The Somali Red Crescent Society (SRCS), ( UBCS ) is a non-political, independent humanitarian organization in

Somalia Somalia, officially the Federal Republic of Somalia, is the easternmost country in continental Africa. The country is located in the Horn of Africa and is bordered by Ethiopia to the west, Djibouti to the northwest, Kenya to the southwest, th ...

and is part of the

International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement The organized International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a Humanitarianism, humanitarian movement with approximately 16million volunteering, volunteers, members, and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ...

History

The society was established in April 1963 through the Presidential Decree No. 187 in 1965.The Somali Red Crescent Society
Retrieved 24 February 2012 In 1969, it was formally recognized by the

International Committee of the Red Cross The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is a humanitarian organization based in Geneva, Switzerland, and is a three-time Nobel Prize laureate. The organization has played an instrumental role in the development of rules of war and ...

(ICRC) and became a member of the

International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is a worldwide humanitarian aid organization that reaches 160 million people each year through its 191 member National Societies. It acts before, during and after disas ...

Main programs and activities

Healthcare

Outpatient and mobile clinics

Since 1991, SRCS has been providing health services to the people of Somalia through a system of 62 Maternal and Child Health Outpatient (MCH/OPD) clinics and 4 mobile clinics,Somali Red Crescent Society Strategic Plan 2010 - 2014
Retrieved 24 February 2012 targeting vulnerable groups in the community such as mothers, children and wounded individuals. These permanent and mobile clinics are designed to serve the immediate neighborhood communities and remote villages respectively, with a focus on reducing mortality and morbidity. In 2009, 623,342 patients benefitted from the treatments offered in total.

Rehabilitation programmes

The SRCS rehabilitation programmes provide health care services to physically disabled people in Somalia through its three rehabilitation centers, which are located in Mogadishu, Hargeisa and Galkayo.REHABILITATION SERVICES FOR THE PHYSICALLY DISABLED
Retrieved 24 February 2012

Prosthesis In medicine, a prosthesis (: prostheses; from ), or a prosthetic implant, is an artificial device that replaces a missing body part, which may be lost through physical trauma, disease, or a condition present at birth (Congenital, congenital disord ...

and orthosis appliances are produced in the workshops of these centers, with physiotherapy departments that offer physiotherapy treatment. In 2009, 429 orthoses and 534 prostheses were produced while 1924 persons received physiotherapy treatment.

Keysaney Teaching Hospital

Keysaney is one of the largest surgical hospitals in Somalia which focuses on trauma, surgery including electives and referrals from Mogadishu and the other cities of the country. Keysaney functions as the main teaching hospital in surgery and trauma for residents, interns and students in Somalia. The hospital is Located in Mogadishu, the capital city and was established in 1992, the hospital assisted thousands of weapon and non weapon wounded patients since the outbreak of the

civil war A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

. Support is rendered by the ICRC in the form of payment of salaries and providing medicines and medical equipment through the SRCS. During 2009, 3856 were admitted in the hospital, of which 2361 were patients wounded by weapons.https://www.dansephoto.com/downloads/srcs_strategic_%20plan.pdf

HIV and AIDS program

As of 2006, 44,000 Somalis were estimated to be infected with HIV, which is around 0.9% of the population.INTEGRATED HIV AND AIDS PROGRAMME 2008-2010
Retrieved 24 February 2012 The HIV and AIDS program initiated by the SRCS focuses on prevention, treatment, care and support throughout the country. There was great emphasis on changing the behavior of the sexually active cohort by promoting safe sex practices, voluntary testing and counselling. In 2009, awareness sessions were conducted by the SRCS HIV staff and volunteers to educate the communities on the risk of HIV infections. 127,000 people benefited from the sessions in total.

WatSan programme

The water and sanitation project is a collaboration between the SRCS and

German Red Cross The German Red Cross (GRC) ( ; DRK) is the national Red Cross Society in Germany. During the Nazi era, the German Red Cross was under the control of the Nazi Party and played a role in supporting the regime's policies, including the exclusion ...

which targets the rural population in Somalia. The aim of the project is to increase the availability of safe water for human consumption, livestock and agriculture so as to meet the basic needs of the target population. Shallow wells and piped water systems were constructed to manage water supply while family latrines were built for improved sanitation. Water filters were given to communities using unsafe surface waters to ensure safe consumption. The total number direct and indirect beneficiaries was 3825 and 22,950 respectively.WATER AND SANITATION
Retrieved 24 February 2012

References

External links

* {{Authority control Red Cross and Red Crescent national societies Medical and health organisations based in Somalia Organizations established in 1963 1963 establishments in Somalia