight and understand the situations and the constraints faced on the ground in conflicts and emergencies. These sitautions will be analysed both from the health care providers perspective as well as from the beneficiairies perspective. A special focus on Mental Health and psychosocial support, ethical dilemmas and riks analysis

Module 2: The legal framework on the protection of health-care delivery

Today, an elaborate international legal framework exists whose aim is to guarantee protection of patients and health-care providers from violence in armed conflict or other emergencies. However, violence against patients and health-care providers remains a sad reality in such situations. Still, it is important for those who have an influence over the respect for the law, like State authorities, State armed forces, armed groups or members of communities, as well as for health-care professionals or those who will become health-care professionals themselves to identify who has to follow the law, what the rules describe and when they apply. A better understanding of the law may contribute to better behavior on the ground, if there is general willingness to comply with legal rules. For health-care professionals, the law may be a tool that can be invoked towards authorities, armed forces, armed groups and others for more effective protection. This module should contribute towards these aims by identifying international legal rules relevant to the protection of patients and health-care providers and pointing towards legal and practical challenges in their implementation.

Module 3: Ambulance and prehospital services in risk situations

This module will inform you of the the general security challenges that ambulance and prehospital services face in situations of armed conflict or other emergencies. Unfortunately, challenges also include targetted attacks or threats of violence against the ambulance and prehospital. Direct and indirect attacks may be carried out by arms carriers, but also by the local communities themselves. Through the following chapters, we will try to understand some of the reasons behind such threats and attacks, as well as present you with some solutions that the service providers can implement to reduce risks and the impact that threats and attacks may have on the service providers and the people they seek to help. It should be noted that these solutions and good practices have to be considered up against the context in which they are to be implemented. What works in one country or area, may not be as relevant in another.

Module 4: Hospital managers: ensuring the preparedness and security of health-care facilities in armed conflict and other emergencies

This module speaks of how health services are valuable at any time, but particularly during emergencies resulting from any hazard (radio nuclear, disease, chemical, food safety, social/political, natural); during emergencies, hospitals may face the additional burden of overcrowding, infrastructure damage, loss of staff, and increased violence against health care facilities and workers becoming victims of the emergencies themselves; therefore hospitals must be strengthened to stay safe and resilient even when faced with these difficult challenges.

Module 5 Weapons bearers: military operational practice to ensure safer access to and delivery of health care

This module speaks of the vital role Non-State Armed Groups (NSAGs) play as recipients and providers of health care. This lesson delineates different ways armed groups can pose a threat to the safe provision of health care, but also how armed groups act as health care providers themselves. The lesson also highlights key tools to safeguard the provision of health care in conflict settings, i.a. doctrine, education, trainings, and sanctions, and critically discusses limitations to their applicability.

Module 6: Members of the civil society: communities, National Societies, Religious Leaders, Health organizations and others

The purpose of this module is to highlight and understand the role civil society has in the medical mission. Civil society includes those who are actors themselves in the medical mission, as well as those who protect and promote access to health care. This module will look at how Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies, communities, medical associations and religious circles have the ability to strengthen the provision of health care and to influence relevant parties in showing respect for the medical mission. The module will allow learners to understand the bigger picture in terms of actors involved and their role in the concept of “health care in danger”.

Global Summary Violence against Health Care