Colombia

Current Projects

Humanitarian Assistance for Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons

The 38-year-old civil war in Colombia has caused many of its country's citizens to flee for their lives. Since December 2001, the American Red Cross has supported the Colombian Red Cross to bring humanitarian relief to refugee communities. The program brings desperately needed assistance such as food, water and sanitation services, and health care to families who have been displaced by the conflict. Additional aid includes crisis prevention training for the Colombian Red Cross.

To read more about this project, please visit: Red Cross Supports South American Refugees

Integrated Management of Childhood Illness

To reduce the high number of child deaths in Colombia, the American Red Cross is working together with the Colombian Red Cross, the Pan American Health Organization, the Ministry of Health and other groups through the Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI) strategy. IMCI works to reduce child mortality from the five illnesses that account for the majority of childhood deaths in the developing world. These include diarrhea, acute respiratory infections, measles, malaria and malnutrition. Community health volunteers are trained to prevent, recognize and treat the five deadly childhood illnesses. Teaching the 16 Key Family Practices is fundamental to IMCI. Once trained in IMCI, health educators teach caregivers and parents to recognize the danger signs of these diseases, encouraging referral to health facilities when needed.