Interagency Emergency Health Kit

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The Interagency Emergency Health Kit (IEHK) is a standardized compilation of drugs , medical products and related equipment developed by various aid organizations and UN institutions , which is intended for use in disasters and similar emergency situations on a large scale. The aim is to provide basic health care quickly in areas where medical facilities have been destroyed or for a large number of refugees in an area without medical infrastructure. The IEHK emerged from the WHO Emergency Health Kit developed in 1990 and the successor version presented in 1998 as the New Emergency Health Kit . The capacity of an IEHK, which contains packaging with a total volume of around 4.8 cubic meters and weighs around one ton, is designed to supply around 10,000 people for a period of three months.

development

The Interagency Emergency Health Kit was developed across organizations in 2006 with the participation of representatives from various United Nations agencies , such as the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), as well as non-governmental organizations such as the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and Doctors Without Borders . With the involvement of various organizations, a standardization was sought, through which, among other things, the training in handling the components should be simplified and the cooperation between the various organizations in action should be improved. As part of the further development of the original versions, an adaptation to the development and effects of the HIV / AIDS epidemic and the spread of resistance to common anti- malarial drugs were made , as well as improvements based on the operational experience of the organizations involved.

concept

An Interagency Emergency Health Kit consists of ten basic units for the basic care of 1,000 patients each. The treatment options offered by a basic unit are geared towards health personnel with limited training. The size of the base units enables them to be easily transported and distributed to small health stations. In addition to the basic units, an IEHK also contains a supplementary unit , the content of which is sufficient for the care of 10,000 patients in one place. The use of the supplementary unit is reserved for personnel with professional training such as nurses or doctors . While the base units can be used independently of the add-on unit, one or more base units must be available to use the add-on unit. Since the use of an Interagency Emergency Health Kit is only intended in the initial phase of an emergency situation, subsequent delivery is not recommended for continued operation of the supply.

content

The drugs in an Interagency Emergency Health Kit include, among others, doxycycline and amoxicillin as antibiotics , ibuprofen and paracetamol as pain relievers, and salts for preparing oral rehydration solutions . Medical products include, for example, rapid tests for the detection of malaria, injection syringes , clinical thermometers , surgical gloves for single use, sterilization technology , a basic set of surgical instruments and vessels for the preparation and storage of solutions. An IEHK does not include special medications and devices for obstetrics and the care of newborns , for which there is a supplementary concept with the Minimum Initial Service Package for Reproductive Health (MISP) , as well as devices for ventilation , comprehensive surgical equipment, medication against leprosy and tuberculosis as well as vaccines and special foods for nutritional programs.

literature