Sultana Afdhal (centre), CEO of WISH, with other officials, during the opening of “Artistic Dimensions to a Healthier World” Exhibition at Fire Station, yesterday. Pic: Baher Amin / The Peninsula
The world’s first field manual in Arabic for the treatment of child victims from explosions was unveiled in Doha yesterday.
The Arabic guide was revealed by World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH) — an initiative by Qatar Foundation — together with UK-based humanitarian charity ‘Save the Children’ on the sidelines of an exhibition which features the relationship between art and health at the Fire Station.
The ‘Pediatric Blast Injury Field Manual’ was initially published in English this year and is a comprehensive guide for doctors without specialist training on how to treat children who have been injured by bomb blasts, shrapnel and other explosive devices. The Arabic translation of the manual was initiated by WISH as a development grew from the organization’s 2018 report, ‘Healthcare in Conflict Settings’
“It is an expansion of our work we did by releasing a research report on healthcare conflict. It also focuses on the most innocent victims in a conflict zone. We wanted to highlight that these children need more help, and we thought it is an important project through which we can pragmatically support them,” said Sultana Afdhal, CEO, WISH.
“The field manual is something that people can take out and save a child’s life. It is such a unique thing that somebody has spent years researching how a blast affects a child’s body. H H Sheikha Moza bint Nasser initially saw the draft of the manual in English and asked us how we can support in bringing it out. And we at WISH worked on the Arabic translation of the manual,” she added.
The manual release and opening of the exhibition ‘Artistic Dimensions to a Healthier World’ was attended by dignitaries including Sheikh Dr Mohammed bin Hamad Al Thani, Director of the Public Health Department at the Ministry of Public Health, diplomats and several others.
“The Paediatric Blast Injury Field Manual gives medical staff in conflict settings the knowledge and technical guidance needed specifically to treat children,” said Dr Malik Nedam Aldeen, Paediatrician and Medical Manager at Syria Relief, currently leading the distribution of the guide to Syrian doctors. “Children’s bodies are different from those of adults. Their skulls are still not fully formed and their underdeveloped muscles offer less protection. So a blast is more likely to damage their brain and lungs or tear apart organs in their abdomen, even when there’s no visible damage,” he said.
The thought-provoking exhibition ‘Artistic Dimensions to a Healthier World’ showcases work by Giles Duley, an award-winning British documentary photographer, who strives to highlight the long-term impact of war.
The exhibition also includes a display of artwork produced by refugee Rohingya children, as part of a project by Save the Children.
