Health
A high standard of health is one of the fundamental rights of every human regardless of race, religion, political, economic or social condition.
Improving health security for all
Concern recognises the importance of good nutrition and a safe environment in the promotion of good health. Its policy's aim is to assist in the long term reduction of mortality and morbidity rates, and to improve health security for all.
These aims will be achieved through the development of sustainable health care systems and supporting public health interventions.
Concern's health and nutrition policy
Concern is looking to fulfill Millennium Development Goals and the World Health Organisation's global targets for 2020 by taking account of the following:
- Affirmation of the right to health and an adequate food supply for all
- Planning activities on sound values and ethical principles (WHO 1998)
- Development of programmes on primary health care and public health principles
- Adhering to international standards and best practices in all interventions
- Focusing on preventative measures and mitigation of disease epidemics
- Promoting equity and empowerment for better health
Community Therapeutic Care
Community Therapeutic Care (CTC) is a new and innovative approach to managing severe malnutrition. Concern is researching this with Valid International in Ethiopia, Malawi and Sudan. It is viewed as an alternative to traditional methods of dealing with malnutrition in therapeutic feeding centres (TFC).
Maximise access, minimise risk
Following a combination of research and experience, it is now believed that therapeutic feeding centres are often counter-productive as the sole mode of treating severely malnourished people during famine.
The new concept of Community Therapeutic Care, which aims to maximise access to the affected population at the same time as minimising risk through maintaining quality, is necessary to complement therapeutic feeding centres interventions.
This shift in focus is vital if famine relief programmes are to address the plight of severely malnourished people in an effective way.
