Europe-wide Network supporting Ukrainian Children announces first 34 Focal points (11 February 2025)

02/13/25 • 53 min

# Europe-wide Network supporting Ukrainian Children through Psychological First Aid (PFA) announces first 34 Focal points A Europe-wide initiative to support Ukrainian children through psychological first aid (PFA) marked several key developments during its February 11, 2025, Leaders and Partners meeting. The Certificate peer learning programme on Psychological First Aid (PFA) in support of children affected by the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine provides innovative opportunities to strengthen immediate mental health support to children in crisis, is rapidly scaling up into a comprehensive network spanning 27 countries. ## First wave of PFA Focal Points The initiative announced its first 34 PFA focal points - volunteer representatives who will coordinate support within their organizations and regions. While most focal points are based in Ukraine working directly in fragile contexts, the network includes practitioners from Poland, Romania, and Iceland, creating a bridge between local needs and international support. ## Building local capacity “We work with children in Kyiv region, Ivano-Frankivsk region, Chernihiv region, and Sumy region. We travel to locations and conduct psychosocial sessions with children,” explained I. from Yellow-Blue Wings, describing their direct work with affected communities. “When I went through this training that lasted several weeks, it was both learning and active participation... you felt like you leveled up a bit,” shared A. from Platform of Unity, a Ukrainian humanitarian organization working in the Kharkiv region. ## Practical peer learning approach The program combines several key elements: - Certificate-based peer learning exercises providing structured training - Bi-weekly “PFA Connect” sessions for rapid knowledge exchange - New courses based on practitioners’ real-world experiences - An Impact Accelerator to support practical implementation ## Measuring impact on children A new measurement tool is being developed by this network to evaluate effectiveness of support to children at the local level. The tool examines children’s functioning, well-being, distress levels, coping ability, social behavior, and connectedness. ## Cross-border collaboration “This is just a wonderful way of connecting with others across the world who are dealing with the same challenges and issues and concerns and learning from each other,” noted W. from a National Red Cross. ## Looking ahead The program aims to reach 4,100 professionals by June 2025. The next “PFA Connect” peer learning session on February 12 will address three critical topics: recognizing severe reactions in children, managing multiple children in crisis, and providing remote psychological support. The initiative, funded through the EU4Health program, represents a shift from traditional training approaches by emphasizing peer learning and practical implementation while maintaining professional standards through certification. These regular Leaders and Partners meetings ensure the program continues to evolve based on practitioners’ needs and experiences in supporting children affected by the ongoing crisis.

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Health workers share measles outbreak experiences at Teach to Reach 9

# Health workers share measles outbreak experiences in global learning exchange During the October 13, 2023 session of Teach to Reach 9, immunization professionals from India, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Uganda exchanged specific experiences responding to measles outbreaks. The session focused not on technical guidelines, which participants already implement through their national programs, but on the practical challenges and solutions they have developed in their local contexts. ## Field experiences and local innovations Dr. Isha Goyal, WHO surveillance officer in India, described analyzing outbreak data that revealed 90% of cases concentrated in a single community. Despite engaging religious and community leaders, vaccination coverage remained at 60-70% post-outbreak. She noted that the same community consistently refused vaccines across different immunization programs, raising questions about current engagement approaches. In Nigeria, Mudassir Abdullahi from Skano State Hospital outlined how response teams mapped affected settlements and conducted household assessments that revealed missed vaccinations. The team combined awareness activities with vaccination services, leading to reduced cases in previously affected areas. Dr. Bala Ganesh Kumar, WHO medical officer in South India, shared a systematic response protocol initiated by a hospital case notification: - Sample collection for laboratory confirmation - Formation of epidemic response teams at district and block levels - House-to-house surveys in affected areas and schools - Line listing of fever/rash cases from previous 90 days - Catch-up vaccination for children with immunity gaps Dr. Kamran Khan described Pakistan's 2021 nationwide campaign strategies that achieved 95% coverage: - Public vaccination of policymakers' children - School-based outreach covering 70% of target population - Direct engagement with hesitant parents through schools - Coordinated media management for adverse events ## Implementation challenges identified Participants shared several common challenges: 1. Data and tracking: - Mobile population movement during investigations - Incomplete vaccination records for second doses - Limited data sharing between facilities 2. Vaccine delivery: - Supply chain disruptions - Reluctance to open multi-dose vials - Geographic access barriers 3. Community engagement: - Persistent vaccine hesitancy in specific groups - Limited success with traditional approaches - Need for new strategies for consistently refusing communities ## Analysis and recommendations Lora Shimp synthesized three key approaches from the shared experiences: 1. Data utilization: "Using data to really help us identify where we have missed infants or younger children who may have received one dose of measles, but not two doses." 2. Health system operations: "Working with the health system to address these problems, to better communicate how to get, not to turn people away, what are the best ways to organize these services." 3. Campaign duration: "That campaign shouldn't just stop the day we're doing vaccination... planning for four weeks so that you also follow up with those communities that have been missed." ## Next steps The session highlighted several areas requiring further examination: - Analysis of patterns in vaccine refusal across programs - Development of new approaches for consistently refusing communities - Improved systems for vaccination record keeping - Strengthened preparedness planning Participants continued discussions through networking sessions to explore specific challenges in more detail. Note: Names have been transcribed from the session recording. Their spelling therefore may be inaccurate.

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PEN-H essential guidance for NCD care in humanitarian settings

# PEN-H essential guidance for NCD care in humanitarian settings 13 April 2020 The Package of Essential NCD Interventions for Humanitarian Settings (PEN-H), published by the International Rescue Committee (IRC) in 2020, remains a valuable but underutilized resource for humanitarian health practitioners. This guide addresses specific challenges in delivering care for non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in crisis situations. It was launched during a lively special event hosted by The Geneva Learning Foundation (TGLF) on April 13, 2020, with PEN-H’s leader author and TGLF co-founder Dr. Shanthi Mendis and IRC’s Dr. Laura Miller responding to questions from 754 health workers, primarily from developing countries. Dr. Shanthi Mendis, who is also the principal author of the original WHO Package of Essential NCD Interventions (WHO-PEN), explains why this guidance remains relevant: “When humanitarian emergencies occur in any part of the world, people caught in these situations will include many with NCDs, some diagnosed and some undiagnosed. The stressful situation itself will make people develop acute exacerbations.” Current data shows hypertension affects approximately 25% of populations globally, while diabetes prevalence ranges from 6% to 15%. These conditions become particularly challenging in crisis situations where healthcare systems are disrupted and resources are limited. ## Specific challenges in humanitarian settings Laura Miller from IRC identified three persistent challenges that make the PEN-H guidance essential: “Several countries affected by conflict have had a higher burden of NCDs. Specifically Syria, Libya, Yemen – these conflicts have continued for many years, meaning that there have been many more people who have died unnecessarily due to NCDs.” She highlighted particular concerns in refugee settings: “In refugee camp settings, such as in Kenya and Thailand, where refugees have been living for two to three decades, we have seen increasing rates of NCDs due to exposure to unhealthy risk factors – inability to access healthy foods, lack of space to be physically active, and increased stress resulting in use of tobacco and alcohol.” The third challenge involves healthcare delivery systems. Miller noted: “The clinical guidelines and standards really vary in countries and contexts. In some places where we work, there are Ministry of Health clinical guidelines. In other places, clinicians use MSF guidelines. But in many countries where you have extremely weak health systems or failed states, the clinical guidelines have not been updated in many years.” ## Practical guidance for critical care PEN-H provides specific protocols for managing NCD emergencies in resource-limited settings. Dr. Mendis detailed the most critical scenarios: “When you take non-communicable diseases, there are certain emergencies that are likely to occur, particularly in the acute response stage in the first week or so. People will die from NCDs within the acute phase from conditions like acute coronary syndrome, acute heart failure, stroke, hypertension emergency, diabetic ketoacidosis, acute asthma exacerbation, and status epilepticus.” The guide includes practical interventions for situations where hospital referral is impossible: “If the patient is breathless, you could sit the patient up. You can give oxygen if available. If the blood pressure is very low, you can raise the foot end of the bed. An intravenous line is set up for most acutely ill patients, ensuring they receive intravenous fluids when unable to take anything orally.” ## Supporting community health workers PEN-H includes eight specific protocols for community health workers, recognizing their essential role in crisis response. These protocols cover patient counseling, advice on tobacco cessation, guidance on harmful use of alcohol, diet, physical activity, and medicine use. ## Development implications The guide addresses broader societal impacts of NCDs in humanitarian settings. “If you let people die prematurely under the age of 70, you are losing breadwinners of families,” Dr. Mendis explained. “This affects family income and creates long-term healthcare costs. By prevention, you save money, and this is a major development issue for countries.” ## Accessing the guidance The PEN-H guide remains available in English, French, and Arabic. The 2020 launch event provides additional context and implementation insights from humanitarian health practitioners. IRC developed this resource to address a critical gap in humanitarian healthcare delivery. As Miller stated: “We had to prioritize this as part of our mission of ensuring people remain healthy within humanitarian contexts.”