World Health Imaging Alliance

Alarming data

International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression

World Food Safety Day

World Day Against Child Labour

World Elder Abuse Awareness Day

International Day for Women in Diplomacy

Low Cost Digital Radiology

Two-thirds of the world’s population do not have access to basic medical imaging services. There is an acute need for diagnostic imaging among primary care providers to facilitate accurate and rapid diagnosis of trauma and infectious disease.

In the case of trauma, medical imaging expedites treatment and recovery so that patients can return to home and work more quickly and with better health outcomes, In the case of infectious disease, medical imaging facilitates an efficient triage of patients among scarce medical resources and rapid diagnosis results in more effective therapeutic response.

Primary care radiology addresses: Trauma; Infection (including Tuberculosis); Parasites and the complications of AIDS; Cancer in many variations; Intestinal obstruction and other abdominal problems.

The most serious needs are in small, remote institutions (first referral clinics or hospitals). These are frequently neglected by the national authorities and often forgotten by the outside world. There are deep gaps in safety, quality and quantity of services between tertiary hospitals and these small, remote first referral hospitals.

Approximately 80,000 x-ray units are needed worldwide to meet the demand in these remote locations. Some of the obstacles to their deployment include: limited public health care funds which are focused on immediate needs (not medical infrastructure investment); high cost of equipment, lack of trained personnel, operational support and costs (training, service and consumables) and limited availability of physicians and health care professionals to provide x-ray services on a timely and affordable basis; frequently, health care resources are directed to those who can pay, leaving even less services available for the general population.

In 2006 as part of the Biomedical Engineering program at Northwestern University, a group of five students were studying at the University of Cape Town, South Africa. They were to evaluate digital retrofit opportunities for a low cost X-Ray system, WHIS-RAD that was approved by the World Health Organization in 1993 (link to report), and was being promoted and deployed by Rotary Clubs in low resource communities. As the former manager of Humanitarian Programs at Rotary International, I was a strong advocate for these systems and helped to promote deployments in first referral hospitals and low income clinics in developing countries, including Zimbabwe. The client for this particular study was Rotary International. The students realized that there was a tremendous need for low cost X-Ray machines, especially in the underserved Township communities around Cape Town. In fact, this system was designed originally by Dr. Philip E.S. Palmer who was the Chief Medical Officer for the Western Cape and became an advisor to this program (link to obituary on Palmer).

The five students confirmed the need for such low cost radiology systems, and that by substituting a computed radiology imaging system by retrofitting the standard film system patient care would be improved and costs of operation would be substantially reduced (link to report Integrated Digital X-Ray System for the WHIS-RAD).

Based on the significance of this report a new organization, World Health Imaging Alliance was formed (link to brochure). This Alliance included Northwestern University McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science, Kellogg School of Management, Feinberg School of Medicine, University of Cape Town School of Biomedical Engineering, University of Cape Town School of Public Health, Rotary Clubs in the US (District 6440), South Africa, Guatemala, World Resources Chicago, SEDECAL (manufacturer of WHIS-RAD systems), Carestream, Kodak, General Electric, McDermott, Will & Emery, LLC, Groote Schuur Hospital (Cape Town), South Africa Ministry of Health, Health Department of Western Cape, Health Department of Cape Town, Ministry of Health of Guatemala, Health Department of Guatemala City, Universidad Francisco Marroquin, Motorola.

From 2006-2009 WHIA installed digital WHIS-RAD systems in Crossroads Township Community Health Clinic, Cape Town; Clanwilliams Hospital, Clanwilliams, Western Cape; Guatemala City Municipal Clinic; Obras Sociales Del Santo Hermano Pedro, Antigua, Guatemala.

WHIA was transferred to a major donor for the promise of a $1 million contribution. The organization was changed to the World Health Imaging, Telemedicine and Informatics Alliance in 2009. In 2012 the name was changed again to Health Green. Due to some issues the donor had with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, WHITIA and Health Green were closed in 2013.

Rotary Clubs in the Chicagoland area (District 6440) revived the original intent of deploying low cost x-rays – digital WHIS-RAD systems to Guatemala. They started a new organization called Rotary District 6440 HealthRays ( https://healthrays.info/about/) They have committed to raising $2.5 million to deploy 29 X-Ray units in Guatemala. They have already completed 14 in the following sites: Mixco, El Amparo, El Paraiso, Livingston, Villa Canales, Faijanes, Palencia, Gualan, Nahula, DAC, Chupol, CAIMI San Cristobal de Alta Verapaz, Villa Nueva, Escuintla. 3-4 million Guatemalans will have access to digital X-ray technology for the first time!

< 2024 >

June

4

International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression
All day
06/04/2024
https://worldresourceschicago.com/?ecwd_event=international-day-of-innocent-children-victims-of-aggression
Every day, children living in wars across the globe are facing unspeakable horrors. They are not safe sleeping in their homes or playing outside, learning in school or seeking medical care at hospitals. From killing and maiming, abduction and sexual violence, to attacks on education and health facilities, and the denial of the humanitarian assistance that they desperately need, children are being caught in the crosshairs of warring parties at a staggering scale.
Alarming data
The UNICEF report “25 Years of Children and Armed Conflict” points at alarming data. Since 2005:
104,100 are killed or maimed
At least 104,100 children have been killed or maimed. More than two-thirds of these have been between 2014 and 2020, with an average of 10,500 children killed or maimed each year.
93,000 are recruited
At least 93,000 have been recruited by armed actors. Between 2016 – 2020, the UN verified the recruitment and use of an average of 8,756 children annually (8,521 in 2020).
25,700 are abducted
More than 25,700 children have been abducted. Two-thirds of the cases over the past 16 years have occurred between 2014 – 2020, with an annual average of 2,414 (3,202 in 2020). Boys account for three-quarters, however, girls remain at risk of being abducted including for the purpose of sexual violence and exploitation.
14,200 are sexually violated
More than 14,200 children have been subjected to rape and other sexual violence. The annual average is 890 child victims, with the highest record standing at 1,268 in 2020. This, however, is not reflective of the actual scale. Cases of sexual violence, including sexual violence against boys, are particularly underreported. Sexual violence disproportionately affects girls, who were victims in 97 per cent of cases in the last 5 years.
14,900 are denied humanitarian access
More than 14,900 incidents of denial of humanitarian access have been verified. Around 80 per cent of incidents took place in the past 5 years, demonstrating strengthened efforts to document and verify these incidents.
13,900 schools and hospitals destroyed
More than 13,900 attacks on schools and hospitals have been verified. Nearly three-fourths of these incidents concerned education facilities, personnel, and pupils, with an annual average of 873 attacks, including 1,032 between 2016 – 2020.
Source: UNICEF fact sheet “Progress and challenges for children living in armed conflict” published 2022
Wars cause multiple additional depravations including hunger, disease, and poverty. UNICEF’s report confirms that every year the number of verified violations for children who are impacted by wars continues to increase. Each of these numbers represents a grave tragedy for a child, a family, a community. This is a call to STOP attacks on children.

7

World Food Safety Day
All day
06/07/2024
https://worldresourceschicago.com/?ecwd_event=world-food-safety-day-2
Access to sufficient amounts of safe food is key to sustaining life and promoting good health. Foodborne illnesses are usually infectious or toxic in nature and often invisible to the plain eye, caused by bacteria, viruses, parasites or chemical substances entering the body through contaminated food or water.
Food safety has a critical role in assuring that food stays safe at every stage of the food chain – from production to harvest, processing, storage, distribution, all the way to preparation and consumption.
With an estimated 600 million cases of foodborne illnesses annually, unsafe food is a threat to human health and economies, disproportionally affecting vulnerable and marginalized people, especially women and children, populations affected by conflict, and migrants. An estimated 420 000 people around the world die every year after eating contaminated food and children under 5 years of age carry 40% of the foodborne disease burden, with 125 000 deaths every year.
World Food Safety Day on 7 June aims to draw attention and inspire action to help prevent, detect and manage foodborne risks, contributing to food security, human health, economic prosperity, agriculture, market access, tourism and sustainable development. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) jointly facilitate the observance of World Food Safety Day, in collaboration with Member States and other relevant organizations. This international day is an opportunity to strengthen efforts to ensure that the food we eat is safe, mainstream food safety in the public agenda and reduce the burden of foodborne diseases globally.

12

World Day Against Child Labour
All day
06/12/2024
https://worldresourceschicago.com/?ecwd_event=world-day-against-child-labour
Observed on June 12th, World Day Against Child Labour is intended to serve as a catalyst for the growing worldwide movement against child labour. Emphasizing the link between social justice and child labour, the slogan for the World Day in 2023 is ‘Social Justice for All. End Child Labour!’.
Our joint experience in tackling child labour over the course of the last three decades has demonstrated that child labour can be eliminated, if the root causes are addressed. More than ever, it is urgent for all of us to contribute to bringing solutions to people’s daily problems, and child labour is – possibly – the most visible of these problems.
We therefore consider the 2023 World Day Against Child Labour to be a moment for all of us who are committed to ending child labour to demonstrate that change can be achieved when will and determination come together and provide a momentum for efforts to be accelerated in a situation of great urgency.
This World Day Against Child Labour, June 12, 2023 we are calling for
Reinvigorated international action to achieve social justice, particularly under the envisaged Global Coalition for Social Justice, with child labour elimination as one of its important elements;
Universal ratification of ILO Convention No. 138 on Minimum Age, which, together with the universal ratification of ILO Convention No. 182 on Worst Forms of Child Labour achieved in 2020, would provide all children with legal protection against all forms of child labour;
Effective implementation of the Durban Call to Action.

15

World Elder Abuse Awareness Day
All day
06/15/2024
https://worldresourceschicago.com/?ecwd_event=world-elder-abuse-awareness-day-2
In the context of last year’s commemoration of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD), the World Health Organization in partnership with Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), UN WOMEN and with support from the International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse (INPEA), published Tackling abuse of older people: five priorities for the UN Decade of Healthy Ageing 2021–2030. The resource outlined key priorities to prevent and respond to abuse of older persons and, hence, contribute to improving their health, well-being and dignity. This year, the commemoration will provide an update on the implementation of the priorities.
Ahead of the milestone of the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), this year’s commemoration of WEAAD will also connect with the year-long campaign to promote and recognise the 75th anniversary. As the month of June of the campaign will focus on showcasing the UDHR by raising awareness on its legacy, relevance and activism as relates to women’s rights, the theme of the 2023 WEAAD commemoration in the United Nations Headquarters in New York is entitled Closing the Circle: Addressing Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in Older Age – Policy, Law and Evidence-based Responses.

24

International Day for Women in Diplomacy
All day
06/24/2024
https://worldresourceschicago.com/?ecwd_event=international-day-for-women-in-diplomacy
Women have been playing a crucial role in global governance since the drafting and signing of the United Nations Charter in 1945. Women and girls represent half of the world’s population and, therefore, also half of its potential. Women bring immense benefits to diplomacy. Their leadership styles, expertise and priorities broaden the scope of issues under consideration and the quality of outcomes.
Research shows that when women serve in cabinets and parliaments, they pass laws and policies that are better for ordinary people, the environment and social cohesion. Advancing measures to increase women’s participation in peace and political processes is vital to achieving women’s de facto equality in the context of entrenched discrimination.
Out of the 193 Member States of the United Nations, only 34 women serve as elected Heads of State or Government. Whilst progress has been made in many countries, the global proportion of women in other levels of political office worldwide still has far to go: 21% of the world’s ministers, 26% of national parliamentarians, and 34% of elected seats of local government. According to a new UN report, at the current pace of progress, equal representation in parliament will not be achieved until 2062.
The UN General Assembly (UNGA) is the world’s largest yearly meeting of world leaders. While the UNGA has been the setting for several historic moments for gender equality, much has yet to be achieved regarding women’s representation and participation. Just four women have been elected President of the UN General Assembly in its 77 years.
The 15-member UN Security Council has primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security. While women currently represent slightly over a third of the Security Council’s members — far higher than the average — it is still far from enough. Explore the participation of women at the Security Council.
Inclusive governance can result in policies that create positive change over the long term.