International Medical Corps

Mission Statement

IMC is a global humanitarian nonprofit organization dedicated to saving lives and relieving suffering through health care training and relief and development programs.

Management of Essential Information

The faster humanitarian organizations are able to collect, analyze and disseminate critical information, the more effective the response becomes and the more lives that are saved.

IMC has been working with Global Relief Technologies (GRT), a data collection and management firm, to improve our Information Management and Exchange System (IMES).

Lessons Learned From Recent Field Operations

1. Afghanistan: Afghan Family Health Books

2. Chad: Rapid Health Assessment in Eastern Chad

AfghanistanAfghanistan

Afghanistan

Program: 54 Health Clinics, 8 Hospitals, 4 Emergency Obstetric Centers.

Activities: Family medicine, EPI, maternal and child health, midwifery and emergency obstetrics, prenatal care, reproductive health, mental health, psychological services, health education, supplementary feeding, health facilities rehabilitation, transportation infrastructure building/repair, economic development.

Locations: Kabul, Parwan, Wardak, Bamyan, Khost, Paktika, Nangarhar, Kunar and Laghman Provinces

Target direct and indirect beneficiaries: 2,000,000

Afghan Family Health Book

The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), in partnership with LeapFrog Enterprises developed an electronic, interactive health education tool for Afghanistan called the Afghan Family Health Book (AFHB) that use sound and pictures to deliver health education messages.

The AFHB was designed to allow individuals without formal education to acquire Health Education information through interactive electronic picture book pages linked to local language recordings of related health messages.

Afghan Family Health Book

1. Distribute 2000 AFHB.

2. Monitor and Evaluate.

3. KAP Survey of 4,000 Households.

Issue: Collection and Management of a high volume of information.

End-to-End and Bi-directional Solution

SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE

Discrete Data CollectionWorldwide

Easy to useNotesGPS/LocationPhotosMapsAlerts

FIELDPDA

Rapid Data Assessment, Review, Analysis, Info Dissemination,and Trigger Action

Easily accessibleReport ReviewInteractive MappingAnalysis ReportsAlerts

VNOC/HQ

Reliable, Rapid, Cost-EffectiveData Transmission

24X7 GRT Support

GRT Op Center

Add Assessment – Collect Data Rapidly

Chad

Program: Provide immediate basic health, and nutrition services to Sudanese refugees in 3 camps and surrounding resident communities in Eastern Chad

Activities: Family medicine, EPI, maternal and child health, prenatal care, mental health, psychological services, HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention, therapeutic feeding, supplementary feeding, health education, medical logistics, health facilities rehabilitation/construction

Locations: Kounoungo, Mile and Am Nabak camps, Guereda and Abeche

Target direct and indirect beneficiaries: 128,000

CHALLENGES

Lack of infrastructure Lack of communicationsExtreme conditions

CHAD RAPID ASSESSMENT

REACTIONS:

PDA hardware and data collection software is quickly and easily learned even by local nationals.

Portable device that is easily operated for daily communications in a remote environment.

Big step forward from clipboard and pencil.

Real time visibility of collected data is invaluable to determining aid requirements.

International Medical Corps (IMC) consultant completing rapid assessment forms on refugee conditions and sending via Satellite Phone to GRT Operations Center

SHARING OF INFORMATION BETWEEN THE FIELD & HQ

`

HQ Personnel

Field Worker

Web BasedAccessVNOC

Shared data that providesgreater situational awareness for both HQ and Field offices

VNOC – GIS (CHAD)Accomplishments:Collected Field Data Displayed on Maps and in Tables

Transportation and Mobility Reports created at HQ and transmitted to the PDA

ASSESSMENTS GENERATED

QUESTIONS