This year, the Global First Aid Reference (GFARC) Centre relaunched a series of international meetings called “Engagement Committees.” This initiative represents a key step in the five-yearly review process of the International Guidelines for First Aid, Resuscitation and Training, ensuring they remain aligned with the latest scientific knowledge and best practices. Held between February 16 and April 6, 2025, these meetings brought together more than 60 participants from 38 countries across the Movement’s five main geographic regions: Asia-Pacific, Middle East and North Africa, Europe, Africa, and the Americas.
The current guidelines, published in 2020, form a shared knowledge base for National Societies. Grounded in the best available scientific evidence and validated by experts, they are designed to be both pragmatic and adaptable. Their goal is to support first aid trainers and responders in delivering effective, timely, and harmonized actions. However, evolving local contexts and ongoing scientific developments make regular updates essential. To address this need, the Engagement Committees were created to involve field practitioners—experienced trainers, trainer-of-trainers, master educators, and other specialists—in a collective reflection on practices and local adaptations. By incorporating this grassroots input, the 2025 recommendations aim to further enhance the quality, inclusiveness, and relevance of first aid programs.
Organized into eight two-hour sessions, the meetings provided an in-depth exploration of 24 first aid topics, ranging from snake bites to dehydration, as well as training for children and emergency childbirth management. Each session was facilitated by members of the Guidelines Steering Committee in collaboration with GFARC representatives, creating an open and dynamic environment for discussion.
One of the Committees’ core objectives is to ensure balanced representation from across all regions, so that the updated recommendations are both globally applicable and locally grounded. Discussions revealed how current guidelines are used worldwide and collected hundreds of proposals for concrete adaptations—integrating cultural, social, and environmental factors specific to each region. This inclusive approach ensures that people are considered holistically, beyond just medical or technical perspectives.
This initiative aligns closely with the priorities of the IFRC’s Vision 2030, which calls for more localized, equitable, and agile humanitarian action rooted in shared knowledge. By directly involving field actors in shaping future directions, GFARC reaffirms its commitment to evolving international standards based on real-world experiences.
