Manchester Lit & Phil presents: How can we best help those in need during and after a Humanitarian Crisis? with Professor Tony Redmond

What does it take to save lives in war, disaster, and disease?

Tony Redmond has over 30 years’ experience of responding to wars, disease outbreaks, and sudden onset disasters all around the world. In this engaging talk, he will detail the lessons learned, the improvements that have been made in the international response, and how we can continue to ensure the assistance provided is both effective and focused on those most in need.

He will describe the type of medical assistance that is needed across the various types of humanitarian emergencies and how international support can best complement, and not compete with, the work of others and that of the affected country itself.

Delivering medical assistance during humanitarian crises, especially during conflicts, can be incredibly dangerous. Tony will outline how we can attempt to mitigate these risks, though never eliminate them. He will describe his personal experiences of practicing medicine under fire.

A particular focus of the presentation will be his work in Ukraine and that of his colleagues in UK-Med. He will explain how the programs they are running there been shaped by their experience of delivering emergency medical aid to Sarajevo and Kosovo for the duration of the wars in the Balkans.

Helping those in need during a Humanitarian Crisis is not without personal cost. Tony will discuss how we can look to reduce this amongst team members. He will also give an insight into the physical and mental challenges he has had to deal with – the legacy of over 30 years of committed work.

About the speaker:

Professor Tony Redmond is a Consultant in Emergency Medicine, Professor Emeritus of International Emergency Medicine at the Humanitarian and Conflict Response Institute at the University of Manchester, Emeritus Professor of Emergency Medicine at Keele University, and Past President of the World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine.

In 1995 he founded UK-Med, an International NGO that provides emergency medical humanitarian assistance to countries affected by war, disease outbreak, and disaster. And in 2008 he cofounded the Humanitarian and Conflict Response Institute that runs teaching and research programmes across the humanitarian response.

He is the author of Frontline: Saving Lives in War, Disaster and Disease, published by HarperNorth.