The rise in frequency and scale of humanitarian crises have created unprecedented challenges for the international community. A stark picture is painted by a United Nations Report from 2018 which asserts that 136 million people across the world are in need of humanitarian aid as a result of conflict, natural disasters, epidemics and displacement. This necessitates coordinated global action. The Humanitarian Aid focus area of CIHLMU aims to facilitate this by drawing on international networks and collaboration to identify some of the most pressing, health-related humanitarian dilemmas. In this way, we hope to inspire practical solutions that are ready to be implemented.
The annual Symposia Series on Humanitarian Aid and Development Cooperation is at the heart of this focus area. It attracts international health professionals to share their expertise on a variety of humanitarian topics. Past lectures have shed light on major challenges, which range from managing HIV in countries with limited resources, to caring for survivors of gender-based violence, to improving malnutrition in children. This exchange, which allows individuals to share their hands-on experience, is invaluable to others who may benefit from these lessons.
In another capacity, CIHLMU supports humanitarian NGOs and other institutions who work to improve health in regions across the world. This involves dispensing advice and research to organizations who are working on the ground to provide for victims of humanitarian crises. This support, along with the other activities of this focus area, are grounded in the notion that there is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution to humanitarian aid and that the best outcomes will be reached via concerted international efforts and dialogue.
Activities
- Symposia Series on Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid
- Consulting for implementation of humanitarian and development projects
Team members
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Dr. Guenter Froeschl
Dr. Guenter Froeschl is a medical doctor and specialist in infectious diseases and tropical medicine and a senior lecturer and researcher at the Division of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine of the University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Munich, where he is heading the T&TU Teaching and Training Unit. The T&TU comprises training formats on International and Global Health from medical undergraduate up to PhD level degrees. At the same time he is a board member of the CIHLMU and of the humanitarian organization Médecins du Monde, Germany. He is also serving as Executive Secretary for the tropEd Network for Education in International Health since 2019. He has been employed by different humanitarian organizations for missions mostly on the African continent, dealing with health system strengthening, infectious disease management programs and working with refugee populations in different settings.
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Dr. Olena Ivanova
Dr. Olena Ivanova is a multilingual global health researcher and independent consultant with over seven years of international experience in situation analysis, design, implementation and evaluation of health programs in low- and middle-income countries and humanitarian settings, mixed-methods, funding acquisition, project management and knowledge translation. She holds a PhD in Health Sciences, medical degree and master’s degree in Public Health from multiple European universities.