On June 12, took place our bimonthly First Aid Asia Pacific catch-up meeting, where the topic of discussion was providing First Aid training for people with specific needs. This engaging session featured informative presentations from the Pakistan Red Crescent Society, Australian Red Cross, Malaysian Red Crescent, and a special guest that shared its experience from another region, the French Red Cross.
During the meeting, Dr. Rizwana Wasif and Ifthekar Ahmad from the Pakistan Red Crescent Society emphasized the significance of training people with specific needs, as it empowers them to take immediate action, enhances overall safety and well-being, promotes inclusivity within communities, and most importantly, saves lives. They also shared a short video that captured their impactful work while training visually and hearing impaired people, you can watch it here, do not miss it!
The training programs are predominantly tailor to individuals with physical disabilities, visual and hearing impairments, as well as cognitive or intellectual disabilities. Recognizing the unique challenges faced by this audience, Mior Mohd Shahriman from the Malaysian Red Crescent suggest the importance of collaborating with organizations or experts in this field, offering valuable insights and resources.
The challenges encountered in implementing First Aid training for people with specific needs transcend geographical borders. The speakers representing different regions, including the Pacific, South East Asia, South Asia, and Europe, all shared similar obstacles. These challenges encompassed issues of physical accessibility, reliance on caregivers, limited access to information and awareness, and difficulties in adapting and staying updated with training materials and techniques, as Wendy Greenhalf from the Australian Red Cross pointed out.
Despite these adversities, each National Society showcased remarkable experiences by devising innovative approaches to train people with special needs in First Aid techniques. For example, Léa Linise from the French Red Cross shared an inspiring story of a trainee who, despite being in a wheelchair, became a First Aid trainer.
If you would like to explore further success stories and learn more about our endeavors in this field, please feel free to contact us at: first.aid@ifrc.org
