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What we do

Health and Nutrition

health.png Health and Nutrition

Overview

Delivering quality healthcare in fragile settings requires a daily balancing act for both patients and providers. The communities Relief International serves are often surrounded by life-threatening events that result in physical and emotional wounds, and security makes it challenging to seek treatment. These populations are additionally burdened by chronic poverty and shortages of basic necessities such as food, clean water and safe sanitation – leaving them with little resilience to withstand poor health.

Our work ranges from providing life-saving care to people in vulnerable situations to rebuilding health systems so they can sustainably care for themselves. In war-ravaged countries, our mobile medical units provide care to communities completely cut off from services, and our hospitals in besieged cities treat mass injuries and offer trauma counseling. In areas facing drought, our healthcare facilities screen children for malnutrition and treat waterborne disease spread by lack of access to clean water sources.

When we’re not doing, we’re preparing – by building local capacity through vocational training for health workers, providing food and nutritional advice to families to prevent famine, stockpiling medicine to combat an impending disease outbreak, and scouting sites for the next hospital in the event we’re forced to move the existing one.

All of Relief International’s health and nutrition work is underpinned by protection measures. This means we ensure that groups facing highly vulnerable situations or with special needs have access and dignity in attaining the quality care they need to live healthy lives.

Our work helps people in vulnerable situations achieve good health and nutrition by:

  • Delivering primary healthcare and emergency treatment
  • Connecting patients to mental health and trauma counseling services
  • Deploying mobile medical units to hard-to-reach areas
    Providing life-saving maternal care (pre-natal, delivery and post-natal)
  • Treating and preventing malnutrition
  • Launching community-based disease prevention campaigns
  • Equipping health facilities to respond to disease outbreak
  • Educating families about health and nutrition
  • Offering sexual and reproductive health services
  • Training local healthcare workers
  • Teaching veterinarians and medical staff to recognize and prevent diseases spread by livestock
  • Acute malnutrition treatment
Lebanon. Elie Gardner/RI
Our Impact in 2022

Delivering life-saving support

5.1M
health consultations provided
5.7M
people educated on disease prevention or healthy practices
Lebanon. Elie Gardner/RI

Health and Nutrition in Fragile Settings

Syria

“Our facility in Syria has been dealing with catastrophes and war for at least ten years. This was different!”

Dr Farshad, a Relief International doctor, explains what the situation is like on the ground after the earthquakes in Syria and Türkiye.

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South Sudan

Does Betty Have the Toughest Job in the World?

Betty works around the clock as a midwife for Relief International, helping women in South Sudan to deliver their babies safely.

“I will never forget the night I helped delivery 15 babies,” says Betty.

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Myanmar

Relief International’s Mobile Delivery Unit Saves Lives in Myanmar

Amidst the ongoing conflict in Rakhine State Myanmar, Daw Yee Yee Win delivered her third child in a mobile delivery unit operated by Relief international.

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Philippines

COVID-19 Vaccinations in the Philippines

Since August 2021, RI has reached more than 6.4 million people across 14 municipalities in the Philippines with messages about the importance of getting vaccinated against COVID-19.

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Türkiye

Finding Health and Hope in Turkey

Omer’s leg was amputated after an airstrike hit his home in Syria when he was 2.

His recovery has taken time, but he is now finally able to walk again.

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Bangladesh

Improving Nutrition in Refugee Camps in Bangladesh

Asia and Mohammed are Community Nutrition Volunteers in the Rohingya refugee Camps in Cox’s Bazar. Refugees themselves, both are committed to supporting families in their community however they can.

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Philippines

COVID-19 and Polio: The Innovative Approach That Reached More Than 10 Million People

Through an innovative communications strategy, Relief International was able to disseminate Polio & COVID-19 key messages to more than 10 million people across the Philippines.

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Yemen

Dangerous Delivery: The Reality of Pregnancy in Yemen

“January 15 was one of the worst days of my life,” recalls Kadija Al-Qadri. After a relatively easy pregnancy, she eagerly awaited the moment when she would hold her youngest child in her arms. But Kadija’s excitement was replaced with fear after she learned that her baby was transverse, or positioned horizontally. In Yemen, it’s a diagnosis that can be deadly.

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South Sudan

Gentil Hospital: A Safe Place for Quality Care in a Tense Border Region

Relief International began providing medical care at Gentil Hospital in 2016. Since then, no mothers’ lives have been lost during childbirth.

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Syria

The Doctor Who Stayed Behind

A Syrian pediatrician shares the challenges of working in a war zone, what keeps him motivated, and his hopes for the future.

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Syria

“Our facility in Syria has been dealing with catastrophes and war for at least ten years. This was different!”

Betty-2.png

South Sudan

Does Betty Have the Toughest Job in the World?

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Myanmar

Relief International’s Mobile Delivery Unit Saves Lives in Myanmar

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Philippines

COVID-19 Vaccinations in the Philippines

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Türkiye

Finding Health and Hope in Turkey

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Bangladesh

Improving Nutrition in Refugee Camps in Bangladesh

Interview-COVID-19-Philippines.jpg

Philippines

COVID-19 and Polio: The Innovative Approach That Reached More Than 10 Million People

yemen-maternal-health-01272020-e1580419846331.jpg

Yemen

Dangerous Delivery: The Reality of Pregnancy in Yemen

South Sudan. Elie Gardner/RI

South Sudan

Gentil Hospital: A Safe Place for Quality Care in a Tense Border Region

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Syria

The Doctor Who Stayed Behind

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Betty-2.png
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Interview-COVID-19-Philippines.jpg
omer-6.png
Mohammed-and-Asia-Nutrition-Bangladesh.jpg
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South Sudan. Elie Gardner/RI
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Earthquake-Syria-Health-5.jpg

“Our facility in Syria has been dealing with catastrophes and war for at least ten years. This was different!”

Betty-2.png

Does Betty Have the Toughest Job in the World?

JUNE-2022-MDU-first-session-in-NanKyar-village3.png

Relief International’s Mobile Delivery Unit Saves Lives in Myanmar

Interview-COVID-19-Philippines.jpg

COVID-19 Vaccinations in the Philippines

omer-6.png

Finding Health and Hope in Turkey

Mohammed-and-Asia-Nutrition-Bangladesh.jpg

Improving Nutrition in Refugee Camps in Bangladesh

Interview-COVID-19-Philippines.jpg

COVID-19 and Polio: The Innovative Approach That Reached More Than 10 Million People

yemen-maternal-health-01272020-e1580419846331.jpg

Dangerous Delivery: The Reality of Pregnancy in Yemen

South Sudan. Elie Gardner/RI

Gentil Hospital: A Safe Place for Quality Care in a Tense Border Region

syria-story-sarraf-card-image-e1566302844873.jpg

The Doctor Who Stayed Behind

From our staff

As a member of Relief International's Syria team and a Syrian refugee myself, I am proud to provide the much-needed mental healthcare and physical rehabilitation to help restore lives.

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Featured Resource

Safe at Home: A Guide to the Care and Prevention of COVID-19 in Isolation

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Relief International

Guide to the Care and Prevention of COVID-19 in Isolation

Guide to the Care and Prevention of COVID-19 in Isolation

Relief International and other CORE Group members compiled guidance for nonprofit organizations who are designing programs and materials in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lebanon. Elie Gardner/RI
Get in touch

Get in touch

For more information on Relief International’s work in health and nutrition, please contact [email protected].