Skip to content

Logout | Home | New! Government Agencies Hi ! | Your Control Panel
Home | New! Government Agencies Hi ! Remember me | I'm not
Sign up | Home | New! Government Agencies Email:      Password: Remember me

The Blog

[Blog Archive]
Psychosocial.org
Resources for managers: In the field

Health

Introduction             Jump to: Online Resources | Print Resources

Child

Photo © Karl Grobl

Managers in the field should consider several serious health issues for themselves and their staff: immunizations and preventive practice, insurance, nutrition, and health care. Running a successful program depends on securing these core issues early on so that field workers can serve their programs with confidence.

Since much humanitarian field work involves educating local participants on disease prevention, it is vital for staff to practice what they preach, though this may not be obvious to everyone. As such, field managers may choose to double check that staff have taken medicinal precautions against infectious diseases common in the area where they work (such as Measles, Malaria, or Typhoid), and that staff have learned and practiced preventive measures against such diseases. (A list of recommended immunizations for travelers can be found through the U.S. Center for Disease Control link below.)

Managers should also ensure that staff or participants who are carriers of an infection that can hurt others through regular work contact are cared for in an appropriate manner to reduce the spread of infection. Also, personal insurance issues, which many individuals sideline when they are working to care for others, can cause unnecessary risks to workers who experience serious medical problems that may require evacuation or extensive care. It behooves managers to know what kind of coverage their staff members have in case of an emergency.

Although workers often choose their own nutrition and exercise habits, managers should look for warning signs when a staff member's personal health appears to deteriorate. Certain nutrients may not be available in the regional diet, and staff members experiencing intense stress or obsessive behavior may skip meals or exclusively consume "comfort" foods and beverages to the detriment of their health. This can lead to individuals running a higher risk of contracting or not recovering from an infectious illness, or could otherwise negatively affect their experience in the field.

Managers should also be aware of how to access basic health and emergency medical care for staff and participants when it is not available directly through the program. What capacities does the local health clinic or hospital have to care for people with different conditions? How far away is it and how will care be paid for? Since humanitarian workers sometimes serve in remote or unstable locales, managers should stay up to date on what health options exist in the region where they work.

If addressed properly, health prevention and care measures can positively impact workers' mental health and greatly reduce their stress, thus allowing them to better pursue their goals. As a manager, the resources below can help you deal with these health-related issues.

Online resources

Travel insurance information

  • InsureMyTrip.comwebsite

    This site allows you to get an overview of available policies and compare quotes.

  • Travel Insurancewebsite
    IndependentTraveler.com

    A basic introduction to travel insurance as well as information on how to select a policy.

Current information on health risks in particular countries or regions

Online first aid manuals

  • Military Medicine and Humanitarian Medicine Textbookswebsite
    Virtual Naval Hospital

    This website links to a number of public domain medical textbooks, including some first aid manuals. Users are encouraged to download and make a CD-ROM of the materials prior to deployment.

Worldwide emergency medical care and blood delivery

  • International SOSwebsite
    International SOS

    If you need to know more about providing medical assistance and evacuation services for your expatriate staff, have a look at the website of International SOS, an industry leader. While Psychosocial does not endorse this particular overseas medical service, we have found that their website contains some helpful information on what you might want to consider when arranging these services for your organization.

  • The Blood Care Foundationwebsite
    The Blood Care Foundation

    Claims to get safe blood and sterile equipment to almost any location in the world within 24 hours, but membership is required.

General advice on healthcare in the field

  • Taking Care of Yourselfpdf
    APS Healthcare

    It's important for you to support your staff in taking care of their health, not only during critical events, but every day during their tenure. In addition, it's important to help offer them ways of taking care of themselves upon re-entry. This document offers a guide to simple ways of caring for one's physical and mental health; how to recognize normal symptoms of critical incident stress; and ways to decompress once the assignment is complete.

  • Critical Incident Stress Information Sheetpdf
    International Critical Incident Stress Foundation

    Review this information sheet to learn the signs and signals of a stress reaction, and things to try to help alleviate symptoms.

Research

  • Occupational Health of Field Personnel in Complex Emergencies: Report of a Pilot Studypdf
    World Health Organization

    The number of humanitarian agencies, including both UN and nongovernmental organizations, involved in complex emergencies has increased significantly in the last ten years, and the number of people being recruited by these agencies to work in field situations has also grown. Given the type of work people are being recruited to do, and the conditions in which they are working, the need to review employer-employee relationships, recruitment policies and practices, and the type of preparation and back-up staff are given while in the field has also become more evident.

Print resources

  • Stress and Trauma Handbook: Strategies for Flourishing in Demanding Environmentsbook
    John Fawcett, World Vision

    This link provides a review and option to purchase John Fawcett's "Stress and Trauma Handbook." The book addresses how stress impacts human functioning, the signs of burn-out, steps that can be taken to reduce the effect of stress and strain, and how this research affects the practicalities of everyday humanitarian work. Using real stories, a series of checklists, stress indicators, and burn-out monitors, this book aims to help aid workers track their well-being. The link above leads to purchase options.

Taking care of your own health in "aid environments"

  • The Humanitarian Companionbook
    Ehrenreich, J. The Humanitarian Companion London: ITDG Publishing, 2004

    The link above leads to an outline of the book and purchase options.

  • The traveler's good health guide: A guide for backpackers, travelers, volunteers, and overseas workersbook
    Lankester, T. (1999) Sheldon Press, London
  • Where there is no doctor: a village health care handbookbook
    Werner, D., Maxwell, J., and Thurman, C. (2002) Hesperian Foundation, Berkeley, CA

First aid manuals are readily available in book stores. Two good ones are:

  • The American Red Cross First Aid and Safety Handbookbook
    The American Red Cross and Handal, K.A. (1992). Little, Brown and Co., New York, NY
  • St. John Ambulance Guide to First Aid and CPRbook
    The St. John Ambulance. Random House of Canada, Toronto

Do you know of a good resource for this page? Please contact us. Thanks for helping us to improve this website.

Psychosocial: Helping the Helpers

Resources for managers

Resources for field staff