PLTU-01 - Plenary session – Humanitarian crises: Challenges, opportunities and sustainable solutions

Great Hall 3-4 Tuesday 26 September 2023, 09:00-10:30

Chair(s)

Mr Sylvain Grenier, President ExCo FIP Military and Emergency Pharmacy Section, Canada and Mrs Jane Dawson, Vice President ExCo FIP Military and Emergency Pharmacy Section, New Zealand

Introduction

Pharmacists play a crucial role in humanitarian crises, providing life-saving care in the midst of chaos. This session delves into pharmacy’s response in such situations, linking to issues such as antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and vaccination challenges. We will explore real world experiences from recent crises in Ukraine, Turkey, Syria and Australia, and learn about the evolution of our programme since the FIP Congress in 2022. We will also revisit the commitments made at previous congresses and discuss future calls to action.

Programme

09:00 – 09:05	Introductions by the chairs
09:05 – 09:30	The challenges of working with local medical team in Syria Ms Eiko Kobayashi, Japanese Red Cross College of Nursing, Japan
09:30 – 10:00	Progress on the programme of humanitarian support to Ukraine- lessons learnt one year Mr Mark Koziol, The Pharmacist’s Defence Association, United Kingdom
10:00 – 10:25	FIP showcases the delivery against the Seville commitment to humanitarian support and identifies the gaps for 2024 Mr Ruben Viegas, FIP, Netherlands
10:25 – 10:30	Summary and closing

Learning objectives

Understand the role and challenges of pharmacists in various humanitarian crises, from conflict zones to climate disasters.
Learn about the experiences and lessons learned from recent crises in Ukraine, Turkey, Syria and Australia.
Discuss commitments made at previous congresses and future actions to enhance the pharmacy’s response to humanitarian crises.

Take home messages

Pharmacists play a crucial role in humanitarian crises, providing essential care under challenging circumstances. By learning from past experiences, we can improve our response to future crises, to better serve vulnerable communities and strengthen global health security.