ICROSS PROJECTS

2012 ICROSS Annual Report

2012-01-20T02:02:00.001-08:00

ICROSS releases the Annual Report for 2011 today. As ICROSS concluded its seminar on tribal rights and Rights Based Programming , the Country Director launched the Annual Review compiled by the Field teams. In a challenging year that saw upheaval across the World, ICROSS continued all Rural health programmes and extended nutritional support to vulnerable children and mothers. Danny Ngwiri thanked the many community leaders, Chiefs, Elders and Women's group leaders who helped make the programmes so successful.

Since 1979 ICROSS has continued to serve the poorest of the poor primarily in East Africa. The focus of this years Annual Report remains long term primary care, Maternal Child Health and the development of low cost initiatives that will have lasting impact on disease and poverty. At this weeks Seminar Saruni OleLengeny presented a review of all community health programmes and presented potential new areas of expansion for 2012.

The Seminar heard a presentation on evolving concepts in Global development. The seminar covered key elements in Rights based approaches to Development planning ranging from locally developed policies, collective ownership and action, the new ICROSS strategic plan and performance indicators.

The International Director Dr Michael Meegan spoke about the Public health research plans for 2012 and the incorporation of research into field activities. P OleLasoi shared with the team new changes that are happening in Kenyas Administrative structures this year and streamlining of Districts and Counties with Governors. The Annual Report marks the development of ICROSS Maternal child-health programmes and details some of the key expansion projects that started in 2011.

The Head of Maasai projects detailed the exciting challenges ahead as we begin the year with both Trachoma and Malaria prevention campaigns with the Ministry of Health. You can download the Annual Report at http://icrossinternational.org/
and we always welcome feedback, comments , suggestions as well as new ideas.

ICROSS FIGHTS TRACHOMA JAN 2012

2012-01-20T02:00:00.000-08:00

Heres the problem.

Trachoma is a bacterial eye infection similar to conjunctivitis, which, if left untreated, causes extreme pain and eventually leads to blindness. It is easily spread from person to person by unwashed hands and by flies which are attracted by the discharge the infection causes. We have developed a series of fly traps to reduce infection rates.
Repeat infections cause scarring on the inside of the eyelid which is called trichiasis where the eyelid turns inwards making the eyelashes scrape painfully against the eyeball leading to irreparable corneal damage.
Trichiasis sufferers often pull out their eyelashes to relieve the pain but the relief is short lived as they often grow back stronger than before. 84 million people are infected with trachoma and a further 1.2 billion people at risk; nine million people are also waiting for eyelid surgery for the advanced stages of the disease.

Trachoma is linked to extreme poverty and poor sanitation, thriving in overcrowded conditions,mostly in Africa.
Trachoma is most prevalent in the poorest and most remote rural areas of Africa and South Asia – Africa alone carries 65% of active cases. Women are particularly susceptible to trachoma as they spend the most time with children, the worst spreaders of the disease. In trachoma endemic areas up to 86% of cases are in women.

ICROSS has been fighting trachoma with Professor David Morely since 1993. This month sees ICROSS and Ministry of Health teams working together covering 14 locations preventing and reducing Trachoma. This collaboration has reached over 6,000 women and children in January 2012 so far. With your help we can increase this. Our target in 2012 is to reach 36,000 women and children most at risk. We work among populations that have the highest infection rates of trachoma in the World. With your help we can reduce this leading cause of blindness.

helping to end poverty

2011-12-22T05:36:00.000-08:00

GET INVOLVED!

Donate
• Online donation
• One off donation/ Bank transfer
• Monthly gift / Bank transfer
• See our online shop and select a gift for a friend
• Charity e-bay (sell stuff you don’t use for ICROSS)
• Send us a donation in kind ( not only money )

Fundraising
• Organise an event for one of our projects
• Organise a competition in your school, work-place, among your friends
• Plan a dinner or Drinks-Night with your friends
• Run the Marathon or Trek to raise money and awareness.

Act
• Share us on Facebook or Twitter with your friends
• Plan an Exhibition of ICROSS projects in your work, school, local area
• Artist/Photographer programme
• Email us your ideas, suggestions.
• Corporate or family partnership

Volunteer
• Share your skills with us
• Be one of our online team
• Volunteer in Africa
• Help us network, blog for us, use your network to help build ICROSS
• Lobby and help us with our campaigns and initiatives
• Be a voice of the poor, give presentations and talks on our behalf.

Michael Elmore-Meegan MSc Community Health TCD D Med HC NUI FRAMI
Founder, International Director ICROSS
http://icrossinternational.org/
www.icross-africa.net
http://www.michaelmeegan.com
http://icrossprojects.blogspot.com/
http://twitter.com/#!/ICROSSprojects

reflections Mike Meegan

2011-12-16T12:09:00.000-08:00

"We have forgotten the secrets of happiness and have lost the art of wonder. Our world is in pain, and the gap between nations grows. The problems seem overwhelming." Michael Meegan Surprised by Joy

"When we are caught in the microcosms we can miss the majesty and vastness of the universe." Michael Meegan Surprised by Joy

"There are many intelligences, many dynamic paths that illuminate our way."
Michael Meegan Surprised by Joy

"Unless the mindset that has dominated charity in Africa changes, the model that governs response will remain unchanged."Michael Meegan Surprised by Joy

"With everything in me I believe that the only path we to joy is the way of serving each other without looking for anything in return."Michael Meegan Surprised by Joy

"You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty."Michael Meegan Surprised by Joy

"There is far too much misery in the world, too much anxiety, and we need to open ourselves to becoming agents of joy."Michael Meegan Surprised by Joy

"It is easy to think of all the things we can’t do, but every one of us can do something, and we can do something about everything."Michael Meegan Surprised by Joy

"If I decide not to reach out to a child in a slum because the rich politician has a Mercedes, I punish that child because of the greed of his oppressor."Michael Meegan Surprised by Joy

"The world needs to become a community, to relieve the tremendous amount of unnecessary suffering that is tearing us apart."Michael Meegan Surprised by Joy

http://icrossinternational.org/ ACTION in 2012 ICROSS INTERNATIONAL

2011-12-13T03:14:00.000-08:00

GET INVOLVED IN ICROSS 2012
http://icrossinternational.org/

Donate
• Online donation
• One off donation/ Bank transfer
• Monthly gift / Bank transfer
• See our online shop and select a gift for a friend
• Charity e-bay (sell stuff you don’t use for ICROSS)
• Send us a donation in kind ( not only money )

Fundraising
• Organise an event for one of our projects
• Organise a competition in your school, work-place, among your friends
• Plan a dinner or Drinks-Night with your friends
• Run the Marathon or Trek to raise money and awareness.

Act
• Share us on Facebook or Twitter with your friends
• Plan an Exhibition of ICROSS projects in your work, school, local area
• Artist/Photographer programme
• Email us your ideas, suggestions.
• Corporate or family partnership

Volunteer
• Share your skills with us
• Be one of our online team
• Volunteer in Africa
• Help us network, blog for us, use your network to help build ICROSS
• Lobby and help us with our campaigns and initiatives
• Be a voice of the poor, give presentations and talks on our behalf.

ICROSS overview 2011

2011-12-10T01:48:00.001-08:00

Overview: Danny Ngwiri Country Director

ICROSS in a nutshell 2011

For those not familiar with ICROSS here is an overview of who we are and what we do, where we do it and how we work.

Background: ICROSS was created by Dr. Joe Barnes and Dr. Michael Meegan in 1979. It established a new approach towards long term health care (this is explained in details in our downloadable strategic plan) For decades ICROSS has developed public health research that has pioneered low cost innovations (please see research section)

Philosophy: We believe in evidence driven, results based long term solutions that can be shared. We do not believe that projects should be donor agendas, they must be community decided and locally planned.
We succeed because all we do is long term over decades, in local language and through local culture. Our work is built through continuities.

Passion: None should ever sleep and be hungry; no child needs to be sick and untreated or thirsty. Everything we do will change the poverty trap and the short term idea of poverty. Our humanity is how we care for each other and embrace those who are vulnerable and hurt.

We are going to end starvation and suffering, but we can only do this together.

Vision: A World free of needless suffering and infant death where people can be cared for and respected as they are within their own language , culture, traditions and beliefs. Where there is no hunger and starvation in a World of such vast wealth. Where there is compassion and kindness based on equality and shared empathy and understanding.

What we do: We fight poverty by identifying a root cause of suffering and designing long term ways to create change. Famine relief, short term projects and quick solutions do not work. For 30 years, we have been developing alternative innovations and low tech solutions to big problems.

Who we are: ICROSS is an international Non-governmental organisation working in partnership with civil society organizations, non-governmental organizations, governments and bilateral agencies including the Global Fund, the European Union, the World Health Organisation UNICEF other Organizations and local communities.

We are a group of trained professional s in global health and development ranging from clinical services and gynecological to water and sanitation. Most of our teams and all our managers are from local communities.

What do we do?

We prevent diseases and control epidemics.
We create long term changes in infant mortality.
We are creating low cost-effective solutions to break the cycle of poverty.
We train, educate and support thousands of local people to be self sufficient.
We see what is working and find out what is effective through scientific study and research. Working with international institutions we have published widely on new innovative responses to disease and poverty.

We identify the most vulnerable children and communities in need and provide practical immediate help and long term solutions so they will be independent.

We believe in evidence led public health programmes responding to the realities on the ground.

HIV, AIDS, TB & Malaria 2011

For over 20 years ICROSS has been fighting HIV AIDS in Kenya. ICROSS is responding to one of the worst tragedies to strike Africa; AIDS.
Africa has over 70% of the world's HIV cases and Kenya has over 1.4 million of the world's 34 million people living with the virus. Every day more than 6,000 people die of AIDS most in Sub Saharan Africa. TB is rising dramatically and more people died last year of malaria in Africa than HIV/AIDS. These three killer diseases are central to our public health prevention programmes.

Home Based Care
We are preventing new infections through education, training and safe management of AIDS infected. We are protecting their families from infection and are reaching out to people living with AIDS.

Our home care programmes provide nutritional and medical support to the poorest of the poor. They allow people to die with dignity in their own homes instead of in hospitals where there are often three patients to one bed. Home care reduces the risk of secondary infections to vulnerable children and careers and our successes have been copied in other home care programmes.

Orphans & Vulnerable Children
There are over 900,000 AIDS orphans in Kenya and many more children orphaned from other diseases. Every day, 700 adults of reproductive age die in Kenya, leaving behind an increasing number of children.
The crisis is rapidly worsening across all of Africa.Our programmes are reaching AIDS orphans and vulnerable children providing care, support, education, nutrition and medical care. Many of these children are sick themselves and require a lot of love and support.

We are working with children in many different environments and situations (extended family care, foster and adaptation, village type institutions and orphanages). We are helping these children to stay in there communities

Voluntary Counseling: The most important thing in fighting AIDS is prevention, education, empowering people and encouraging safe sex. At the centre of our AIDS prevention is a peer based awareness programme backed up by voluntary counseling and testing.

Together with our partners we have built a comprehensive care center with voluntary counseling and testing facility to create an infrastructure and support system that greatly reduce new infections and protect the younger generation. It also provides effective counseling, support and helps those infected by HIV and share knowledge and awareness.

Malaria Control
We have implemented a comprehensive malaria prevention and control
programme in two districts. Next year we want to cut malaria cases with 50% among the people we work with.

We are using rapid response, multiple prevention and careful research. With your help we can cut malaria deaths in half. Ways of preventing malaria include insecticide treated bed-nets and simply by reducing the number of mosquitoes by spraying breeding grounds and cutting grass around huts and homesteads. Moreover, safe pregnancy is ensured by providing anti malaria tablets to pregnant women.

Community Health 2011
In most of Africa people are so poor they have no health services, since 1979 we have provided essential health services to tribal communities across Kenya and Tanzania. These programmes include disease control, nutrition, family planning, women’s health, infant and children’s health, immunization and vaccination, clinical services, long term prevention and child survival.

ICROSS provides essential medical and health programmes in many remote areas. Some of these areas are as big as Belgium and Denmark. We make sure that vital medical care is accessible by people living absolute poverty, by setting up dispensaries and training community health workers.

Building on 30 years of success in community health we are planning exciting new programmes with communities throughout the Rift Valley.
These will provide essential health care, primary and preventive medicine and water, sanitation and reproductive health care.

Infectious Disease Control
For 25 years we have worked to reduce some of the worst killers in Africa. Diarrheal illness and waterborne disease remains our top priority. Our success in diarrhoea control has been replicated around the world and ICROSS with College of Surgeons in Dublin have produced the only three clinical control trials of solar disinfection to reduce diarrhoea.

Our infectious disease programme covers a wide range of diseases like cholera typhoid and diarrhoea as well as trachoma infections and sexually transmitted infections. ICROSS works with many pastoral and nomadic tribes preventing disease through culture and local language.

Safe Motherhood
Thousands of women die unnecessarily through pregnancy and childbirth. Many more suffer from malnutrition and serious illness. ICROSS implements women's health and safe motherhood programmes in hundreds of villages in Kenya. Safe motherhood advances and lessons have been shared with other programmes in 12 African countries and the Philippines over the past 18 months.

With your help hundreds of mothers could have the right to choose through appropriate reproductive health care have safe pregnancies with proper nutrition and have qualified home delivery through trained birth attendants.

Child Health
The most vulnerable population in Africa is children. The vast majority dying needlessly are children who are often too weak from hunger to fight disease. With over 140 million hungry children in sub Saharan Africa, more children live in absolute poverty than ever before. The average child in Africa has 30 times more illness and disease each year than an European child.

The average child in Africa has less than US$ 10 a year expenditure on health and less than US$ 50 a year to food. ICROSS works in 42 small projects educating and training mothers and elder children to protect the health of small children.

Our child health programmes have existed over 25 years and have been visited by over 2000 colleagues and health professionals from around the world. Our child health initiative include child to child health promotion, immunization and follow up, child nutrition, educational support for non-school going children and working through women’s groups, targeting other vulnerable children.

Child development and assessment of nutritional progress is the cornerstone of our child health programmes in desert areas.

We have three ongoing research programmes looking at the nutritional status of children in desert, rural and urban areas. We are following the nutritional growth of over 40,000 children among the Maasai. 30% of ICROSS programmes are child focused given the mean average age in Africa is 17 and falling and child hood diseases are rising rapidly. Child health care remains a vital part of our work.

Health Education
All our training is through the local culture and language. These health workers are supported by local communities 80% of our 560 volunteers are mothers and grandmothers. It costs 6 pounds to train one health worker in disease control and prevention, hygiene and sanitation.

Hygiene & Sanitation
Water-related diseases are a growing human tragedy, killing more than 5 million people each year About 2.3 billion people suffer from diseases linked to dirty water. Some 60% of all infant mortality worldwide is linked to infectious and parasitic diseases, most of them water-related.

Water-borne diseases include cholera, typhoid, bacillary dysentery, polio, meningitis, hepatitis A and E and diarrhoea, among others. These are diseases caused by dirty water, and most can be prevented by treating water before use

Every day, diarrheal diseases cause some 6,000 deaths, mostly among children under five. diarrheal diseases have killed more children in the past ten years than all the people lost to armed conflict since World War II.

Fighting Poverty in Africa

ICROSS fights poverty in Africa through series of campaigns and long term commitment. For over three decades we at ICROSS have been at the core phase making a difference where it counts. ICROSS is growing dynamically building on its experience with young skilled African managers. It does not copy other organizations’ but explore creative new ways and alternatives. It embraces new ideas constantly challenging assumptions. ICROSS learning and research have been published internationally

Water
Since 1994 we have been fighting diarrhea by providing clean water, providing water sources, protecting water holes and refining use of SODIS and pioneering water disinfection

Innovations
Among our innovation have been improvement to reduce neo natal tetanus, development of fly traps to reduce trachoma blindness and the first clinical control trials of solar disinfection.

Local cultures
ICROSS has built all its programmes through the local cultures, traditions, believes and language.

Community ownership
Poverty can only be defeated through programmes that are owned by the people, we do not believe in donor driven agendas but by plans owned by local communities.

“By becoming awake to the selves within us we can create a harmony and a healthy balance of these energies that often conflict with each other. When these forces become balanced we become more centred, and more alert. Our different skills and talents work together in creating a powerful synergy.” “The Tribe of One” , Michael Meegan “This synergy, the coming together of all of these selves is like the coming together of many different faces often for the first time. Creating this unity with ourselves is like drawing together many strangers who become friends, drawing together all of our dynamics into an internal harmony. It is this dynamic synergy and fusion of everyone within us that creates from many selves a ‘tribe of one’. A tribe of one represents the multiple dimensions of a person’s selves channelled through a singular calm, focused consciousness. It is the harmony of these selves into a force of creative energy.” “The Tribe of One” , Michael Meegan

2011-12-05T05:42:00.000-08:00

“By becoming awake to the selves within us we can create a harmony and a healthy balance of these energies that often conflict with each other. When these forces become balanced we become more centred, and more alert. Our different skills and talents work together in creating a powerful synergy.”

“The Tribe of One” , Michael Meegan

“This synergy, the coming together of all of these selves is like the coming together of many different faces often for the first time. Creating this unity with ourselves is like drawing together many strangers who become friends, drawing together all of our dynamics into an internal harmony. It is this dynamic synergy and fusion of everyone within us that creates from many selves a ‘tribe of one’. A tribe of one represents the multiple dimensions of a person’s selves channelled through a singular calm, focused consciousness. It is the harmony of these selves into a force of creative energy.”

“The Tribe of One” , Michael Meegan

ICROSS PROJECTS UPDATE

2011-12-03T01:43:00.000-08:00

ICROSS Projects 2011-2012

• We prevent diseases and control epidemics.
• We create long term changes in infant mortality.
• We are creating low cost-effective solutions to break the cycle of poverty.
• We train, educate and support thousands of local people to be self sufficient.
• We support communities in helping orphaned children and help them respond to poverty in the villages.
• We see what is working and find out what is effective through scientific study and research. Working with international institutions we have published widely on new innovative responses to disease and poverty.
• We identify the most vulnerable children and communities in need and provide practical immediate help and long term solutions so they will be independent.
• We believe in evidence led public health programmes responding to the realities on the ground.

HIV, AIDS, TB & Malaria 2011-2016

For over 20 years ICROSS has been fighting HIV AIDS in Kenya. ICROSS is responding to one of the worst tragedies to strike Africa; AIDS.
Africa has over 70% of the world's HIV cases and Kenya has over 1.4 million of the world's 34 million people living with the virus. Every day more than 6,000 people die of AIDS most in Sub Saharan Africa. TB is rising dramatically and more people died last year of malaria in Africa than HIV/AIDS. These three killer diseases are central to our public health prevention programmes.
In 2012 we are extending these programmes with the help of the Global fund and other donors. Together with a network of partners we are expanding all HIV and AIDS programmes into new districts and scaling up interventions to reach thousands more victims and patients. This year sees the opening of a new comprehensive care centre in western Kenya and new AIDS prevention projects.

Home Based Care

We are preventing new infections through education, training and safe management of AIDS infected. We are protecting their families from infection and are reaching out to over 26,000 people living with AIDS. This number will double within three years.
Our home care programmes provide nutritional and medical support to the poorest of the poor. They allow people to die with dignity in their own homes instead of in hospitals where there are often three patients to one bed. Home care reduces the risk of secondary infections to vulnerable children and carers and our successes have been copied in other home care programmes. This project provides the most basic human needs, support, counselling and essentials to people who desperately need your help.

• Orphans & Vulnerable Children

There are over 900,000 AIDS orphans in Kenya and many more children orphaned from other diseases. Every day, 700 adults of reproductive age die in Kenya, leaving behind an increasing number of children. The crisis is rapidly worsening across all of Africa.
We continue to study this problem and are part of three multi-country studies measuring the needs of these children. Our programmes are reaching 45,000 orphans and vulnerable children providing care, support, education, nutrition and medical care. Many of these children are sick themselves and require a lot of love and support.
We are working with children in many different set ups (extended family care, foster and adaptation, village type institutions and orphanages). We are helping these children intergrading into communities and in 2006 we will scale up these programmes to meet the growing need in project areas larger than the Irish republic.
With your help we will be able to ensure the futures of thousands of these children. Not all vulnerable children are orphaned, many are severely malnourished, and many go to bed hungry every night. We need your support to change the poverty trap that drags these children into further illness and disease.

• Voluntary Counseling

The most important thing in fighting AIDS is prevention, education, empowering people and encouraging safe sex. At the centre of our AIDS prevention is a peer based awareness programme backed up by voluntary counseling and testing.
Together with our partners we build a comprehensive care center with voluntary counseling and testing facility to create an infrastructure and support system that greatly reduce new infections and protect the younger generation. It also provides effective counseling, support and helps those infected by HIV and share knowledge and awareness.

• Malaria Control

• 3,000 people die from malaria a day. They die because they lack access to health care, life saving drugs and bed-nets
• Every year there are over 300,000,000 cases of malaria (10 new cases every second).
• Malaria is on the rise. Malaria is responsible for one out of four childhood deaths.
• We have implemented a comprehensive malaria prevention and control programme in five districts. In 2005-2009 we want to cut malaria cases with 50% among the people we work with.
• We are using rapid response, multiple prevention and careful research.
• With your help we can cut malaria deaths in half.
Ways of preventing malaria include insecticide treated bed-nets and simply by reducing the number of mosquitoes by spraying breeding grounds and cutting grass around huts and homesteads. Moreover, safe pregnancy is ensured by providing anti malaria tablets to pregnant women.

2. Community Health 2011-2016

In most of Africa people are so poor they have no health services, since 1979 we have provided essential health services to tribal communities across Kenya and Tanzania. These programmes include disease control, nutrition, family planning, women’s health, infant and children’s health, immunization and vaccination, clinical services, long term prevention and child survival.
ICROSS provides essential medical and health programmes in many remote areas. Some of these areas are as big as Belgium and Denmark. We make sure that vital medical care is accessible by people living absolute poverty, by setting up dispensaries and training community health workers.
Building on 30 years of success in community health we are planning exciting new programmes with communities throughout the Rift Valley.
These will provide essential health care, primary and preventive medicine and water, sanitation and reproductive health care.
Our new programmes over the next 5 years are outlined in detail in the downloadable strategic plan 2011-2016 and in the annual report 2011

• Infectious Disease Control
For 25 years we have worked to reduce some of the worst killers in Africa. Diarrheal illness and waterborne disease remains our top priority. Our success in diarrhoea control has been replicated around the world and ICROSS with College of Surgeons in Dublin have produced the only three clinical control trials of solar disinfection to reduce diarrhoea.
Our infectious disease programme cover a wide range of diseases like cholera typhoid and diarrhoea as well as trachoma infections and sexually transmitted infections. ICROSS works with many pastoral and nomadic tribes preventing disease through culture and local language.

• Safe Motherhood
Thousands of women die unnecessarily through pregnancy and childbirth. Many more suffer from malnutrition and serious illness. ICROSS implements women's health and safe motherhood programmes in hundreds of villages in Kenya. Safe motherhood advances and lessons have been shared with other programmes in 12 African countries and the Philippines over the past 18 months.
With your help hundreds of mothers could have the right to choose through appropriate reproductive health care have safe pregnancies with proper nutrition and have qualified home delivery through trained birth attendants.
In 2004 ICROSS trained 180 midwives. In 2005 we are training a further 340.

• Child Health
The most vulnerable population in Africa is children. The vast majority dying needlessly are children who are often too weak from hunger to fight disease. With over 140 million hungry children in sub Saharan Africa, more children live in absolute poverty than ever before. The average child in Africa has 30 times more illness and disease each year than an European child.

The average child in Africa has less than US$ 10 a year expenditure on health and less than US$ 50 a year to food. ICROSS works in 42 small projects educating and training mothers and elder children to protect the health of small children.
Our child health programmes have existed over 25 years and have been visited by over 2000 colleagues and health professionals from around the world. Our child health initiative include child to child health promotion, immunization and follow up, child nutrition, educational support for non-school going children and working through women’s groups, targeting other vulnerable children. Child development and assessment of nutritional progress is the cornerstone of our child health programmes in desert areas.

We have three ongoing research programmes looking at the nutritional status of children in desert, rural and urban areas. We are following the nutritional growth of over 40,000 children among the Maasai. 30% of ICROSS programmes are child focused given the mean average age in Africa is 17 and falling and child hood diseases are rising rapidly. Child health care remains a vital part of our work.

• Health Worker Training

In 2005 ICROSS will train 900 health workers with the assistance of the Irish people. We will also train over 600 carers of AIDS patients and hundreds of other health workers. This is part of a holistic and comprehensive strategy to transfer medical knowledge into the tribal belief systems in Africa.
All our training is through the local culture and language. These health workers are supported by local communities 80% of our 560 volunteers are mothers and grandmothers. It costs 6 pounds to train one health worker in disease control and prevention, hygiene and sanitation.
• Hygiene & Sanitation
• Water-related diseases are a growing human tragedy, killing more than 5 million people each year
• About 2.3 billion people suffer from diseases linked to dirty water
• Some 60% of all infant mortality worldwide is linked to infectious and parasitic diseases, most of them water-related.
• Water-borne diseases include cholera, typhoid, bacillary dysentery, polio, meningitis, hepatitis A and E and diarrhoea, among others. These are diseases caused by dirty water, and most can be prevented by treating water before use
• Every day, diarrhoeal diseases cause some 6,000 deaths, mostly among children under five
• Diarrhoeal diseases have killed more children in the past ten years than all the people lost to armed conflict since World War II.

3. Fighting Poverty in Africa

ICROSS fights poverty in Africa through series of campaigns and long term commitment. For over three decades we at ICROSS have been at the core phase making a difference where it counts. ICROSS is growing dynamically building on its experience with young skilled African managers. It does not copy other organizations’ but explore creative new ways and alternatives. It embraces new ideas constantly challenging assumptions. ICROSS learning and research have been published internationally (see research section)

• Water
Since 1994 we have been fighting diarrhea by providing clean water, providing water sources, protecting water holes and refining use of SODIS and pioneering water disinfection.

• Health
30 year of providing primary health care, emergency services, long term clinical support and long range community health.

• Nutrition
Mother and child nutrition, improving food for school aged children, comprehensive training and nutritional awareness.

• HIV
Our HIV activities include homecare for terminally ill, AIDS orphans and vulnerable children, TB awareness, detection and control, maternal transmission education, voluntary counseling and testing, behavior change communication.

• Campaign and awareness
Since 2005 we have had international exhibitions around the world to create a better understanding of poverty and injustice. Our awareness campaign range from female circumcision to malnutrition and starvation.

• Innovations
Among our innovation have been improvement to reduce neo natal tetanus, development of fly traps to reduce trachoma blindness and the first clinical control trials of solar disinfection.

• Local cultures
ICROSS has built all its programmes through the local cultures, traditions, believes and language.

• Community ownership
Poverty can only be defeated through programmes that are owned by the people, we do not believe in donor driven agendas but by plans owned by local communities.

• Emergency
Since the east Africa drought of 1983-84, to the most troubled conflict of 2007-08, ICROSS has been working with friends and communities playing a critical role in fighting poverty.

World AIDS Day December 1st 2011

2011-11-25T04:47:00.000-08:00

World AIDS Day December 1st 2011

This is a day we remember the terrible epidemic that has caused so much suffering around the World. It a day that hopes to increase awareness about AIDS and remind people of the tragic loss caused by this horrific pandemic. As usual those who suffer most are the poorest of the poor.
Africa has over two thirds of the Worlds HIV and AIDS victims and most of the deaths with over 22 million suffering. They have the fastest spread of the epidemic and few resources to fight the scale of the suffering.
Kenya has one of the world’s worst AIDS epidemics. Over 1.5 million people are living with HIV in Kenya ; over 1.2 million children have been orphaned by AIDS; and in 2009 80,000 people died from AIDS-related illnesses across the country. This compares to the UK with 90,000 cases.
Kenya’s HIV numbers peaked in 2000 and, according to the latest figures, has dramatically reduced to around 6.3 percent. This decline is partially due to an increase in education and awareness, and high death rates. Its also due to aggressive prevention programmes. ICROSS has been fighting AIDS in Kenya since 1987. There is a lot more to do as many people are still vulnerable. ICROSS has a range of programmes including prevention and awareness.
Just under half of adults who need treatment and only 1 in 3 children needing treatment are receiving it. There are huge strides that have been made and the epidemic is slowing down, but there are still millions who desperately need help and an opportunity to rebuild their lives. Prevention and creating awareness, providing condoms and encouraging safe sex is critical. ICROSS continues its efforts to fight AIDS.
There is a vast amount of work that ICROSS and its partners need to do. We need your help to do it.
ICROSS HIV and AIDS programmes have reached thousands of families over the last 20 years. Serving communities across Kenya , we have provided effective home care, AIDS orphan support, training, prevention, community services and care centres. ICROSS has an AIDS resource centre in Bondo in Western Kenya and has created support systems in villages in rural areas. We need your help and support to do more. There are videos on our HIV AIDS programmes on
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vA5gqmoysGg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vZoe0ZXqmw&feature=related

Michael Elmore-Meegan MSc Community Health TCD
D Med HC NUI FRAMI
Founder, International Director ICROSS
http://icrossinternational.org/
www.icross-africa.net
http://icrosskenya.org/

ICROSS extends famine support

2011-11-01T04:36:00.001-07:00

Today over 30,000 children in Africa will die from poverty related deaths, all avoidable. There are over 170 million children going to bed hungry tonight because they do not have enough food. There are over a billion people without clean water. For over thirty years ICROSS has been doing something about it.

With your help we have built a series of long term health programmes across the Sub Saharan savannah with tribal communities. Designing health programmes with the local communities in their own language and through their own values we have created locally owned programmes. The future of all change is community owned choices.

ICROSS has a long range programme of slow consistent and real change making a difference not just today and tommorrow but across decades. Over the last eight months crippling poverty and worsening drought has caused terrible suffering to young children, mothers and other vulnerable people including the disabled and the old. ICROSS has implemented a wide range of community interventions from special nutritional care and child survival to water protection and intensive diarrhoea control. We need your help now to
continue reaching the communities still devastated by drought and hunger.

This week there are still over 5,000 children who are seriously undernourished and over 700 mothers who need our help.

It is a difficult time for everyone during this recession, but for those who have no voice, no other support and no other help it is an impossible time. Please help ICROSS as we continue to make a lasting difference where it counts most.

ICROSS child survival sept 2011

2011-09-12T06:46:00.000-07:00

As the tragic suffering of children continues in semi desert areas of
East Africa, ICROSS teams battle against dehydration, malnutrition and
needless suffering. Saruni OleLengeny works with community health
workers making sure children do not fall below safe body weight.
Together with Gerry Coogan and friends ICROSS is following high risk
children in remote villages who do not eat because there is no food.

Metaei is a 6 year old girl who ate less than a handful of rice a day
for the last three weeks, now seriously below weight she is one of the
many children being helped in the drought response programme. We need
your help to save lives today and protect vulnerable children from
becoming seriously ill. ICROSS Founder Michael Meegan said today "We
are also protecting water sources and appealing for help to ensure
families have enough water to drink, a huge problem is that the
existing water is contaminated and the Maasai have lost many of their
water holes, the remaining ones are often causes of diarrhoea, The
biggest killer of children is often diarrhoeal infections" We need
your help to extend emergency support to the growing number of
children who are falling below safe weight.

ICROSS has worked among these communities for almost thirty years. you
can help us today by supporting our projects at
www.icross-africa.net.

Michael Elmore-Meegan MSc Community Health TCD
D Med HC NUI FRAMI
Founder, International Director ICROSS
http://icrossinternational.org/
www.icross-africa.net
http://icrosskenya.org/
http://www.michaelmeegan.net/
http://icrossprojects.blogspot.com/
http://twitter.com/#!/ICROSSprojects

ICROSS

2011-09-09T04:22:00.000-07:00

ICROSS is doing Child Survival all this week

ICROSS AIDS programmes

2011-09-08T04:42:00.000-07:00

As ICROSS continues to serve those most in need the HIV AIDS programmes continue to impact the poor.
We are part of the International network of organisations around the world committed to preventing AIDS. NAM aidsmap is the global initiative dedicated to promoting HIV awareness and sharing information.

NAM works world-wide to provide knowledge.http://www.aidsmap.com

Access to quality information is absolutely critical to enable individuals and communities affected by HIV to protect themselves, care for others, advocate for better services and challenge stigma and discrimination. We want to make sure this information is there for anyone who needs it.
NAM believes that knowledge is power.

"We provide vital information to enable individuals and communities to take control of HIV and AIDS."

With your help, we at ICROSS work with our partners to support people with HIV to live long and healthy lives.

You can see ICROSS details at
http://www.aidsmap.com/org/3f85eda5-2e92-4a13-8a72-1baaaa69a165/page/1411896/

safe motherhood critical in reducing infant deaths in Africa

2011-09-07T01:10:00.001-07:00

ICROSS Safe motherhood and infant health care

2011-09-05T05:50:00.000-07:00

ICROSS Safe motherhood and infant health care

The crisis in Africa is worsening. ICROSS is building new projects to impact on the areas most in need.

Heres the problem faced by the poorest of the poor.

One in six African children dies before the age of five. Most of these deaths could be prevented. (source: Africa 2015) so we have a long term projects targeting these causes.

Over half of Maasai children under 5 years are underweight.(Source Nut Survey July2011) ICROSS works at preventing malnutrition and feeding the most vulnerable children.

Nearly one third of children in Sub-Saharan Africa are underweight. (source: UNICEF) Our work in child survival and child monitoring as well as maternal education and training has been published since 1981.

In sub-Saharan Africa, measles takes the life of a child nearly every minute of every day. An effective measles vaccine costs as little as $1 per child. (source: UNICEF) ICROSS has doubled the number of vaccinations in the last 3 years in its rural health sclinics and outreach and nomadic health services.

Between 12 and 14 million African children have been orphaned by HIV/AIDS. (source: World Bank/UNICEF) For 18 years ICROSS has worked with AIDS orphans in rural and slum areas.

43% of children in Sub-Saharan Africa do not have safe, accessible drinking water. (source: UNICEF) 64% of children in Maasai communities.(source SODIS ) ICROSS has made an international contribution to diarrhoea with its work published and widely used. Since 1986 we have been pioneering innovations to reduce water borne disease. We need to share this work more widely.

64% of children in Sub-Saharan Africa do not have adequate sanitation. (source: UNICEF) in Maasailand this is 76%. ICROSS continues to promote hygiene, sanitation and prevention across hundreds of villages.

Only 57% of African children are enrolled in primary education, and one in three of those does not complete school. (source: Africa 2015) For 27 years ICROSS has supported primary schools and assisted girls to go to school in rural areas.

We need help to extend these vital projects to more communities and villages.

ICROSS is a leading independent organization making long term change in the lives of communities living in absolute poverty. With over three decades of experience in delivering public health in Africa we have also pioneered research into long term interventions creating lasting improvements in health.

Recognized for our commitment to International health research we have been published in the leading medical journals ranging from the Journal of the American Medical Association to the LANCET and other key scientific publications. ICROSS has a reputation for innovation and international partnerships, our work begins and is rooted through the values of the communities we live with. ICROSS works with a wide range of other organizations, government departments, NGOs and many local partners .

As ICROSS continues to strengthen long term public health, our projects are built on peer reviewed externally validated research. As part of our commitment to local ownership we have created community led systems that drive all our planning. With a pedigree spanning thirty years and a team of highly qualified specialists ICROSS is putting in place new infrastructures to help our programmes grow. As we design the next phase of our primary health and maternal child initiatives we will be launching an appeal to raise support for all of our Clinics, prevention programmes and safe motherhood.

http://icrossinternational.org/
www.icross-africa.net
http://icrosskenya.org/
http://icrossprojects.blogspot.com/
http://twitter.com/#!/ICROSSprojects

ICROSS www.icrosskenya.org works as a Kenyan-based development NGO, with a focus in the field of health,[1][2] with key international lectures [3] including the RedR Future shocks lecture,.[4] ICROSS is responsible for a large terminal care programme and a series of public health programmes. One of ICROSS's key research streams has been investigating means of solar disinfection (SODIS) of contaminated drinking water, and has helped conduct a number of control trials of SODIS.[5] Engaged in multi country collaborative programmes www.rcsi.ie/hwts09 ICROSS stresses traditional tribal values, building development programmes through the exisyting decision systems and creating locally driven agendas.

International profile ICROSS campaigns have included Africa awakes which tries to change the stereotypes and negative perceptions of Africa www.africa-awakes.com These exhibitions have received wide media coverage in Italy and France. ICROSS public health work has been cited Internationally , medical work has appeared in key scienticif journals since 1981. Meegan who received many international awards http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Elmore-Meegan was featured in BBC's Hardtalk current affair's programme for his work for ICROSS[6] while in 2006 the organisation was the subject of an award winning documentary by Irish Television.[7] ICROSS and its Founders have received widespread recognition for their work, especially in long term public health and creating lasting community development programmes. ICROSS spcialises in long term pastoralist health programmes, the most recent example of which was opened in December 2010 at Ilkilorit, Maasai land in Kenya. They have been covered extensively in the media, most recently for SODIS and for Africa awakes campaigns fighting racism, prejudice and stereotypes. In 2003 the founder received International person of the year in Ireland and in 2006 was the second person ever to receive a D Med Honoris Causa for his work in International health.www.nui.ie/college/docs/citations/2006/meegan.pdf

ICROSS work is widely cited ( see google scholar ) and the administration is entirely Africanied since August 2000.

Media news items include research http://www.emwis.net/initiatives/fol060732/proj634131 http://physiciansforhumanrights.org/library/letter-2003-10-16.html The International NGO which has multi lateral and bi lateral donors. Since 2003 the expansion of ICROSS International has seen the creation of an International Advisory board in 2009 chaired by Dr Davida de La Harpe. In October 2009 ICROSS launched www.icrossinternational.org and www.icrosskenya.org

Michael Meegan has also written numerous books on his work with ICROSS including 'All Will Be Well'(the successor to 'All Shall Be Well'), 'Surprised by Joy' and 'Changing the World 2008 A new series of books is being published by eye books www.eye-books.con

In January 2010 ICROSS Kenya extended its Rural health programmes. In March ICROSS Kenya began legal action in Ireland to try and establlish where funds raised for Kenyan projects had gone. The co founder of ICROSS Dr Joe Barnes installed a new Board of Directors in ICROSS Ireland july 2010 and funding to ICROSS Kenya programmes resumed. This funding was raised by the Founders

ICROSS extends diarrhoea prevention September 2011

2011-08-29T04:29:00.001-07:00

ICROSS steps up diarrhoea control for young children

Children during drought are very vulnerable to dehydration and infections. one of the most serious medical problems are water borne diseases. We have been working on preventing diarrhoeal infection since the early 1980s http://rehydrate.org/dd/dd39.htm#page8 We learned from our early work in preventing water borne disease that "The success of Interventions relating to practical hygiene is due to the fact that many of our own community health workers are Maasai and Samburu warriors who are part of the community and who have combined what they see as 'modernism' with traditional practices.

There is an important place for building on cultural perceptions and ideas and those beliefs are essential in building and designing any community health initiative. As one of our health workers said: 'At the end of the day, a mother will listen to her mother's advice rather than to a stranger's. She'll draw on her experience from her world, not from ideas given her in another language.' Our work has grown over the three decades to include child survival in traditional communities.

During the current drought ICROSS community health teams are working in homes an villages to make sure we identify children who are loosing weight early enough to intervene. This is possible by community owned hygiene and sanitation projects. You can help us reach these children to prevent severe malnutrition by getting directly involved and donating online http://www.icross-africa.net/ to our diarrhoea prevention programme. Please help our drought relief programme by donating or guying something to help out mother and child health work in Africa on http://www.icross-africa.net/#!__store/mothercare

your support is essential in order for ICROSS to continue its vital work. at a time when the whole world has problems , it is easy for us to forget those who are most in need. Please help today and visit http://www.icross-africa.net/#!__store

Further information
More about ICROSS diarrhoeal work can be found on http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0140673696023094 and http://adc.bmj.com/content/81/4/337.abstract and http://jama.ama-assn.org/content/284/2/152.short http://mic.sgmjournals.org/content/155/4/1310.short http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736%2802%2907427-5/fulltext and also http://myanmar.digitaljournals.org/index.php/MJCMP/article/view/656/642 http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=11216015

Further reading

Conroy RM, Meegan ME, Joyce T, McGuigan K, Barnes J. Solar

disinfection of drinking water protects against cholera in children

under 6 years of age. Arch Dis Child 2001;85(4):293-5.

Meegan M, Morley DC. Growth monitoring: family participation:

effective community development. Trop Doct 1999;29(1):23-7.

Conroy RM, Meegan ME, Joyce T, McGuigan K, Barnes J. Solar

disinfection of water reduces diarrhoeal disease: an update. Arch Dis

Child 1999;81(4):337-8.

Meegan M, Morley DC, Brown R. Child weighing by the unschooled: a

report of a controlled study of growth monitoring over 12 months of

Maasai children using direct recording scales. Trans R Soc Trop Med

Hyg 1994;88(6):635-7.

Conroy RM, Meegan ME. Dwindling donor aid for health programmes in

developing countries. Lancet 1994;343(8907):1228-9.

Meegan MK. Rethinking famine relief. Lancet 1992;340(8830):1293-4.

Meegan M, McCormick J. Prevention of disease in the poor world.

Lancet 1988;2(8603):152-3.

Meegan M. Starvation and suffering. Lancet 1983;2(8365-66):1506.

Meegan M. The reality of starvation and disease. Lancet 1981;1

(8212):146.

In preparation

Solar disinfection of drinking water (SODIS) in the prevention of dysentery in Kenyan children aged under 5 years, Environmental Science and Technology Journal, Oct 2011

Martella du Preez1, Ronan M. Conroy2, Sophie Ligondo3, James Hennessy3, Michael Elroy-Meegan3, Allan Soita3, Kevin G. McGuigan4

help fight famine in Africa ICROSS appeal

2011-08-12T02:15:00.001-07:00

How can you help the worsening tragedy of suffering in Africa

You can get personally involved. You can help us get others involved. You can donate on line and you can ask your friends to donate. please share our links on your facebook, twitter and social media networks. You can help spread the word about poverty and how people can fight it. You can help us with fundraising. No matter how little every penny makes a difference and all your donation is spent where it matters serving the poorest of the poor. We need your help in this continued campaign during this terrible drought. We need every one to help no matter how they are able. If you can donate please do, If not please share our link with your friends. A growing number of children and mothers are suffering during this drought. There is increased dehydration, malnutrition, water borne disease, hunger and infectious disease among children and those most vulnerable , the old and the weak. ICROSS is working throughout its Rural health programmes preventing disease, reducing infections and improving water. With your help we can do more, and we need your help now.

For thirty years ICROSS has been working among tribal communities fighting poverty and ending suffering. We need your help right now. you can donate on http://www.icross-africa.net/ or through the store.

Here's a few comments from our friends

" I just donated a chicken that will give some child an egg every day, anyone can afford that" Jenny, 22 unemployed , London

"I I was not able to donate but I did share the web site with a few friends and one of them contributed towards girls education so it was worth the two minutes it took to do just that" Andrea,24 Student Nairobi

"ICROSS is very small but makes a real impact and because its personal I heard back what happened with my cash, I like the personal touch " Mary K, 45 Southampton

and from those we work with

" I could not go to school for days at a time every month, someone donated sanitary pads and now I don't miss school, Its a personal problem but many of my friends stopped school because of it, I don't know who helped me , but it has changed my future" Seleu, 16 Student

" My young sisters had become sick a lot and we had no money for food , no way of finding money, our cow died , then we had no milk or blood any day. ICROSS gave us a new cow and now they are having milk every day . without this they could have passed away " Thono 14 Maasai boy

" If I had not been helped I would be burying my daughter by now " Sigenan 23 Mother

Please send whatever you can and share our work with your friends.

http://icrossinternational.org/

ICROSS launches its 5th five year strategic plan 2011-2016

2011-08-12T01:20:00.000-07:00

Today ICROSS released its latest five year plan. The strategic direction of ICROSS 2011-2016
takes into account the worsening poverty and increasing number of droughts in Sub Saharan Africa.
Our rights based approach has developed over the last thirty years learning from decades of public health and
disaster management. Apart from detailing our programmes targeting the most vulnerable children it sets out our community
health programme priorities. It also details our corporate governance, transparency, accountability and risk management policies as
an NGO and as a charity non profit.

This latest policy document sets the trend and focus of ICROSS rural health programmes for the future.
It details who we are and what we stand for, states our values and commitment to long term service and action.
The future is an exciting series of challenges. With a broad mix of skills, a great deal of expertise and a young fresh
team with new ideas and energy we have a young spirit and an insatiable energy to learn from our research and grow
with our communities. In this the 5th five year plan our direction is detailed until 2016. It is the result of community planning,
group work shops and feedback from partners and stakeholders nationally and internationally .

The International Director Dr Michael Meegan said " five member team who compiled the latest plan have over 130 person years of
field experience serving African communities and personal skills ranging from gender rights and community development to programme
management and global health. As with all strategies, this policy is dynamic and flexible constantly incorporating new innovations and developments."
You can download this new plan on the web site.

http://icrossinternational.org/
www.icross-africa.net
http://icrosskenya.org/
http://www.michaelmeegan.net/
http://icrossprojects.blogspot.com/
http://twitter.com/#!/ICROSSprojects

Updates ICROSS

2011-08-09T03:17:00.000-07:00

Updated Resume
Dr Michael Meegan
Founder International Director ICROSS

ICROSS Rural Health Programmes, P. O. Box 507, Ngong Hills, Rift Valley, Kenya

mikemeegan@gmail.com
www.icrossinternational.org http://www.icross-africa.net/ http://icrosskenya.org/
www.michaelmeegan.com www.michaelmeegan.net

+ 254 721737394 (Kenya Office)

Consultant International health, Epidemiology, analysing health problems, belief systems, cultural public-health processes. Community based health programmes . Creating effective long term health changes, design of research systems Africa, Asia. Author, lecturer.

Doctorate in Medicine ( D.Med Hon, C) National University of Ireland 2006,
M.Sc (Community Health)1989, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
B.Phil (Hons) 1979 Milltown Park, Holy See
Ongoing learning: Ph.D “The importance of local appropriateness in the development of health programmes in Africa” Global Health (Dept International Health, Faculty of Medicine, Tampere University, Finland ) 2009-2012

FRAMI Fellow of the Royal Academy of Medicine of Ireland
East African Association of Anthropology, co-founder
Senior Research fellow, Centre of Culture and Development Baroda, Gujarat
Melvin Jones Fellow
Trinity College Association, life member

Languages : English ,French, Samburu, Maasai, Swahili

Areas of Professional Experience:

Programme Management and Development

• Thirty years in strategic public health planning, project development and successful fundraising for community based health and development projects. Experienced in negotiating with donors and the government. Negotiated Global fund and multi/bi lateral grants of over $12 million.

• Designed and developed culturally appropriate health care based programmes for nomadic peoples in East Africa.Developed Strategic public health Plan 2011-2016.

• Established and designed numerous community based projects with emphasis on development of community systems, including women’s development and youth programmes

• Provided programmatic management and directed famine relief operations across 21,000 sq. miles reaching 32,700 including follow-up and rehabilitation of severely malnourished children 2009Programmatic management including human and financial resource management to ICROSS to achieve project goals, including personnel management and organisational restructuring for Kenyan and Tanzanian Programmes

• Provided monitoring and evaluation of internationally funded projects in the ICROSS programme including supervision of project feedback, development of proposal design and undertaking feasibility studies

• Pioneered the use of dialogic methodology for education and facilitation at community level.Pioneered the use of cultural linguistic ethnography and the application of epistemological and epidemiological disciplines to PLWA and programme development

• Designed, developed and monitored the implementation of competency based and problem oriented training system, for traditional birth attendants, in collaboration with Ministry of Health Tanzania (village and District level)

• Provided team leadership, drawing together multi disciplinary teams from widely differing ethnic, religious and cultural backgrounds into cohesive effective teams.

Research and Consultancy

Areas of specialization.
Anthropology
19 years living among Samburu and Maasai pastoral nomadic tribal communities in semi-arid rural areas. Cultural ethnography, applied medical anthropology, application of belief systems to public health policies, academic and ethnographic interpretation of data using cultural mechanisms.
The use of community concepts such as meaning, religion, symbol, value, systems and behavioral modeling, truth and acceptance in structuring development strategies.

International Health
Experienced in developing community centered evaluation systems through the use of epistemology (ethnic cognitional theories) and cultural epidemiology.
Key consultancies include:

• Principal Investigator Kenya, International Consortium ,Alternative methods for mass water protection , led by Royal College of Surgeons 2007-10
• Visiting Lecturer , Dept International Health, Faculty of Medicine Tampere University 2008-2011
• Principle investigator Kenya , International collaborative study on Solar disinfection of drinking water, EU funded multi country research, RCSI 2005-2010
• Visiting lecturer, Gujarat, Centre for Culture and Development Baroda Jan 2008
• Community based new born care, 2007, CARE International Cambodia
• Women’s health and Safe Motherhood Programme, Ministry of Health, Manila, Philippines June 2002 – December 2005. European Union.
• Development on extended medical anthropological studies and field research components for malaria control: Surat Malaria Control and Research Project. India (1999) (DFID funded project)
• Epidemiology advisor to the Rapid Response Mechanism component for malaria control; Surat Malaria Control and Research Project. India (1998) (DFID funded project)
• Social Development Advisor to Surat Malaria Control and Research Project. Development aspects of malaria control in Surat District, Gujarat State India 1997-98 (DFID funded project).
• Clinical epidemiological and statistical advisor, Central Leprosy Teaching and Research Institute, Tamil Nadu, India, Government of India, 1998 (DFID funded project). Clinical epidemiological and statistical Advisor, Central Leprosy Teaching and Research Institute, Tamil Nadu, India, Government of India, 1999 (DFID funded project)Project preparation, communications component Child-to-Child modules (1995) (Kenya).
• Project appraisal: community participation/education and communication components of regional health care programme (Population and Health Services, Kenya 1994)

Programme Experience:
2000- to date: Founder and International Director ICROSS, Head Public Health Research Programme. Based in Kenya. Overseeing the development of ICROSS as a local NGO in Kenya, and Tanzania, providing technical support to policy and planning.

• Founder , International Director ICROSS , established registered charities in 5 countries.
• Founder, New World International Kenya, NWI UK , an advocacy, awareness and action group for Global development 2008 / NWI Kenya 2008
• Designed participatory systems, models of impact analysis and mechanisms for evaluation surveillance for long-term programmes.
• Training Kenyan and Tanzanian programme managers in problem solving skills and developing line management systems
• Director of research ensuring ongoing analysis of development impact supervising 11 collaborative medical research programmes in East Africa.
• Production of project write-ups including financial profiles, cost benefits analysis and impact assessments totaling $4 million in 05-06
• Responsible for the Africanisation of all ICROSS programmes 2001-2009
• Advisor to numerous official bodies including; REHAB Ireland, Consultants in Public Affairs, Dublin, Japanese Embassy, Nairobi, DANIDA, Local NGOs, local grassroots development groups and the Centre for Social Studies Gujarat, India.
• Sourced over $28 million in grants for ICROSS health programmes in Kenya while International Director between 1997-2004

1987 –1999 Director of Rural Health Programmes, ICROSS
Based in Kenya; Responsible for establishing ICROSS Tanzania as an autonomous NGO, assisting local NGOs in the development of self-sustaining strategies.
• Ensured capacity building through human resource development. Responsible for 47 separate health project activities, through 36 local NGOs in Kenya.
• Advisory Board member for the Kenya Association of Professional Counselors Adolescent project.
• Initiated and ensured epidemiological and anthropological research to support the development of indicators for impact assessment.

1981-1986 Field Director
Based in Kenya. Responsible for implementation and coordination of multiple development activities in Kenya, Somalia and Uganda, including: -
• Evaluation of projects already in place, looking particularly at their impact on vulnerable local communities, including women and the internally displaced.
• Networking of NGOS and field supervision of famine relief logistics of supplementary feeding and emergency relief activities in three semi desert areas.
• Evaluation of micro-credit options available to disadvantaged groups in rural areas, research into options and secure, where appropriate, alternative micro-credit schemes to establish small scale enterprises. Recommend new avenues for continuing support between ICROSS international, and UK/USA solidarity groups and local initiatives.
• Research and implementation of multiple development projects in partnership with nomadic people, local NGOs and government departments, focus areas included health care interventions, water conservation and appropriate agricultural development planning for semi arid areas.
• Evaluation and assessment of field projects in Mogadishu, Somalia

Illustrative awards
2008
-Premio internazionale Exposcuola per l'impegno civile Italy, International Humanitarian award of the Exposcuola.
-International Angelo della Pace for 2008 The Rachel Foundation Italy
2006
Fellow of the Royal Academy of Medicine in Ireland 10 May 2006
Doctorate in Medicine D.Med (Honoris Causa) National University of Ireland 10 April 2006
2003
International Person of the year,
Irish National Awards , November 2003
1995
Melvin Jones Fellow
Humanitarian services
Lions Clubs International 1995
1988
Past Pupil of the Year
Terenure College 1988

Illustrative Research Articles and Publications

1. Elmore-Meegan M, Conroy RM, . Sex workers in Kenya,
numbers of clients and associated risks: an exploratory survey.
Reprod Health Matters 2004;12(23):50-7.

2. Meegan ME, Conroy RM, Lengeny SO, Renhault K, Nyangole J. Effect
on neonatal tetanus mortality after a culturally-based health
promotion programme. Lancet 2001;358(9282):640-1.

3. Conroy RM, Meegan ME, Joyce T, McGuigan K, Barnes J. Solar
disinfection of drinking water protects against cholera in children
under 6 years of age. Arch Dis Child 2001;85(4):293-5.

4. Meegan M, Morley DC. Growth monitoring: family participation:
effective community development. Trop Doct 1999;29(1):23-7.

5. Conroy RM, Meegan ME, Joyce T, McGuigan K, Barnes J. Solar
disinfection of water reduces diarrhoeal disease: an update. Arch Dis
Child 1999;81(4):337-8.

6. Meegan M, Morley D, Chavasse D. Fly traps. Lancet 1997;349(9055):886.

7. Meegan M, Morley DC, Brown R. Child weighing by the unschooled: a
report of a controlled study of growth monitoring over 12 months of
Maasai children using direct recording scales. Trans R Soc Trop Med
Hyg 1994;88(6):635-7.

8. Conroy RM, Meegan ME. Dwindling donor aid for health programmes in
developing countries. Lancet 1994;343(8907):1228-9.

9. Meegan MK. Rethinking famine relief. Lancet 1992;340(8830):1293-4.

10. Konings E, Anderson RM, Morley D, O'Riordan T, Meegan M. Rates of
sexual partner change among two pastoralist southern Nilotic groups
in east Africa. Aids 1989;3(4):245-7.

11. Meegan M, McCormick J. Prevention of disease in the poor world.
Lancet 1988;2(8603):152-3.
12. Meegan M. Starvation and suffering. Lancet 1983;2(8365-66):1506.

13. Meegan M. The reality of starvation and disease. Lancet 1981;1
(8212):146.

In Preparation
Solar disinfection of drinking water (SODIS) in the prevention of dysentery in Kenyan children aged under 5 years, Environmental Science and Technology Journal,September 2011
Martella du Preez1, Ronan M. Conroy2, Sophie Ligondo3, James Hennessy3, Michael Elroy-Meegan3, Allan Soita3, Kevin G. McGuigan4

Published Books
Changing the World
Feb 2009 256 pgs www.eye-books.com

Take my hand, a spiritual journey
With Sharon Wilkinson, Forward by T Hogan, 58 pgs www.michaelmeegan.com July 2008

Surprised by joy; a story of hope in the midst of tragedy ( forward by Stephen Sackur BBC ) 156 pgs July 2006 www.maverickhouse.com

All Will be Well (Forward by John Hurt) Eye-Books, 149 pgs
May 2004. ISBN 1903070279 www.eye-book.com

All Shall be Well, Forward by John Powell SJ, ISBN 000-627006-9, Collins. 146 pgs. First edition 1986, Reprint Jan 1999.

In preparation
The path of change
Meegan M ,Conroy R Scrima M
Eye Books May 2012 www.eye-books.com

The Tribe of One With Colin Meagle www.eye-books.com
May 2012

So you want o be a volunteer A guide for International volunteers

Journies in the underworld: a novel
With Thomas Ernst, Penelope Shales, Sharon Wilkinson, Allberto Bellu

The secret of Light Fortress monastery on Montpellier, guarding the secrets of the last mystics of Jerusalem 1200 pgs, historical Novel 2013

Illustrative general articles
AFRO Journal Italy, regular contributor on Global health, poverty and International health trends and patterning Oct 09 Feb 09 Dialogue on Diarrhoea , regular contributor
World Health Organsation (WHO ) guidelines Trachoma prevention, fly traps , M Elmore-Meegan Prof D Morely et al, Geneva, Switzerland. 2001

Peer Reviews for key publications & major conferences and journals incl Int AIDS Conference

Scientific conferences and presentations (illustrative)

Health care in regions of absolute Poverty
Seminar , Dept International health, Faculty of Medicine
University of Tampere, Finland 30th November 2009

SODIS in KENYA, 20 years of field implementaton
SODIS International Conference Phnom Phen Cambodia
International seminar of the impact of Solar disinfection

International Research Colloquium of the Network to promote
Household Water Treatment and Safe Storage (HWTS), Twenty years of SODIS in Kenya.
Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin 21st - 23rd September 2009

Changing dynamics of Morbidity, Mortality and poverty of children in the Third World.
Senate Hearing, Italian Senate, Rome
Senatorial Commission on International Children’s Rights , At the request of Italian Senate Commission, Rome , 31st April 2009

Global health and interdependency,
The Royal College of Surgeons Charter day lecture 2009
Royal College of Surgeons,Dublin. 12th Feb 2009

Emerging mega-trends in Global health
Future shocks; disasters and relief in a changing world, RedR Conference, Royal College of nursing, London, 5th December, 2007

Locally appropriate technologies in low income settings, Dept International health, Tampere University, Finland. 29th Nov 2007

Applied operational study of pain determinants in terminally ill patients in Bondo, Kenya XVI International AIDS Conference,Toronto, August 06 Francis,P,Meegan,M

The 46th Robert Graves Lecture
Royal Academy of Medicine in Ireland
Creating long term change through culturally acceptable cost effective public health interventions.
Dublin 10 May 06
IFCW World Forum. “AIDS orphans & Vulnerable Children; an evidence-led response.” Cape Town, South Africa. 2003
Annual Consultative Review, Manitoba and Nairobi Universities Collaborative Conference. “An assessment of home-based care interventions among 2,116 terminally ill patients in Bondo and Siaya using clinically validated scales.
Interim results.” Nairobi, Kenya. 2003

"AIDS and the changing face of Africa: The impact on children, WUSC-Carleton, Médecins Sans Frontières, CARE Carlton University Canada, 25th Nov 2002

Annual Consultative Review, Manitoba and Nairobi Universities Collaborative Conference. “Modeling cultural determinants of sexual behavior” - A Pilot Study. Nairobi, Kenya. 2002

Annual Consultative Review, Manitoba and Nairobi Universities Collaborative Conference. “AIDS, children and poverty, an alternative model to international Aid, ‘Love, evidence and common sense.” Nairobi, Kenya. 2002.

WHO Trachoma conference
. “Effect of fly control using sustainable  interventions on the prevalence of Trachoma in five pastoral tribes in Kenya.” Geneva, Switzerland. 2001

Child Survival. Alternative strategies in reducing infant mortality” International Conference on Child survival. Nairobi, Kenya. 2001

Identifying emerging needs among AIDS orphans in Kenya. “Multicentre Matched Perspective Control Study of 2,786 Children Orphaned by AIDS, 2,420 other Orphans and 3,400”
Nairobi, Kenya. 2000

AIDS orphans. “An emerging crisis: a USAID sponsored conference.” Nanyuki. Kenya. 2000
Annual Consultative Review, Manitoba and Nairobi Universities Collaborative Conference. “Multi centre Matched Perspective Control Study of 2,786 Children
Orphaned by AIDS, 2,420 other Orphans and 3,400.” Nairobi, Kenya. 2000
East African Association of Anthropologists inaugural Conference. “Anthropology and ethnography.” Nairobi, Kenya. 2000

ICROSS continues to fight drought in Kenya

2011-08-07T02:25:00.000-07:00

ICROSS continues to fight drought in Kenya

ICROSS continues fighting poverty and hunger through its network of clinics. While Southern Kenya is not worst hit, a growing number of malnourished children are falling into serious malnutrition. The untold suffering caused by this drought has wiped out most of the domestic livestock. The communities are struggling to Survive. ICROSS Medical teams and health staff are extending the nutritional care to reach more families every week. With your help we can help more families survive the worsening drought.

Dr Michael Meegan was in Longosua today at the heart of Maasailand . Speaking with community leaders in Longosua he renewed ICROSS committment in 2011 to reduce dehydration and improve the nutrition of malnourished children.

There have been 42 droughts in the Horn of Africa since ICROSS started in 1979, affecting an estimated 109 million people; with 47 million people experiencing drought in the region in the last decade alone. The most well-known famine took place in Ethiopia in 1984; some estimates put the death toll as high as one million.

ICROSS Kenya remains committed to LONG TERM service of the tribal pastoral nomads. We are building long term child survival and safe motherhood to reduce suffering and build long range systems for the future.

more on

While most of the US$2.4 billion required to feed people affected by the food crisis will come from rich countries, local populations and the diaspora are also doing their bit. Just one week after it began, the Kenyans for Kenya initiative has already raised more than $1.3 million from private citizens using mobile cash transfer services and taking donations of as little as $0.10; the first consignment of food was sent from the capital, Nairobi, on 31 July.

Feeding the malnourished - By the time help reaches them, many adults and children require therapeutic feeding to regain their strength and get back to a healthy weight. Some of the products WFP uses to improve the nutritional intake of drought-affected people are:

* Fortified blended foods: Blends of partially pre-cooked and milled cereals, soya, beans, pulses fortified with vitamins and minerals. These are usually mixed with water and cooked as porridge and provide about 380 Kcal per 100g. The most commonly used FBF is corn soya blend.

* Ready-to-use foods: According to WFP, these are better suited to meet the nutritional needs of young and moderately malnourished children than fortified blended foods. Mainly used in emergency operations and designed to be eaten in small quantities as a supplement to the regular diet, ready-to-use foods such as Plumpy’doz contain peanut paste, vegetable fat, skimmed milk powder, whey and sugar; 100g provides more than 500 Kcal.

* High-energy biscuits: These wheat-based biscuits, which provide 450 Kcal per 100g, are fortified with vitamins and minerals and are usually used early on in emergency feeding programme, before cooking facilities are widely available.

* Sprinkles - This is a tasteless powder containing the recommended daily intake of 16 vitamins and minerals for one person; it can be sprinkled on to home-prepared food after cooking.

* Compressed food bars - made from baked wheat flour, vegetable fat, sugar, soya protein concentrate and malt extract, these bars are used in disaster relief operations when local food cannot be distributed or prepared. They can be eaten as a bar straight from the package or crumbled into water and eaten as porridge, and contain 250 Kcal and 8.1g of protein per 56g bar.

Michael Elmore-Meegan MSc Community Health TCD
D Med HC NUI FRAMI
Founder, International Director ICROSS
http://icrossinternational.org/
www.icross-africa.net
http://icrosskenya.org/
http://www.michaelmeegan.net/
http://icrossprojects.blogspot.com/
http://twitter.com/#!/ICROSSprojects

ICROSS strategic plan for drought Kenya 2011

2011-07-31T02:45:00.001-07:00

The International Community for relief of starvation and suffering works with tribal groups to find long term solutions to poverty and disease.
Our teams and planners are from the communities. Our public health research has made a contribution to International health for thirty years. ICROSS strives to constantly improve its programmes and the way in which we work. We are constantly improving our operations and management.
ICROSS is an International development organization that was founded to bring about lasting changes in health. We work closely with communities, civil society and partners in building long term health care. We are establishing new support groups in other countries as part of our International strategy.

While our Strategic plan details our corporate governance there are key areas of governance that we are prioritising in 2011-2016.
Vision

Our long term strategy as outlined in our five year plan embrace the vision and aspirations of the Millennium development goals building on the values, leadership and cultural structures of African people. The vision of ICROSS places emphasis on the National development framework developed in Africa by Africans.

Africanisation

We are proud that since 2001 all ICROSS programmes were completely managed by Africans. All project managers, supervisors, trainers, field teams and community staff are African. While these teams provide learning opportunities for Intern and volunteer partnerships, the Africanisation of all projects has been a vital component of the success and continuity of the programmes.
Gender

ICROSS is an equal opportunities NGO. As part of our Gender policy, we have actively recruited women into senior management positions. The majority of Project managers and field co ordinators are women, the great majority of field staff are women. ICROSS focuses all its core programme development on gender.
Ownership

Programmes are not owned or driven by donors but by local communities.
Whose Reality

As part of corporate accountability ICROSS places the beliefs, values, cultural structures and hopes of the local people at the centre of planning, decision making and planning. With a strong inclusion policy and partnership in local language we work towards programmes that have their roots in local communities.
Transparency

As part of our policy of accountability to our donors ICROSS continually strives to improve its financial systems and procedures.
With rural projects scattered across geographical areas larger than Ireland there are challenges to ensure best practices and accountability of resources in Africa. ICROSS and our donors undertake frequent internal and external audits with Annual external audits or all programmes.

As part of continual improvements and strengthening of the organization, we conducted external organization and management reviews and have recently commissioned a comprehensive financial review of all financial systems, structures procedures and operations.
Our commitment is to best practices of transparency and collective accountability. ICROSS insists on the highest standards from its entire staff as well as ensuring due diligence and the highest work ethics. Our code of conduct is based upon international gold standards and ensures not only equality and ethics but transparency and integrity.
External audits and comprehensive financial records are available to partners including Governments through our national offices.
Management

Apart of corporate governance ICROSS continues to profesionalise and strengthen its management teams. All management of field programmes is executed by senior staff with at least ten years operational field experience. We are in the process of reviewing management structures in the face of recent expansion of all programmes.
Staff

We have a staff policy based upon the local regulations, laws and norms. ICROSS is an equal opportunities employer and does not discriminate on any grounds.
Advice & Consultation

ICROSS has a team of advisors and skilled specialists that it regularly consults on specific areas of International development. All advisors have at least a decade of experience working in underdeveloped countries while most are currently in operational settings. All ICROSS advisors are highly qualified specialists in their field of expertise with the latest knowledge and information.
This helps ICROSS in its strategic planning and evidence based strategic development.

As part of its international collaboration and team , work ICROSS designs all its international research in close partnership with peer review collaborators.
More Information is Available Concerning Our Corporate Governance

In developing our corporate policies we seek to create a dynamic forward-looking organisation that will be able to respond to emerging challenges and needs in a rapidly changing world. Together with our partners, we are moving forward embracing new ideas and innovative approaches, learning from the wisdom and experience of the past. We are building on evidence and introducing fresh, exciting ideas and directions. Our vision of a better world inspires us, our mission focuses us, and our shared goals unite us. With effective planning, transparency, and clear direction, we will be able to really create lasting change. As part of this process our international advisory board is made up of a wide range of professionals across many disciplines.

http://icrossinternational.org/
www.icross-africa.net
http://icrosskenya.org/
http://icrossprojects.blogspot.com/
http://twitter.com/#!/ICROSSprojects

Philip Sironka
Head Communication ICROSS
We are a small international organisation working to fight poverty and disease in the poorest parts of the world. For over 25 years we have worked with tribes in East Africa fighting disease. Health professionals work with local communities in long term development and health programmes.

ICROSS works with the resources, capabilities and capacities of poor marginalised communities seeking to strengthen their capacity to improve their own health and livelihoods through the rights based approaches of participation, inclusion and community empowerment processes. ICROSS has fully documented its vast experience in disease prevention and control amongst these disadvantaged communities. This experience is informing national and international best practice on critical areas such as HIV/AIDS prevention, home-based care for those infected with HIV/AIDS and succession planning for orphans and vulnerable children.

Our values include living as equals among those we work with and for, learning their languages and culture, inculcating a respect for diversity of beliefs and dedicating ourselves to long-term commitment to the poor, those who are socially excluded and those who are victims of social injustice.

People in the communities are empowered to take full responsibility for the changes and developments that drive the development of ICROSS. Community participation starts right from needs identification through implementation, monitoring and evaluation. Communities, families and individuals are involved in all decisions that impact, however remotely, upon their lives.

ICROSS believes that the most effective vehicle for development work is the communities' own belief systems and traditions. People have the right to choose and the right to plan their own future, consequently, anthropological research is a key part of our work.
ICROSS Concept

ICROSS is much more than just an organisation working in Africa. ICROSS is a concept, an idea, a set of values, which is shared and advocated by a large and evolving international community. The three decades ICROSS has operated in Africa has taught us the importance of these values and in a world where political, religious and socio-economic agendas play an ever more important role in the aid industry, ICROSS has uniquely, and with instinct, refrained from giving up its values and beliefs.

The values of ICROSS derive from something as simple as caring for our brothers and sisters; assist them out of and prevent them from suffering, without an agenda other than genuinely wanting to assist. We assist them through their own people, their languages, their traditions and existing political and belief systems with a sincere admiration and respect for their cultures.

By listening to the people whom we assist and develop programmes according to their needs and in their presence, rather than our wishes in an office far from their reality, the communities we serve, gain a sense of ownership. This is a real ownership not a donor driven or foreign idea. The feeling of ownership is crucial in any development work; it reduces possible constraints and limitations of a programme and ensures success, cost effectiveness and more importantly sustainability. ICROSS assists communities to facilitate themselves out of affliction.

ICROSS has over the years, scientifically shown, that what we do works. Our values and evidence based approach has ensured that even as a small, bottom-up, grass-root operating organisation, we have gained international respect among politicians, religious leaders, and academics around the world, who among thousands of others, make up the international community of ICROSS. ICROSS actually has the poor, donors and Government represented on our board of Directors, it is transparent and shares new ideas.

This international community is the driving force behind ICROSS as an idea. The humanitarian work of ICROSS stretches far beyond our programmes in Africa. ICROSS is within anyone who genuinely wants to care and assist others with love, respect and understanding. ICROSS as an idea is growing dynamically and with your help could reach more people.
Disclaimer

This is the official web site of the International Community for Relief of Starvation and Suffering. ICROSS is a Kenyan based International NGO founded by Dr Michael Meegan. The projects, research, initiatives and work are operated, managed and run by ICROSS Kenya.

This web site, its contents, programmes and images are the sole property of ICROSS Kenya and no other entity by the same name has any involvement or ownership of these programmes or this web site.

.

Please note that all partners, stakeholders and International Advisory board as well as the co-founder Dr. J Barnes working with ICROSS Kenya have no association with any other entity in regard to our programmes or this web site. All reports, research, publications, information and data available are the sole property of and represents ICROSS Kenya and no other entity. No other person or persons may present or claim any of this material or data.
Contact Us
Address

ICROSS International Head Office
ICROSS, PO 507 Ngong Hills, Kenya

Extending safe motherhood programmes ICROSS August 2011

2011-07-29T05:00:00.000-07:00

As we extend our Rural health programmes ICROSS extends all its
clinics. Inyonyori has served the communities in Maasailand for 25
years This picture shows the new wing which will be used as part of
the Mother and child care and the child survival programmes. As we
develop the primary health interventions and disease control we are
increasing the numbers of health personnel at all ICROSS clinics. In
this, the largest expansion on health services since 1997 we hope to
double our field capacity by 2014.

At the centre of the ICROSS strategic plan is Mother and child health,
reproductive health, comprehensive safe motherhood and long term
changes in malnutrition and water resources. Together with all our
friends, colleagues and partners we are building a long term health
programme that will make a lasting impact in the lives of the
communities we serve.

ICROSS Nurses and womens group leaders joined other organisations and
community groups yesterday at the District health planning forum. As
ICROSS prepares for the challenges of the drought , we are working
closely with Government and tribal leaders to put support systems in
place. Our partners in Kenya and Europe are working hard to put in
place the resources needed to reach those most in need.

The Entasat said "We need women around the World to share our journey
and work with us to help in these times of such suffering for our
mothers and children" Field project leader OleMakeseer added that "
It is hard for people to understand the extreme poverty endured in
this time, without food and water, many of our people enduring
unimagined hardship and poverty".

Speaking from Inyonyori the International Director said " the future
remains community owned planning, locally driven priorities, our great
success over the last thirty years is working through the culture and
values of the communities, that how we have survived over the decades,
by living among th communities as part of them. We are proud that long
before community participation became a fad in the mid 1990s, we were
implementing local ownership and decision making" Michael Meegan went
on to say that " We are not passing through, our teams , managers,
nurses are from the communities, this is the only way that will work
long term" More on http://icrossprojects.blogspot.com/ and
http://twitter.com/#!/ICROSSprojects

ICROSS health teams awarded at Kajiado District health forum July 28 2011

2011-07-29T03:09:00.000-07:00

Today ICROSS Kenya was awarded the "Best Nurse award" and the "Most dedicated Nurse"award. These were both awarded to Rose Gitau who is the nurse in charge at the Ronan Conroy clinic in Sinkiraine. Despite multiple challenges ICROSS is extending its community and primary health services in 2011-2012. The Dr Joe Barnes Clinic at Longosua was also recognised at the District conference. ICROSS is working throughout all its health programmes to increase immunisation and child survival. As famine spreads children under five are increasingly vulnerable to diarrhoeal infection, dehydration and severe malnutrition.

Emergency Famine Appeal August 2011

2011-07-27T03:32:00.000-07:00

ICROSS Emergency Famine Appeal August 2011

Worsening drought, spreading poverty and growing unrest have added to failure of rains in East Africa. This has led to worsening famine in much of East Africa. This famine is deteriorating. ICROSS has been fighting famine and poverty for thirty years in East Africa., Our first famine was in 1983-85.
But this is the worst drought in 60 years in many parts of Africa with more than 10 million people in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, and the newly-formed Republic of South Sudan face starvation, desperately needing water and emergency healthcare.
The International Director Dr Michael Meegan said today “ Our project teams and health staff are committed in the long term to follow-up and ongoing primary care as well as this crisis. “ He added “ the rise of serious cases of malnutrition, diarrhoeal infections and deteriorating health of whole communities is an urgent concern for us all”.
Head of programmes Sarune OleLengeny said today “We were here through many dissaters and problems, we will continue serving the communities hit by these tragedies in the long term. All of us will be here God willing for the next thirty years” POleLasoi added “ ICROSS is made up of the local communities, we are the people affected, we live in the drought areas , in the middle of the increasing humanitarian crisis . We have been working here for decades. As always, we at ICROSS have been here long before the crisis started and still here long after the media leave.”
Please help by :-
Contacting us directly or by donating on line , no matter how small , every cent counts . Please donate by clicking on
A. http://www.icross-africa.net/ or
B. https://www.paypal.com/uk/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_flow&SESSION=y0ApSsBgpgauToQxhN0CklatV6LsV9mlTL_tIvw27Srlg9tpeRF5xXnQP3y&dispatch=5885d80a13c0db1f8e263663d3faee8d1e83f46a36995b3856cef1e18897ad75
C. Visiting our online store http://www.icross-africa.net/#!__store

Reflections Michael Meegan

2011-07-25T04:27:00.001-07:00

"Everything changes when you wake up in the morning and decide to own today. It will not be taken from you by anyone else, it will be yours"
Michael Meegan, Changing the World
www.michaelmeegan.net
www.eye-books.com

"When we feel overwhelmed by all the suffering in the world, or just drained by the stress of the day, do this. Close your eyes, breathe deeply, and know that the very breath you are taking is the same miracle of life that pervades all creation. He who gives you this breath, despite your anxieties, fears and pain, knows you. He knows you better than you will ever understand yourself. Breathe in, breathe out. You are experiencing the miracle. The most amazing miracle of all. The gift of life. All things will find harmony in this knowing, in this, is the whisper of not only all creation, but of the Creator"
Michael Meegan

"Your energy is powered by your thoughts, negative thoughts drain you, loving thoughts fill you with love"
Michael Meegan, The Tribe of one
www.eye-books.com

" when we really know ourselves, we forgive always"
Michael Meegan
ALL WILL BE WELL
www.eye-books.com

" If you really want to know who your friends are, see you stands by you in a storm"
Mike Meegan

" Remind yourself of your vision, keep your hopes close yo your heart, be passionate about them and alwaus, always always be true to them"
Michael Meegan
Changing the World

" The most important language of personal joy is the often complex linguistics of silence"
Michael Meegan
ALL WILL BE WELL
www.eye-books.com

Culturally-based health promotion programmes Ronán M Conroy a Corresponding AuthorEmail Address, Michael Elmore-Meegan a

2011-07-24T06:13:00.001-07:00

Culturally-based health promotion programmes
Ronán M Conroy a Corresponding AuthorEmail Address, Michael Elmore-Meegan a
Authors' reply
Sir—Our research was not run as a prospective study. Mortality data for the control areas were extracted from records by the Kenyan Ministry of Health at our request in 1999, when we were collating and analysing the records of the ICROSS traditional birth attendant programme. The control areas were not left without a traditional birth attendant programme as part of a controlled experiment. Rather, they had no programme because the Ministry of Health had neither the resources nor the expertise to launch and maintain such programmes.
The ICROSS programme, which is run in partnership with the Kenyan Ministry of Health, is supported by the Irish and Danish Governments. ICROSS has made several attempts to secure funding to extend the traditional birth attendant programme to other areas in Kenya, but to date these have been unsuccessful. Many bilateral donors have shifted funds away from supporting primary healthcare, perhaps partly because of lack of evidence that such support really improves community health. We hope that our results will help to highlight the untapped potential that is represented by the traditional healers and birth attendants in communities in less-developed countries. Rather than simply attempting to provide such communities with health services along more-developed-world lines, we should, in parallel, be developing and supporting the communities' indigenous health services.
a Department of Biostatistics, Royal College of Surgeons, Dublin 2, Ireland; and ICROSS Kenya, PO Box 506, Ngong, Kenya
Corresponding Author Information Department of Biostatistics, Royal College of Surgeons, Dublin 2, Ireland
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Clearing the Fields: Solutions to the Global Land Mines Crisis

2011-07-24T06:06:00.001-07:00

Clearing the Fields: Solutions to the Global Land Mines Crisis
edited by Kevin M. Cahill, 237 pp, paper, $25, ISBN 0-465-01177-2, New York, NY, BasicBooks, 1995.

Michael K. Elmore-Meegan, BPhEccl, MSc, TCD, PhD

[+] Author Affiliations

International Community for the Relief of Starvation and Suffering (ICROSS) Nyoonyorrie Mobile Unit Base Mbagathi, Kenya

Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text.
Excerpt

The use of land mines has evolved from a predominantly defensive battlefield tactic designed to impede the movement of enemy artillery to an offensive weapon that terrorizes entire civilian populations. Clearing the Fields is the first serious attempt at exploring solutions and answers to a problem that kills hundreds of civilians every week around the world. Here is a book that should be read by every political and military decision maker.

Clearing the Fields is a rich source of up-to-date information. More than 100 million mines have been deployed in over 60 countries. In the former Yugoslavia an estimated 3 million mines have been planted without maps during the past four years, with 50 000 more hidden each week. In Cambodia one of every 253 people is an amputee. On average, antipersonnel mines can be bought for $10 to $20, with many available for less than $3. In contrast, it ...

Michael Meegan fly traps trachoma

2011-07-24T06:05:00.000-07:00

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The Lancet, Volume 349, Issue 9055, Page 886, 22 March 1997

doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(05)61803-XCite or Link Using DOI
Fly traps
Mike Meegan a, David Morley a Corresponding Author, Desmond Chavasse a
Sir
Conroy and colleagues report (Dec 21/28, p 1695)1 suggests the value of plastic bottles in the disinfection of drinking water by sunlight to reduce the frequency of diarrhoea. We investigated the possibility of using these bottles to construct a simple fly trap
Flies are a major risk to health in many countries, but in some populations the use of pesticides is too expensive. Fly traps have been developed in Israel where traps are made commercially in Kibbutzim.2, 3 We suggest an alternative fly trap that can be made from used plastic drinking bottles in less than 1 h. Currently, 45 are in use among groups of Maasai who catch about 255 flies daily. We do not claim that this method of catching flies makes a substantial difference because of the large population of flies, but hope that other fieldworkers can improve on the design and find more effective but readily available baits.
The fly trap is shown in the figure. Slightly diluted paint is poured into the bait bottle and rolled around the lower two-thirds of the bottle. When the paint is dry, fly ports are cut in the bottle. A plastic tube is made from another bottle and fixed to the neck of the bait bottle. The upper end of the tube is narrowed so that flies can just squeeze through the hole. The lower end of the trap bottle is cut off and slits are cut so that it fits firmly onto the bait bottle. The trap is hung just off the ground in the semi-shade. In Israel, yeast with a small quantity of ammonium carbonate is used as the bait but the Maasai use goats' droppings together with cows' urine.

Meegan Culturally-based health promotion programmes

2011-07-24T06:03:00.001-07:00

Culturally-based health promotion programmes
J Jaime Miranda aEmail Address, Rosa Malca a, Eduardo Bedriñana a, Efraín Loayza a
Sir
Michael Elmore Meegan and colleagues (Aug 25, p 640)1 report a decrease in mortality rates due to neonatal tetanus in five Massai areas (sub-Saharan Africa) after introduction of a culturally-based health promotion approach.
Promotion activities were done by local community actors in the intervention areas, whereas in control areas, such activities were done by local Ministry of Health staff.
Although the study period was almost 20 years, the death rates in children younger than 6 weeks fell sharply after the first year of intervention and has not risen again in the past 11 years.
In view of such spectacular change, we wonder whether Meegan and colleagues promoted this approach to other communities, rather than just continuing with the analysis for such a long time. Moreover, we would like to know if they transferred this knowledge to local sustainable actors such as Ministry of Health bodies.
We disagree with the long observation period because the study control areas could have benefited from this culturally based approach for at least 11, if not 18, years.
Culturally-adequate approaches result in wider local acceptance and higher compromise with local actors, thereby providing greater chances of sustainability. Our experience with culturally adequate delivery services implemented on rural health facilities from the Peruvian Andes reflects this outcome. In Peru there is a high maternal mortality rate (around 215 per 100 000 by 2000). More than 80% of mothers die at home despite an adequate number of antenatal care visits.2 Women in the Andes generally delivered their babies at home because of fear and shame from using modern delivery methods that do not accord with local cultural beliefs.3 We took into account the requirements of rural people and negotiated with local Ministry of Health staff. So far, after 9 months of implementation, the number of institutional deliveries is rising, and is contributing to lower maternal mortality.
References
1 Meegan ME, Conroy RM, Lengeny SO, Renhault K, Nyangole J. Effect on neonatal tetanus mortality after a culturally-based health promotion programme. Lancet 2001; 358: 640-641. Summary | Full Text | PDF(59KB) | CrossRef | PubMed
2 Guerra V. Lucha contra la muerte materna, Ayacucho. Salud Para Todos 2001; 1: 6. PubMed
3 Investigation report: provision of culturally adequate sexual and reproductive health services in rural communities affected by violence. Ayacucho, Peru: Health Unlimited, Peruvian Programme, 2000.

Meegan Sex Workers in Kenya, Numbers of Clients and Associated Risks: An Exploratory Survey

2011-07-24T06:00:00.001-07:00

Sex Workers in Kenya, Numbers of Clients and Associated Risks: An Exploratory Survey
Purchase
$ 31.50

Michael Elmore-Meegana, Ronán M ConroyE-mail The Corresponding Author, b and C Bernard Agalac

a Director, ICROSS, Ngong Hills, Kenya

b Lecturer in Biostatistics, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health Medicine, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland

c Research Assistant, ICROSS, Ngong Hills, Kenya

Available online 18 May 2004.

Abstract

In Kenya in 1999, an estimated 6.9% of women nationally said they had exchanged sex for money, gifts or favours in the previous year. In 2000 and 2001, in collaboration with sex workers who had formed a network of self-help groups, we conducted an exploratory survey among 475 sex workers in four rural towns and three Nairobi townships, regarding where they worked, the number of clients they had and the risks they were exposed to. Participants were identified by a network of social contacts in the seven centres. Most of the women (88%) worked from bars, hotels, bus stages and discos; 57% lived with a stable partner and almost 90% had dependent children. In the previous month, 17% had been assaulted and 35% raped by clients. Unwanted pregnancy was common; 86% had had at least one abortion. Compared with women in rural towns, township sex workers were younger (median age 22 vs. 26), saw more clients (median 9 vs. 4 per week) and earned more from sex work (up to €63–90 vs. €12 per week). Issues of alternative sources of income, safety for sex workers and the conditions which create the necessity for sex work are vital to address. The question of number of clients and the nature of sex work have obvious implications for HIV/STI prevention policy.
Résumé

Au Kenya en 1999, on estimait que 6,9% des femmes avaient eu des relations sexuelles contre de l'argent, des cadeaux ou des faveurs pendant l'année précédente. En 2000 et 2001, en collaboration avec des prostituées qui avaient formé un réseau de groupes d'auto-assistance, nous avons mené une enquête auprès de 475 prostituées dans quatre villes rurales et trois bidonvilles de Nairobi, afin de déterminer pourquoi elles se prostituaient, le nombre de leurs clients et les risques auxquels elles étaient exposées. Les participantes ont été identifiées par un réseau de contacts sociaux dans les sept centres. La plupart des femmes (88%) travaillaient dans des bars, des hôtels, des gares d'autobus et des discothèques ; 57% vivaient avec un partenaire stable et presque 90% avaient des enfants à charge. Le mois précédant l'enquête, 17% avaient été battues et 35% violées par des clients. Les grossesses non désirées étaient fréquentes ; 86% avaient avorté au moins une fois. Comparées avec les prostituées rurales, celles des bidonvilles étaient plus jeunes (âge médian 22 contre 26), voyaient davantage de clients (valeur médiane 9 contre 4 par semaine) et leur activité rapportait davantage (jusqu'à 63-90€ contre 12€ par semaine). Il est vital d'étudier des questions comme les sources alternatives de revenus, la sécurité des prostituées et les conditions qui rendent la prostitution nécessaire. Le nombre de clients et la nature du travail sexuel ont des conséquences évidentes sur la politique de prévention du VIH/SIDA.
Extracto

En 1999, aproximadamente el 6.9% de las mujeres en Kenia informaron de haber intercambiado sexo por dinero, regalos o favores durante el año anterior. En 2000 y 2001, en colaboración con trabajadoras sexuales que habían formado una red de grupos de autoayuda, realizamos una encuesta exploratoria entre 475 trabajadoras sexuales en cuatro pueblos rurales y tres municipios de Nairobi, respecto al lugar donde trabajaban, el número de clientes que tenían y los riesgos a los que se exponían. Las participantes fueron seleccionadas por una red de contactos sociales en los siete centros. La mayoría de las mujeres (el 88%) trabajaban en bares, hoteles, estaciones de autobús y discotecas; el 57% vivía con una pareja estable y casi un 90% tenía hijos dependientes. En el mes anterior, el 17% había sido asaltada y el 35% violada por sus clientes. El embarazo no deseado era común; el 86% había tenido por lo menos un aborto. Comparadas con las mujeres en los pueblos rurales, las trabajadoras sexuales de los municipios eran más jóvenes (edad promedio de 22 frente a 26), veían más clientes (promedio de 9 frente a 4 por semana) y ganaban más dinero realizando trabajo sexual (hasta €63–90 frente a €12 por semana). Es vital abordar las cuestiones relacionadas con otras fuentes de ingreso, la seguridad de las trabajadoras sexuales y las condiciones que crean la necesidad de realizar trabajo sexual. La interrogante del número de clientes y la naturaleza del trabajo sexual tienen obvias implicaciones para las políticas de prevención de las ITS/VIH.

Author Keywords: sex work; sexual violence; sexually transmitted infections; HIV; Kenya

Africa on the Precipice: Perspective From South Africa-Reply Michael Elmore-Meegan, BPh, MSc [+] Author Affiliations International Community for the Relief of Starvation and Suffering Mbagathi, Kenya Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text. Excerpt In Reply. —Walker et al make some very helpful points. There are complex differences between evolving African countries. South Africa's mortality rate for children under 5 years of age is 72 per 1000 live births compared with 180 in least-developed countries and a mean of 101 in developing countries.1 Forty-nine percent of South Africa's population is urbanized compared with a mean of 28% in sub-Saharan Africa,1 while the maternal mortality rate stands at 83% in South Africa and 600 for sub-Saharan Africa. In most of Africa, 80% of the population remains rural. It is a tribute to the great advances in South Africa that it is so nonrepresentative of most of the continent. Walker et al are, of course, correct that there must be a strengthening of health facilities and infrastructure; nor must we forget referral mechanisms and secondary care. A great failing of many donors and funding ...

2011-07-24T05:48:00.003-07:00

Africa on the Precipice: Perspective From South Africa-Reply

Michael Elmore-Meegan, BPh, MSc

[+] Author Affiliations

International Community for the Relief of Starvation and Suffering Mbagathi, Kenya

Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text.
Excerpt

In Reply. —Walker et al make some very helpful points. There are complex differences between evolving African countries. South Africa's mortality rate for children under 5 years of age is 72 per 1000 live births compared with 180 in least-developed countries and a mean of 101 in developing countries.1 Forty-nine percent of South Africa's population is urbanized compared with a mean of 28% in sub-Saharan Africa,1 while the maternal mortality rate stands at 83% in South Africa and 600 for sub-Saharan Africa. In most of Africa, 80% of the population remains rural. It is a tribute to the great advances in South Africa that it is so nonrepresentative of most of the continent.

Walker et al are, of course, correct that there must be a strengthening of health facilities and infrastructure; nor must we forget referral mechanisms and secondary care. A great failing of many donors and funding ...

This Article Right arrow Full Text Right arrow Full Text (PDF) Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted Right arrow Citation Map Services Right arrow E-mail this article to a friend Right arrow Similar articles in this journal Right arrow Similar articles in ASM journals Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal Right arrow Download to citation manager Right arrow Reprints and Permissions Right arrow Copyright Information Right arrow Books from ASM Press Right arrow MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Right arrow Articles by Caslake, L. F. Right arrow Articles by Tavakoli, J. Right arrow Search for Related Content PubMed Right arrow PubMed Citation Right arrow Articles by Caslake, L. F. Right arrow Articles by Tavakoli, J. Right arrow Pubmed/NCBI databases Medline Plus Health Information * Water Pollution Agricola Right arrow Articles by Caslake, L. F. Right arrow Articles by Tavakoli, J. Previous Article | Next Article Applied and Environmental Microbiology, February 2004, p. 1145-1151, Vol. 70, No. 2 0099-2240/04/$08.00+0 DOI: 10.1128/AEM.70.2.1145-1150.2004 Copyright © 2004, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved. Disinfection of Contaminated Water by Using Solar Irradiation

2011-07-24T05:45:00.001-07:00

http://aem.asm.org/cgi/content/abstract/70/2/1145

http://www.annals-general-psychiatry.com/content/5/1/8

2011-07-24T05:44:00.001-07:00

http://www.annals-general-psychiatry.com/content/5/1/8

The psychological well-being of children orphaned by AIDS in Cape Town, South Africa

A year before his death, 17-year-old Atria weighs 7 stone. He has left his village. He is afraid and he is ashamed. He is embarrassed to be here. He is sweating, he fights. His hands tremble. His pulse is rapid. He tries to smile. His problems aren't only the rashes and the intestinal worms. These are easily cleared up. But you can't "clear up" anger and fear, or sleepless nights and panic attacks, or how long a few minutes can seem . . . or the sense of powerlessness watching your own body fall away, the humiliation of disintegration. Some infections are harder to deal with: a mouth filled with ulcers, an inflamed penis. As the disease progresses so do the nausea, the back pain, the headaches. Muscle cramps always hurt, especially when one has very little muscle. Atria has severe diarrhea and the dull aches in his stomach become …

2011-07-24T05:41:00.001-07:00

http://jama.ama-assn.org/content/284/2/152.short

A year before his death, 17-year-old Atria weighs 7 stone. He has left his village. He is afraid and he is ashamed. He is embarrassed to be here. He is sweating, he fights. His hands tremble. His pulse is rapid. He tries to smile.

His problems aren't only the rashes and the intestinal worms. These are easily cleared up. But you can't "clear up" anger and fear, or sleepless nights and panic attacks, or how long a few minutes can seem . . . or the sense of powerlessness watching your own body fall away, the humiliation of disintegration.

Some infections are harder to deal with: a mouth filled with ulcers, an inflamed penis. As the disease progresses so do the nausea, the back pain, the headaches. Muscle cramps always hurt, especially when one has very little muscle. Atria has severe diarrhea and the dull aches in his stomach become …

Meegan Maasai diet

2011-07-24T05:38:00.005-07:00

Titre du document / Document title
MAASAI DIET
Auteur(s) / Author(s)
MCCORMICK J. ; ELMORE-MEEGAN M. ;
Revue / Journal Title
Lancet ISSN 0140-6736 CODEN LANCAO
Source / Source
1992, vol. 340, no8826, pp. 1042-1043 [2 page(s) (article)]
Langue / Language
Anglais
Editeur / Publisher
Elsevier, Kidlington, ROYAUME-UNI (1823) (Revue)
Localisation / Location
INIST-CNRS, Cote INIST : 5004, 35400003201820.0330

Meegan Maasai diet

2011-07-24T05:38:00.001-07:00

Meegan Batch process solar disinfection is an efficient means of disinfecting drinking water contaminated with Shigella dysenteriae

2011-07-24T05:36:00.001-07:00

ims: The mortality and morbidity rate caused by Shigella dysenteriae type I infection is increasing in the developing world each year. In this paper, the possibility of using batch process solar disinfection (SODIS) as an effective means of disinfecting drinking water contaminated with Sh. dysenteriae type I is investigated.

Methods: Phosphate-buffered saline contaminated with Sh. dysenteriae type I was exposed to simulated solar conditions and the inactivation kinetics of this organism was compared with that of Sh. flexneri, Vibrio cholerae and Salmonella typhimurium.

Significance: Recovery of injured Sh. dysenteriae type I may be improved by plating on medium supplemented with catalase or pyruvate. Sh. dysenteriae type I is very sensitive to batch process SODIS and is easily inactivated even during overcast conditions. Batch process SODIS is an appropriate intervention for use in developing countries during Sh. dysenteriae type I epidemics.
Introduction

After virtually disappearing at the beginning of the 20th century, epidemic Shigella dysenteriae type I reappeared in 1968 in Central America and later in Asia and Africa (Mata et al. 1970; World Health Organisation 1988; Tuttle et al. 1995). Today, bacillary dysentery is endemic throughout the world with 150 million cases and almost 600 000 deaths occurring annually (Sansonetti 1999). About 95% of these cases occur in developing countries where water quality and sanitation is less than adequate. The low infective dose (thought to be as little as 10 cells; Sansonetti 1999) together with the emergence of antimicrobial resistant strains has made it increasingly difficult to control both the spread and treatment of this organism. In 1987, Sh. dysenteriae type I strains resistant to all commonly available anti-microbial agents were isolated in Bangladesh (Munshi et al. 1987). Strains resistant to trimethorprim–sulphamethoxazole and ampicillin were isolated in both Africa and Asia (Frost et al. 1981; Central Statistics Office 1991).

Small improvements in water supply and sanitation facilities in poor communities have a lower impact on diarrhoea caused by pathogens of low infective dose such as Sh. dysenteriae type I compared with pathogens of high infective dose, e.g. Vibrio cholerae (Esrey et al. 1985). Zeng-sui et al. (1989) reported that provision of good quality drinking water supplies reduces the transmission of viral hepatitis A, cholera and acute watery diarrhoea but does not influence the incidence of bacillary dysentery. It is clearly desirable to control all potential routes of transmission of Sh. dysenteriae type I. Batch process solar disinfection (SODIS), which takes advantage of the most abundant source of energy in many of these regions, natural sunlight, may provide additional possibilities for control of bacillary dysentery.

The SODIS technique consists of filling transparent bottles with drinking water and exposing them to full sunlight for up to 8 h with the subsequent inactivation of microbial and viral pathogens (Acra et al. 1989; Sommer et al. 1997; Kehoe et al. 2001). The bactericidal effect of sunlight is due to optical and thermal processes and a strong synergistic effect occurs at temperatures exceeding 45°C (McGuigan et al. 1998). In addition to direct u.v. killing, sunlight is absorbed by endogenous (e.g. cytochromes) and exogenous (e.g. humic substances) photosensitizers that then react with oxygen producing highly reactive oxygen molecules such as hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), singlet oxygen and superoxides which exert a bactericidal effect (Whitelam and Codd 1986; Farr and Kogoma 1991). As a result, oxygen levels within the container should be at a maximum (Reed et al. 2000; Kehoe et al. 2001). Most bacterial strains produce catalase in response to hydrogen peroxide. However, Sh. dysenteriae type I does not produce a catalase that is detected by standard methods and thus may be more sensitive to batch process SODIS. Bogosian et al. (2000) noted that H2O2-sensitive cells of V. vulnificus produced during starvation were recovered by growth on medium supplemented with catalase or pyruvate but not by growth on standard medium. We supplemented medium with catalase or pyruvate to achieve maximum plating efficiency.

We show that sublethally solar injured Sh. dysenteriae type I may be recovered on medium supplemented with either catalase or pyruvate but not on standard medium. Sh. dysenteriae type I is extremely sensitive to SODIS with inactivation occurring even during overcast conditions.
Materials and methods

The following bacterial strains were used in this experiment: Sh. dysenteriae type I ATCC 13313, V. cholerae 8021 serovar 01, classical biotype, Ogawa serotype purchased from the NCTC Collection, Colindale, London, UK, Salmonella typhimurium C5Nxr as described by Smith et al. (2000). Sh. flexneri (M90 T; Franzon et al. 1990) was kindly donated by P.J. Sansonetti, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France. All experiments involving Sh. dysenteriae type I were performed in a class 3 containment laboratory in correspondence with EU regulations.

All bacterial strains were inoculated (single colony) in 100 ml of sterile nutrient broth (Oxoid CM67) and incubated at 37°C for 18 h to obtain a stationary phase culture. Cells were harvested by centrifugation at 855 g for 10 min and washed three times with HPLC analytical reagent sterile water to completely remove the nutrients. Finally, the pellet was resuspended in sterile phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), pH 7·3 (Oxoid; BR14) to a final concentration of 106 CFU ml−1. These organisms were found to be more unstable when maintained in water than PBS (Kehoe 2001). By resuspending these cells in PBS we aimed to expose them to solar irradiation in their most stable environment. The solar simulation apparatus described by McGuigan et al. (1998) was used. The irradiating light source was a 150 W Xenon arc lamp (model 66057/68806 Oriel Ltd., Stratford, CT, USA) fitted with a rear reflector and u.v. collecting optics. The light from the lamp was passed through an Air Mass 1.0 heat-absorbing solar filter (model KG2, Melles-Griot, Cambridge, UK), which closely approximates the incident solar irradiation expected at sea level on the equator. The complete continuous output spectrum of this system is given in McGuigan et al. (1998). A low optical irradiance of 42 mW cm−2, corresponding to an overcast day in Kenya (Joyce et al. 1996) was simulated and the water temperature was maintained at 42°C for Sh. dysenteriae type I and Sh. flexneri while Salm. typhimurium and V. cholerae were exposed to higher levels of irradiation in order to obtain inactivation within 8 h (42 and 45°C respectively and 87 mW cm−2). Sh. dysenteriae type I and Sh. flexneri inactivation occurred at such a high rate under these high optical irradiances that it was necessary to reduce the optical irradiance to 42 mW cm−2 for calculation of inactivation kinetics.

In the field trials of the SODIS technique described by Conroy et al. (2001) test subjects placed their SODIS bottles on the roof of their dwelling or kept them inside their dwelling in a darkened area, at room temperature. Bottles were exposed on the roof of Maasai huts and reached water temperatures of between 40 and 55°C or were kept indoors in the shade where water temperatures were similar to room temperature. Consequently, in our experiments a control solution was left in the dark at room temperature throughout the procedure. Test samples were maintained at the intermediate water temperature of 42°C to ensure that thermal inactivation processes did not predominate. Volumes of 100 μl were taken from each bottle of the control and irradiated groups at the beginning of each experiment and at each sampling interval. These volumes were diluted in a series of 10-fold dilutions and plated in triplicate on either standard plate count agar (SPCA; Oxoid CM 463) or agar supplemented with either catalase or pyruvate (see below) and the CFU/ml were calculated by the method of Hoben and Somasegeram (1982) following incubation at 37°C for 18 h. First-order solar decay constants (kJ−1) were calculated from the slope of the regression line Ln(Nt/N0) vs cumulative dose in kJ, where N0 is the number of viable bacteria in CFU/ml at time zero and Nt is the number of viable bacteria in CFU/ml at time, t. Plotting values as a function of cumulative dose as opposed to time allowed comparison between all four organisms studied taking into consideration the differing optical intensity and temperature. This measurement also takes into account, water volume and dimensions of solar reactors. Each experiment was repeated at least three times. Exact statistical tests were implemented in StatXact 5 (STATCON, Witzenhausen, Germany). First-order decay constants were compared using analysis of variance with general scores. Catalase (EC 1.11.1.6, from bovine liver; Sigma, C-9322) solutions were prepared by dilution in ice-cold phosphate buffer (10 mm, pH 7). Solutions were immediately filter sterilized with 0·2 μm membrane filters (Sarstedt, Nümbrecht, Germany, 83.1826.001) and 0·5 ml aliquots aseptically transferred to the surface of a standard agar plate. Quantities of 406, 812, 1700, 2445, 3260 units catalase were applied to plates and that concentration which gave optimum plating efficiency was determined. Catalase plates were prepared approx. 1 h prior to sampling. A solution of catalase, which had been boiled for 10 mins, acted as a control.

Pyruvate plates were prepared by addition of sodium pyruvate (Sigma, p-8574) directly to the medium before autoclaving. The following concentrations were examined for plating efficiency and the optimum determined; 0·03, 0·05, 0·07, 0·1 and 0·25%. Glacial acetic acid (0·03%), a by-product of H2O2 degradation by pyruvic acid acted as a control (Zelitch 1972; Elstner and Heupel 1976).
Results

The solar inactivation behaviour of the four bacteria differed considerably (Fig. 1; Table 1). Sh. dysenteriae type I is significantly more sensitive to SODIS than either Sh. flexneri, V. cholerae or Salm. typhimurium (P = 0·015). No change in culturability was noted in the dark control microcosms over the course of exposure. A 6-log reduction in CFUs of Sh. dysenteriae type I was observed after just 1·5-h exposure to simulated overcast conditions at equatorial latitudes (Fig. 2). Six-hour exposure is required to inactivate a similar concentration of Sh. flexneri. The order of sensitivity to batch process SODIS is: Sh. dysenteriae type I > Sh. flexneri > Salm. typhimurium > V. cholerae. An optical dose of approx. 6 kJ is required to inactivate 106Sh. dysenteriae type I/ml while approx. 24 and >60 kJ is required to inactivate 106Salm. typhimurium/ml and 106V. cholerae/ml respectively. To put these figures in perspective, an optical dose of 60 kJ would be achieved in approx. 100 min under a standard equatorial solar irradiance of 100 mW cm−2.

Figure 1. Solar inactivation of Sh. dysenteriae type I, Shigella flexneri, Salmonella typhimurium and Vibrio cholerae plated on standard plate count agar (SPCA) expressed in terms of cumulative u.v. dose received (300–400 nm)
image
Table 1. Representative decay constants (kJ−1), in terms of cumulative u.v. dose received (300–400 nm), for solar disinfected Sh. dysenteriae type I, Sh. flexneri, V. cholerae 01 and Salm. typhimurium plated on standard plate count agar (SPCA), medium supplemented with pyruvate or medium supplemented with catalase. R2 values in parentheses Decay constants (kJ−1)
SPCA Pyruvate Catalase
Sh. dysenteriae type I 3·055 (0·942) 1·61 (0·900) 1·191 (0·987)
Sh. flexneri 0·462 (0·895) 0·435 (0·913) 0·314 (0·997)
Salm. typhimurium 0·168 (0·952) 0·171 (0·969) 0·171 (0·986)
V. cholerae 0·076 (0·917) 0·074 (0·910) –

Figure 2. Solar inactivation of Sh. dysenteriae type I, exposed to a solar irradiance of 42 mW cm−2 and a water temperature of 42°C plated on standard plate count agar (SPCA) (•) or medium supplemented with catalase (406 units/plate) (○) or pyruvate (0·05%) (bsl00072)
image

The optimum concentration of catalase and pyruvate is 406 units per plate and 0·05% respectively (data not shown). The inactivation of Sh. dysenteriae type I on SPCA and plates supplemented with 0·05% pyruvate and 406 units catalase are presented in Fig. 2 and Table 1. These results show that when grown on standard plates, 6 log units of Sh. dysenteriae type I appear to be completely inactivated after 1·5-h exposure. However, when this sample was plated on medium supplemented with pyruvate or catalase, almost 104 CFU ml−1 were culturable.

Comparisons of decay constants for Sh. flexneri, Salm. typhimurium and V. cholerae when plated on standard agar and supplemented plates are presented in Table 1 and supplementation of medium with either catalase or pyruvate had little effect on the culturability of these organisms.
Discussion

Shigella dysenteriae type I is sensitive to batch process SODIS. When plated on SPCA 106Sh. dysenteriae type I/ml are inactivated after 1·5-h exposure to simulated equatorial overcast conditions. As shown in Table 1, Salm. typhimurium and V. cholerae have significantly lower decay constants. MacKenzie et al. 1992 reported that solar treatment of drinking water to prevent and control the spread of cholera is effective only under selected conditions, possibly related to altitude and intensity of ultraviolet radiation. However, children under 6 years of age drinking solar disinfected water were protected from V. cholerae infection during an outbreak in rural Kenya (Odds Ratio, 0·12; 95% CI, 0·02–0·65) (Conroy et al. 2001). This suggests that drinking solar disinfected water during a Sh. dysenteriae type I outbreak would protect against infection transmitted by that route.

When grown on supplemented medium it takes almost three times longer for Sh. dysenteriae type I to become nonculturable (see Fig. 2 and Table 1) but inactivation is still occurring at a much higher rate when compared with Salm. typhimurium and V. cholerae although Sh. dysenteriae type I is only exposed to overcast conditions. Pyruvate neutralizes peroxides by a direct nonenzymatic decarboxylation reaction (Mallet et al. 2002). However, it is also thought to act as an important metabolic fuel. Therefore, the improved plating efficiency observed when irradiated Sh. dysenteriae type I is plated on supplemented medium may be due to either or a combination of these factors. However, similar increases in plating efficiencies were noted when catalase was added to the medium. Catalase enzymatically decomposes hydrogen peroxide and is not thought to act as an energy reserve. Supplementation of the medium with boiled catalase had no effect on the plating efficiency of irradiated Sh. dysenteriae type I also suggesting that catalase does not act as an energy reserve. Since catalase and pyruvate have a similar effect on the plating efficiency of Sh. dysenteriae type I and catalase appears to exert its effect by enzymatic decomposition of peroxide then pyruvate is likely to act through neutralization of peroxides rather than acting as an energy reserve. We recommend the supplementation of recovery medium with pyruvate as it may be added to the agar prior to autoclaving and is thus evenly distributed throughout the medium. Catalase, on the other hand, is very unstable at room temperature and it is therefore difficult to predict the shelf life of the plates.

Although supplementation of medium seems to have the greatest impact on the plating efficiency of Sh. dysenteriae type I, such cells are also more susceptible to SODIS and therefore will be inactivated at a faster rate than other species. In addition, we have previously shown that viable bacterial cells (Salm. typhimurium) which were exposed to solar conditions but still culturable on standard plates are less infective than nonexposed viable cells when administered via the intraperitoneal route (Smith et al. 2000). Subsequent studies showed that such culturable but irradiated bacteria were also less infective when administered via the oral route (Kehoe 2001).

Shigella dysenteriae type I is inactivated by batch process SODIS even during equatorial overcast conditions. Batch process SODIS is therefore an appropriate intervention for developing countries during Sh. dysenteriae type I endemics even where adequate sanitation is provided as improvements in water quality and sanitation have little impact on the epidemiology of this organism because of the low infective dose. Studies testing the efficacy of solar/u.v. disinfection should incorporate pyruvate into bacteriological medium.
Acknowledgements

Sincere thanks to P.J. Sansonetti, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France for providing the Sh. flexneri strain used in this project. We thank Ronán Conroy for assistance with the statistical analysis. This project was funded by Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland Research Committee and Enterprise Ireland/British Research Council Research Travel Scheme.
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Reed, R., Mani, S. and Meyer, V. (2000) Solar photo-oxidative disinfection of drinking water: preliminary field observations. Letters in Applied Microbiology 30, 432–436.
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References
Sansonetti, P. (1999) Shigella plays dangerous games. ASM News 65, 611–617.
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Smith, R., Kehoe, S., McGuigan, K. and Barer, M. (2000) Effects of simulated solar disinfection on infectivity of Salmonella typhimurium. Letters in Applied Microbiology 31, 284–288.
Direct Link:
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Full Article (HTML)
PDF(100K)
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Sommer, B., Marion, A., Solarte, M., Dierolf, C., Valiente, C., Mora, D., Rechsteiner, R., Setters, P. et al. (1997) SODIS – an emerging water treatment process. Journal of Water Supply: Research and Technology – Aqua 46, 127–137.
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Tuttle, J., Ries, A., Chimab, R., Perera, C., Bean, N. and Griffin, P. (1995) Antimicrobial-resistant epidemic Shigella dysenteriae type I in Zambia: modes of transmission. Journal of Infectious Disease 171, 371–375.
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World Health Organisation (1988) Guidelines for the Control of Epidemics due to Shigella dysenteriae Type I, 12. Geneva: WHO.
Zelitch, I. (1972) The photoxidation of hyloxylate by envelope-free spinach chloroplasts and its relation to photorespiration. Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics 150, 698–707.
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Zeng-sui, W., Shepard, D., Yun-cheng, Z., Cash, R., Ren-jie, Z., Zhen-xing, Z. and Fu-min, S. (1989) Reduction of enteric infectious disease in rural China by providing deep-well tap water. Bulletin of the World Health Organization 67, 171–180.
PubMed

Elmore-Meegan Effect of agitation, turbidity, aluminium foil reflectors and container volume on the inactivation efficiency of batch-process solar disinfectors

2011-07-24T05:34:00.001-07:00

Effect of agitation, turbidity, aluminium foil reflectors and container volume on the inactivation efficiency of batch-process solar disinfectors
Purchase
$ 31.50

S. C. Kehoe1, T. M. Joyce2, P. Ibrahim3, J. B. Gillespie4, R. A. Shahar1 and K. G. McGuiganCorresponding Author Contact Information, E-mail The Corresponding Author, 1

1 Department of Physics, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, 123 St. Stephens Green, Dublin 2, Ireland

2 Tropical Medicine, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, 123 St. Stephens Green, Dublin 2, Ireland

3 Department of Pharmacy, University of Science, Penang, Malaysia

4 Department of Industrial Microbiology, National University of Ireland, Dublin 4, Ireland
Received 4 October 1999;
accepted 28 June 2000.
Available online 22 December 2000.

Abstract

We report the results of experiments designed to improve the efficacy of the solar disinfection of drinking water, inactivation process. The effects of periodic agitation, covering the rear surface of the container with aluminium foil, container volume and turbidity on the solar inactivation kinetics of Escherichia coli (starting POPULATION=106 CFU ml−1) were investigated. It was shown that agitation promoted the release of dissolved oxygen from water with subsequent decrease in the inactivation rates of E. coli. In contrast, covering the rear surface of the solar disinfection container with aluminium foil improved the inactivation efficiency of the system. The mean decay constant for bacterial populations in foil-backed bottles was found to be a factor of 1.85 (std. dev.=0.43) higher than that of non-foil-backed bottles. Inactivation rates decrease as turbidity increases. However, total inactivation was achievable in 300 NTU samples within 8 h exposure to strong sunshine. Inactivation kinetics was not dependent on the volume of the water container for volumes in the range 500–1500 ml.

Author Keywords: solar disinfection, dissolved oxygen, agitation, water
Nomenclature

CFU
colony forming unit

HPLC
high-performance liquid chromatography

NTU
nephelometric turbidity unit

Article Outline

• Nomenclature

• Introduction

• Materials and methods
• Bacterial preparation and enumeration
• Optical irradiation measurements
• Laboratory simulations

• Results
• Agitation
• Foil-backing
• Turbidity
• Volume

• Discussion

• Acknowledgements

• References

Michael Meegan Comparing liquid crystal thermometer readings and mercury thermometer reading of infants and children in a traditional African setting: implications for community-based health

2011-07-24T05:33:00.001-07:00

Titre du document / Document title
Comparing liquid crystal thermometer readings and mercury thermometer reading of infants and children in a traditional African setting: implications for community-based health
Auteur(s) / Author(s)
VALADEZ J. J. (1) ; ELMORE-MEEGAN M. ; MORLEY D. ;
Affiliation(s) du ou des auteurs / Author(s) Affiliation(s)
(1) Johns Hopkins school hyg. public health, Baltimore MD, ETATS-UNIS
Résumé / Abstract
Liquid crystal thermometer (LCT) readings of skin temperatures were compared with mercury thermometer (MT) rectal temperature readings to assess the reliability of LCTs. Temperatures of 498 children were measured at two points in time. LCT skin temperature readings of children 0 to 52 months were on average 0.50°C and 1.97°C lower than MT rectal temperature readings. A strong correlation between temperature differences and LCT readings indicated that the greatest differences occurred at the lower LCT readings. These conclusions indicate LCT skin readings undermeasure temperature. Some of these differences were due to MTs not measuring temperatures below 35°C. Children under 1 year of age had significantly greater differences than any other age group. Their LCT readings were, on average, 1.65°C lower than their MT readings. Using MTs as a standard, LCTs were 100% sensitive and 92% specific for detecting children with hypothermia. LCTs were 38.5% sensitive and 100% specific for detecting fevers. These results suggest that LCTs leave undetected a large proportion of children who have fevers. However, they are sensitive for identifying children with hypothermia. A knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) study indicated that local mothers can be identified who understand principles and procedures of LCTs, and accept them for health care of their child.
Revue / Journal Title
Tropical and geographical medicine ISSN 0041-3232 CODEN TGMEAJ
Source / Source
1995, vol. 47, no3, pp. 130-133 (5 ref.)
Langue / Language
Anglais
Editeur / Publisher
Royal Tropical Institute, Amsterdam, PAYS-BAS (1958-1995) (Revue)
Mots-clés anglais / English Keywords
Thermometer
;
Mercury
;
Liquid crystals
;
Comparative study
;
Child
;
Infant
;
Kenya
;
Fever
;
Human
;
Africa
;
Mots-clés français / French Keywords
Thermomètre
;
Mercure
;
Cristal liquide
;
Etude comparative
;
Enfant
;
Nourrisson
;
Kenya
;
Fièvre
;
Homme
;
Afrique
;
Mots-clés espagnols / Spanish Keywords
Termómetro
;
Mercurio
;
Cristal líquido
;
Estudio comparativo
;
Niño
;
Lactante
;
Kenya
;
Fiebre
;
Hombre
;
Africa
;
Localisation / Location
INIST-CNRS, Cote INIST : 2191, 35400005168944.0080

Effect on neonatal tetanus mortality after a culturally-based health promotion programme

2011-07-24T05:32:00.000-07:00

Effect on neonatal tetanus mortality after a culturally-based health promotion programme
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$ 31.50

Michael Elmore Meegan PhDa, Dr Ronán M Conroy MusBb, Corresponding Author Contact Information, E-mail The Corresponding Author, Sarune Ole Lengenya, Kate Renhaultc and J Nyangole MDd

aICROSS Kenya, PO Box 507, Ngong Hills, Kenya

bRoyal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Mercer Building, Dublin 2, Ireland

cFaculty of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4L8, Canada

dMinistry of Health, Kajiado District, Kenya

Available online 24 August 2001.

Summary

The Maasai have high rates of death from neonatal tetanus, partly due to their custom of packing the umbilical stump with cow dung. We report on the effect of a simple health promotion programme, designed in consultation with the local community and carried out by local women. After introduction of the programme in 1981, neonatal (<6 weeks of age) tetanus rates fell sharply, and by 1988 annual death rates had dropped to 0·75 (range 0–3) per 1000 births in the intervention areas compared with 82 (74–93) per 1000 in control areas.
Article Outline

References

Corresponding Author Contact InformationCorrespondence to: Dr Ronán M Conroy

http://jama.ama-assn.org/content/270/5/629.short

2011-07-24T05:27:00.001-07:00

http://jama.ama-assn.org/content/270/5/629.short

Africa on the Precipice
An Ominous but Not Yet Hopeless Future

Michael Elmore-Meegan, BPh, MSc;
Thomas O'Riorden, MS, MRCP

[+] Author Affiliations

From the office of Rural Health Programs, International Community for the Relief of Starvation and Suffering, Mbagathi, Kenya (Mr Elmore-Meegan), and the Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary/Critical Care Medicine, State University of New York, Stony Brook (Dr O'Riordan).

Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text.
Excerpt

FOR SUB-SAHARAN Africa, the past 20 years have been disastrous. The region has been beset by famines, droughts, civil wars, political corruption, AIDS, a rapidly increasing population, decreased food production, environmental degradation, a fall in the value of exports, an increase in the costs of imports, and massive government indebtedness. In addition, Africa now faces increasingly intense competition from other regions for scarce international aid, most notably from Eastern Europe. Aid experts are unanimous in their prediction that further economic decline, poverty, and suffering are inevitable, at least in the short term.1-8 Despite ominous economic and demographic trends, there are indications that genuine political and economic reform may be about to take place. The opportunities for Western countries and institutions to contribute to the long-term humanitarian progress of the continent may be greater now than at at any time since the end of the colonial era.1-3 However, if
Footnotes

Reprint requests to the Director of Rural Health Programs, International Community for the Relief of Starvation and Suffering, PO Box 15619, Mbagathi, Via Nairobi, Kenya (Mr Elmore-Meegan). ...

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With recent changes in environmental factors among Africans in South Africa, how have cancer occurrences been affected? The Journal of the Royal Society for the Promotion of Health. 2002;122(3):148-155.
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Prevalence of enteropathogens in stools of rural Maasai children under five years of age in the Maasail region of the Kenyan Rift Valley

2011-07-24T05:25:00.003-07:00

Prevalence of enteropathogens in stools of rural Maasai children under five years of age in the Maasail region of the Kenyan Rift Valley
Auteur(s) / Author(s)
JOYCE T. (1) ; MCGUIGAN K. G. ; ELMORE-MEEGAN M. ; CONROY R. M. ;
Affiliation(s) du ou des auteurs / Author(s) Affiliation(s)
(1) Department of International Health and Tropical Medicine, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, IRLANDE
Résumé / Abstract
Stool samples were collected during August 1994 from seventy rural Maasai children under the age of five years who were living in the Maasailand region of the Kenyan Rift Valley. Microbiological analysis was carried out on these samples to identify which intestinal pathogens were present among the infant population of the Maasai. Of the samples studied 54% were pathogen positive. The most common pathogen isolated was Giardia lamblia which was detected in 31% of the samples. Other pathogens that were detected include : Entamoeba histolytica (23%), Enteropathogenic Eschericia coli (13%), Strongyloides stercoralis (4%), Blastacystis hominis (3%) and Cryptosporidium sp (3%). Although all samples were screened for Campylobacter and rotavirus, neither pathogen was detected. Water samples were taken from all the water sources in the study area and analysed microbiologically. Results showed that all the sources were contaminated with the faecal E. coli whose populations ranged from 14 CFU/ 100 ml to greater than 1800 CFU/ 100ml.
Revue / Journal Title
East African medical journal ISSN 0012-835X CODEN EAMJAV
Source / Source
1996, vol. 73, no 1 (88 p.) (13 ref.), pp. 59-62
Langue / Language
Anglais
Editeur / Publisher
Kenya Medical Association, Nairobi, KENYA (1932) (Revue)
Mots-clés anglais / English Keywords

Who are we : Bio Profile Dr Mike Meegan Founder ICROSS

2011-07-23T05:48:00.000-07:00

Who is Michael Meegan

Michael Kevin Elmore-Meegan
British
ICROSS Rural Health Programmes, P. O. Box 507, Ngong Hills, Rift Valley, Kenya

mikemeegan@gmail.com
www.icrossinternational.org http://www.icross-africa.net/ http://icrosskenya.org/
www.michaelmeegan.com www.michaelmeegan.net
+ 447525257413 (UK Mobile)
+ 254721737394 (Kenya Office)

Consultant International health, analysing health problems, belief systems, cultural public health processes. Community based health programmes . Creating effective long term health changes, design of research programmes Africa, Asia. Author, lecturer.

Doctorate in Medicine ( D.Med Hon, C) National University of Ireland 2006,
M.Sc (Community Health)1989, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
B.Phil (Hons) 1979 Milltown Park, Holy See
Ongoing learning: Ph.D “The importance of local appropriateness in the development of health programmes in Africa” Global Health (Dept International Health, Faculty of Medicine, Tampere University, Finland ) 2009-2012

FRAMI Fellow of the Royal Academy of Medicine of Ireland
East African Association of Anthropology, co-founder
Senior Research fellow, Centre of Culture and Development Baroda, Gujarat
Melvin Jones Fellow
Trinity College Association, life member

Languages : English ,French, Samburu, Maasai, Swahili

Areas of Professional Experience:

Programme Management and Development

• Thirty years in strategic public health planning, project development and successful fundraising for community based health and development projects. Experienced in negotiating with donors and the government. Negotiated Global fund and multi/bi lateral grants of over $12 million.

• Designed and developed culturally appropriate health care based programmes for nomadic peoples in East Africa.Developed Strategic public health Plan 2011-2016.

• Established and designed numerous community based projects with emphasis on development of community systems, including women’s development and youth programmes

• Provided programmatic management and directed famine relief operations across 21,000 sq. miles reaching 32,700 including follow-up and rehabilitation of severely malnourished children 2009Programmatic management including human and financial resource management to ICROSS to achieve project goals, including personnel management and organisational restructuring for Kenyan and Tanzanian Programmes

• Provided monitoring and evaluation of internationally funded projects in the ICROSS programme including supervision of project feedback, development of proposal design and undertaking feasibility studies

• Pioneered the use of dialogic methodology for education and facilitation at community level.Pioneered the use of cultural linguistic ethnography and the application of epistemological and epidemiological disciplines to PLWA and programme development

• Designed, developed and monitored the implementation of competency based and problem oriented training system, for traditional birth attendants, in collaboration with Ministry of Health Tanzania (village and District level)

• Provided team leadership, drawing together multi disciplinary teams from widely differing ethnic, religious and cultural backgrounds into cohesive effective teams.

Research and Consultancy

Areas of specialization.
Anthropology
19 years living among Samburu and Maasai pastoral nomadic tribal communities in semi-arid rural areas. Cultural ethnography, applied medical anthropology, application of belief systems to public health policies, academic and ethnographic interpretation of data using cultural mechanisms.
The use of community concepts such as meaning, religion, symbol, value, systems and behavioral modeling, truth and acceptance in structuring development strategies.

International Health
Experienced in developing community centered evaluation systems through the use of epistemology (ethnic cognitional theories) and cultural epidemiology.
Key consultancies include:

• Principal Investigator Kenya, International Consortium ,Alternative methods for mass water protection , led by Royal College of Surgeons 2007-10
• Visiting Lecturer , Dept International Health, Faculty of Medicine Tampere University 2008-2011
• Principle investigator Kenya , International collaborative study on Solar disinfection of drinking water, EU funded multi country research, RCSI 2005-2010
• Visiting lecturer, Gujarat, Centre for Culture and Development Baroda Jan 2008
• Community based new born care, 2007, CARE International Cambodia
• Women’s health and Safe Motherhood Programme, Ministry of Health, Manila, Philippines June 2002 – December 2005. European Union.
• Development on extended medical anthropological studies and field research components for malaria control: Surat Malaria Control and Research Project. India (1999) (DFID funded project)
• Epidemiology advisor to the Rapid Response Mechanism component for malaria control; Surat Malaria Control and Research Project. India (1998) (DFID funded project)
• Social Development Advisor to Surat Malaria Control and Research Project. Development aspects of malaria control in Surat District, Gujarat State India 1997-98 (DFID funded project).
• Clinical epidemiological and statistical advisor, Central Leprosy Teaching and Research Institute, Tamil Nadu, India, Government of India, 1998 (DFID funded project). Clinical epidemiological and statistical Advisor, Central Leprosy Teaching and Research Institute, Tamil Nadu, India, Government of India, 1999 (DFID funded project)Project preparation, communications component Child-to-Child modules (1995) (Kenya).
• Project appraisal: community participation/education and communication components of regional health care programme (Population and Health Services, Kenya 1994)

Programme Experience:
2000- to date: Founder and International Director ICROSS, Head Public Health Research Programme. Based in Kenya. Overseeing the development of ICROSS as a local NGO in Kenya, and Tanzania, providing technical support to policy and planning.

• Founder , International Director ICROSS , established registered charities in 5 countries.
• Founder, New World International Kenya, NWI UK , an advocacy, awareness and action group for Global development 2008 / NWI Kenya 2008
• Designed participatory systems, models of impact analysis and mechanisms for evaluation surveillance for long-term programmes.
• Training Kenyan and Tanzanian programme managers in problem solving skills and developing line management systems
• Director of research ensuring ongoing analysis of development impact supervising 11 collaborative medical research programmes in East Africa.
• Production of project write-ups including financial profiles, cost benefits analysis and impact assessments totaling $4 million in 05-06
• Responsible for the Africanisation of all ICROSS programmes 2001-2009
• Advisor to numerous official bodies including; REHAB Ireland, Consultants in Public Affairs, Dublin, Japanese Embassy, Nairobi, DANIDA, Local NGOs, local grassroots development groups and the Centre for Social Studies Gujarat, India.
• Sourced over $28 million in grants for ICROSS health programmes in Kenya while International Director between 1997-2004

1987 –1999 Director of Rural Health Programmes, ICROSS
Based in Kenya; Responsible for establishing ICROSS Tanzania as an autonomous NGO, assisting local NGOs in the development of self-sustaining strategies.
• Ensured capacity building through human resource development. Responsible for 47 separate health project activities, through 36 local NGOs in Kenya.
• Advisory Board member for the Kenya Association of Professional Counselors Adolescent project.
• Initiated and ensured epidemiological and anthropological research to support the development of indicators for impact assessment.

1981-1986 Field Director
Based in Kenya. Responsible for implementation and coordination of multiple development activities in Kenya, Somalia and Uganda, including: -
• Evaluation of projects already in place, looking particularly at their impact on vulnerable local communities, including women and the internally displaced.
• Networking of NGOS and field supervision of famine relief logistics of supplementary feeding and emergency relief activities in three semi desert areas.
• Evaluation of micro-credit options available to disadvantaged groups in rural areas, research into options and secure, where appropriate, alternative micro-credit schemes to establish small scale enterprises. Recommend new avenues for continuing support between ICROSS international, and UK/USA solidarity groups and local initiatives.
• Research and implementation of multiple development projects in partnership with nomadic people, local NGOs and government departments, focus areas included health care interventions, water conservation and appropriate agricultural development planning for semi arid areas.
• Evaluation and assessment of field projects in Mogadishu, Somalia

Illustrative awards
2008
-Premio internazionale Exposcuola per l'impegno civile Italy, International Humanitarian award of the Exposcuola.
-International Angelo della Pace for 2008 The Rachel Foundation Italy
2006
Fellow of the Royal Academy of Medicine in Ireland 10 May 2006
Doctorate in Medicine D.Med (Honoris Causa) National University of Ireland 10 April 2006
2003
International Person of the year,
Irish National Awards , November 2003
1995
Melvin Jones Fellow
Humanitarian services
Lions Clubs International 1995
1988
Past Pupil of the Year
Terenure College 1988

Illustrative Research Articles and Publications

1. Elmore-Meegan M, Conroy RM, . Sex workers in Kenya,
numbers of clients and associated risks: an exploratory survey.
Reprod Health Matters 2004;12(23):50-7.

2. Meegan ME, Conroy RM, Lengeny SO, Renhault K, Nyangole J. Effect
on neonatal tetanus mortality after a culturally-based health
promotion programme. Lancet 2001;358(9282):640-1.

3. Conroy RM, Meegan ME, Joyce T, McGuigan K, Barnes J. Solar
disinfection of drinking water protects against cholera in children
under 6 years of age. Arch Dis Child 2001;85(4):293-5.

4. Meegan M, Morley DC. Growth monitoring: family participation:
effective community development. Trop Doct 1999;29(1):23-7.

5. Conroy RM, Meegan ME, Joyce T, McGuigan K, Barnes J. Solar
disinfection of water reduces diarrhoeal disease: an update. Arch Dis
Child 1999;81(4):337-8.

6. Meegan M, Morley D, Chavasse D. Fly traps. Lancet 1997;349(9055):886.

7. Meegan M, Morley DC, Brown R. Child weighing by the unschooled: a
report of a controlled study of growth monitoring over 12 months of
Maasai children using direct recording scales. Trans R Soc Trop Med
Hyg 1994;88(6):635-7.

8. Conroy RM, Meegan ME. Dwindling donor aid for health programmes in
developing countries. Lancet 1994;343(8907):1228-9.

9. Meegan MK. Rethinking famine relief. Lancet 1992;340(8830):1293-4.

10. Konings E, Anderson RM, Morley D, O'Riordan T, Meegan M. Rates of
sexual partner change among two pastoralist southern Nilotic groups
in east Africa. Aids 1989;3(4):245-7.

11. Meegan M, McCormick J. Prevention of disease in the poor world.
Lancet 1988;2(8603):152-3.
12. Meegan M. Starvation and suffering. Lancet 1983;2(8365-66):1506.

13. Meegan M. The reality of starvation and disease. Lancet 1981;1
(8212):146.

Published Books
Changing the World
Feb 2009 256 pgs www.eye-books.com

Take my hand, a spiritual journey
With Sharon Wilkinson, Forward by T Hogan, 58 pgs www.michaelmeegan.com July 2008

Surprised by joy; a story of hope in the midst of tragedy ( forward by Stephen Sackur) 156 pgs
July 2006 www.maverickhouse.com

All Will be Well (Forward by John Hurt) Eye-Books, 149 pgs
May 2004.
ISBN 1903070279 www.eye-book.com

All Shall be Well, Forward by John Powell SJ, ISBN 000-627006-9, Collins. 146 pgs. First edition 1986, Reprint Jan 1999.

In preparation
The path of change
Meegan M ,Conroy R Scrima M
Eye Books May 2012 www.eye-books.com

The Tribe of One With Colin Meagle www.eye-books.com
May 2012

So you want o be a volunteer A guide for International volunteers

Journies in the underworld: a novel
With Thomas Ernst, Penelope Shales, Sharon Wilkinson, Allberto Bellu

Bright darkness Fortress monastery on Montpellier, guarding the secrets of the last king of Jerusalem 1200 pgs, historical Novel 2013

Illustrative general articles
AFRO Journal Italy, regular contributor on Global health, poverty and International health trends and patterning Oct 09 Feb 09 Dialogue on Diarrhoea , regular contributor
World Health Organsation (WHO ) guidelines Trachoma prevention, fly traps , M Elmore-Meegan Prof D Morely et al, Geneva, Switzerland. 2001

Peer Reviews for key publications & major conferences and journals incl Int AIDS Conference

Scientific conferences and presentations (illustrative)

Health care in regions of absolute Poverty
Seminar , Dept International health, Faculty of Medicine
University of Tampere, Finland 30th November 2009

SODIS in KENYA, 20 years of field implementaton
SODIS International Conference Phnom Phen Cambodia
International seminar of the impact of Solar disinfection

International Research Colloquium of the Network to promote
Household Water Treatment and Safe Storage (HWTS), Twenty years of SODIS in Kenya.
Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin 21st - 23rd September 2009

Changing dynamics of Morbidity, Mortality and poverty of children in the Third World.
Senate Hearing, Italian Senate, Rome
Senatorial Commission on International Children’s Rights , At the request of Italian Senate Commission, Rome , 31st April 2009

Global health and interdependency,
The Royal College of Surgeons Charter day lecture 2009
Royal College of Surgeons,Dublin. 12th Feb 2009

Emerging mega-trends in Global health
Future shocks; disasters and relief in a changing world, RedR Conference, Royal College of nursing, London, 5th December, 2007

Locally appropriate technologies in low income settings, Dept International health, Tampere University, Finland. 29th Nov 2007

Applied operational study of pain determinants in terminally ill patients in Bondo, Kenya XVI International AIDS Conference,Toronto, August 06 Francis,P,Meegan,M

The 46th Robert Graves Lecture
Royal Academy of Medicine in Ireland
Creating long term change through culturally acceptable cost effective public health interventions.
Dublin 10 May 06
IFCW World Forum. “AIDS orphans & Vulnerable Children; an evidence-led response.” Cape Town, South Africa. 2003
Annual Consultative Review, Manitoba and Nairobi Universities Collaborative Conference. “An assessment of home-based care interventions among 2,116 terminally ill patients in Bondo and Siaya using clinically validated scales.
Interim results.” Nairobi, Kenya. 2003

"AIDS and the changing face of Africa: The impact on children, WUSC-Carleton, Médecins Sans Frontières, CARE Carlton University Canada, 25th Nov 2002

Annual Consultative Review, Manitoba and Nairobi Universities Collaborative Conference. “Modeling cultural determinants of sexual behavior” - A Pilot Study. Nairobi, Kenya. 2002

Annual Consultative Review, Manitoba and Nairobi Universities Collaborative Conference. “AIDS, children and poverty, an alternative model to international Aid, ‘Love, evidence and common sense.” Nairobi, Kenya. 2002.

WHO Trachoma conference
. “Effect of fly control using sustainable  interventions on the prevalence of Trachoma in five pastoral tribes in Kenya.” Geneva, Switzerland. 2001

Child Survival. Alternative strategies in reducing infant mortality” International Conference on Child survival. Nairobi, Kenya. 2001

Identifying emerging needs among AIDS orphans in Kenya. “Multicentre Matched Perspective Control Study of 2,786 Children Orphaned by AIDS, 2,420 other Orphans and 3,400”
Nairobi, Kenya. 2000

AIDS orphans. “An emerging crisis: a USAID sponsored conference.” Nanyuki. Kenya. 2000
Annual Consultative Review, Manitoba and Nairobi Universities Collaborative Conference. “Multi centre Matched Perspective Control Study of 2,786 Children
Orphaned by AIDS, 2,420 other Orphans and 3,400.” Nairobi, Kenya. 2000
East African Association of Anthropologists inaugural Conference. “Anthropology and ethnography.” Nairobi, Kenya. 2000

2011-07-23T05:25:00.000-07:00

The changing face of famine is a dynamic shifting paradigm. ICROSS has created a long term research programme constantly incorporating these rapid changes into our own intelligence and strategies.

Food Outlook
According to the latest Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWSNET) and WFP joint food security report, the cumulative effects of the failed October to December 2010 rains and the insignificant contribution of early 2011 rains means that food security in lowland and pastoral areas will be classified at emergency levels in the coming months until the next rainy season between October and December 2011. The report adds that significant reduction in herd size (60-80% for cattle, 25-35% for shoats, and 25-40% for camels) has been reported as a result of water and pasture shortages in the southern zones of Somali, lowland areas of Oromia Region (including Bale, Borena, and Guji zones) and in South Omo, SNNPR, in addition to significant reduction in productivity resulting in poor milk availability. Moreover, the purchasing capacity of pastoral and agro-pastoral communities is poor due to unfavorable livestock-to-cereal terms of trade caused by increases in food prices against low prices of livestock and reduced demand.
The below-average performance of the 2011 rains is also likely to result in poor belg harvests in parts of the eastern meher- producing areas, including parts of southern Tigray; Oromia and North Shewa zones of Amhara; and East and West Harerghe zones of Oromia regions. Furthermore, prospects for harvests of short- and long-cycle crops in July and December/January are low, as planting has been significantly affected by the late and insufficient rains. The June to December lean season, coupled with the upcoming dry weather conditions in many lowland/pastoral areas, is expected to exacerbate the food security situation. For more information, contact: ocha-eth@un.org & Ethiopia@fews.net
Market Watch
WFP's April Market Watch reports that the country-level consumer price index has increased by 34.7 per cent food, with the consumer food price index increasing by 40.7 percent and cereal price index by 27.5 percent, in May 2011 as compared to the same month last year. International maize, wheat and sorghum prices remained high in May 2011 and thus import parity prices stood above the 2008 and 2009 levels. In May 2011, the import parity prices at Addis Ababa stood at US$ 584 per MT for maize, at $562 per MT for wheat and at $450 per MT for sorghum. Wholesale prices of cereals have increased continuously for the last four months and currently the prices of maize and wheat stand above the same months from 2008 to 2010. Out of the 23 monitored markets, maize price climbed up in 20 markets. Contrary to seasonal trends, maize prices in most SNNPR markets are similar to those in deficit markets. Meanwhile, the Ethiopian Government has lifted the ceiling prices imposed on basic food and non-food commodities except for wheat flour, edible oil (palm oil) and sugar. The Ethiopian Grain Trade Enterprise has started the distribution of wheat at subsidized prices to millers so that bakeries can maintain an affordable selling price. For more information, contact: wfp.addisababa@wfp.org
WASH Update
Although the late gu/ganna rains temporarily relieved the severe water shortages and led to reduction in water trucking operations, some pocket areas continue to depend on water trucking for their supply of clean water. At present in Oromia region, 22 water trucks are required, out of which 18 are deployed and providing water trucking in West Arsi (2 trucks) and Borena (16 trucks) with the support of Government, UNICEF and NGOs (GOAL, AFD and CONCERN). The NGO Concern is preparing to deploy an additional truck in Dillo woreda (Borena zone). In Somali, where water trucking has been ongoing in pocket areas, Save the Children US undertook a rapid assessment with woreda officials in Moyale and Hudet woredas (Liben zone), the results of which showed a need to resume water trucking in those woredas. Save the Children US will resume water rationing with funding from the Humanitarian Response Fund (HRF). In Afar, water trucking continues in Bidu, Dupti, Elidar, Erebti Kurri, and Yalo woredas. In Amhara, water trucking is ongoing in Minjar Shenkora and East Belesa woredas. Ten water trucks are deployed in Tigray region, including in Ahferom, Geter Adwa, Raya Azebo, Shire and Tsegede woredas. For more information, contact: aayele@unicef.org
Health Update
According to the Ethiopian Health and Nutrition Institute (EHNRI), the number of new measles cases reported between 20 and 27 June decreased from 114 to 2 cases. The two cases were reported in Addis Ababa. However, the measles epidemic is ongoing in SNNPR, with outbreaks reported in Arba Minch (Gamo Gofa zone), Hadero Tunto (Kembata Tembaro), Hamer, Selamgo, and Bena Tsemay (South Omo) and in Halaba special woreda. EHNRI also received reports of a possible measles epidemic from Begi woreda (West Wollega zone) and sent a team to investigate. Over the past four weeks, total reported cases were nearly 270, with no deaths. Meanwhile,during the same week, 13 suspected cases of acute watery diarrhoea (AWD) were reported from Galadi woreda (Warder zone, Somali Region). Between 6 and 26 June, EHNRI received reports of nearly 200 cases of AWD from Somali region, including from parts of Fik, Shinile and Warder zones). UNICEF had pre- positonned case treatment center kits and sent emergency drug kits to support case management. In collaboration with the Regional Health Bureau (RHB), WHO and partners are strengthening disease surveillance and monitoring health-related emergencies in Amhara, Gambella, Oromia and SNNPR. In SNNPR, support has been provided for assessment of community-level surveillance in 34 woredas of eight zones (Gamo Gofa, Gurage, Hadiya, Kembata Tembaro, Segen Selti, Sidama and Wolayita). In Amhara, WHO supported the assessment of the current status in health emergency preparedness in North Shewa and Oromia zones in light of AWD outbreak risks. For more information, contact: who-wro@et.efro.who.int

Despite China’s rapid economic growth and India’s healthy democracy, you could say that there’s one area where Africa beats the Asian giants: in the famine stakes. Dr Stephen Devereux, editor of the book “The New Famines” (Routledge 2006) talks to WFP web writer Michelle Hough about why Africa is on the frontline of the chronic hunger battle.

Despite China’s rapid economic growth and India’s healthy democracy, you could say that there’s one area where Africa beats the Asian giants: in the famine stakes. Dr Stephen Devereux, editor of the book “The New Famines” (Routledge 2006) talks to WFP web writer Michelle Hough about why Africa is now on the frontline of the chronic hunger battle.

For many of us the face of famine is black, it’s poor and it is above all African.

Through the fuzzy focus of the international news machine chronic hunger seems to have a stranglehold on this vast continent, and most of us probably can’t remember a time when it was any different. However, do a bit of Googling and you’ll find that the top ten worst famines of the twentieth century all took place in Asia.

The media is a major famine prevention tool
Dr Stephen Devereux

In a presentation at WFP’s Rome headquarters for the book “The New Famines”, Dr Stephen Devereux lays it out clearly in a bar chart: over 30 million people dead China in 1958, 9 million dead in the Soviet Union in 1921 and over 7 million people killed by famine in the Soviet Union in 1932.

If you compare the estimated one million who died in the most recent African famine, Ethiopia in 1984, to the large numbers killed in the previous fifty years, there has been a positive change – even though 854 million people around the world are still desperately hungry.

Relative improvment

“There has been a relative improvement,” says Dr Devereux. “Nowadays there are less famines and they affect less people.”

Dr Devereux explains that Asia made the move away from famine through improved infrastructure, technology, agriculture and market access, all of which improved food availability.

Democracy also gave people a voice and the power to protect one of their most basic rights: access to food. In India, the post-independence government was made accountable through a social contract outlining the eradication of famine. The country hasn’t since experienced famine – although the same can’t be said for chronic under-nutrition, which is rife.

Reversal of fortunes

If you look at Africa, says Dr Devereux, not only have factors such as agriculture and democracy not improved, but in some cases there’s been a reversal.

For example, food production in Malawi is falling because families with more children have less land to farm. This is exacerbated by the fact that new generations still rely on farming for their livelihoods rather than moving towards new skills.

"Bread basket"

Zimbabwe used to be known as the “bread basket” of its region but now food shortages are frequent.

“In countries such as Zimbabwe and Somalia, poor governance and conflict increase poverty, which increases hunger,” says Dr Devereux.

“Meanwhile, in countries such as Ethiopia and Malawi, weak democracy has not strengthened citizens’ democratic voices and hunger remains an issue. In Africa, weak democratic processes often exist because minorities take over and exclude the majority,” he says.

Another major problem is the dominance of HIV/AIDS in some African countries. Dr Devereux says that AIDS has been a big factor in the resurgence of famine in Africa in the past twenty years because it depletes people’s resources and coping mechanisms.

Failure to respond

In the era of “The New Famines”, as our potential to eradicate famine increases, so does our potential to cause it, according to Dr Devereux. He thinks that now hunger crises are no longer caused by either food scarcity or market failure, a failure to respond is to blame.

Our biggest challenge is to move beyond emergencies and have a sustained attacked on hunger. We need to make ending global hunger a political priority
Dr Stephen Devereux

National governments may not be able to protect food security due to conflict or natural disasters. The international community, on the other hand, tends to prioritise some crises rather than others.

“Some famines get international attention, others don’t,” explains Dr Devereux. “There was a big reaction to the possibility of famine in the Balkans in the 1990s because famine in Europe would have been unacceptable. Iraq got action. Sudan hasn’t.”

Media old and new

In the “new famine” scenario, the heady mix of national governments, NGOs and the international community means it’s often difficult to lay accountability at the feet of one actor. And besides, no crisis should ever be allowed to get to the emergency stage when fingers are being pointed because it should have been spotted and dealt with earlier, says Dr Devereux.

“The media is a major famine prevention tool,” says Dr Devereux. “It highlights crises that have been concealed and forces people to respond, such as in Malawi in 2002.”

He goes one step further and suggests that victims of hunger can use new media such as the internet to raise awareness about their condition. I tell him that one refugee in a Kenyan camp did exactly that when he sent a text message to WFP in London to say the people in the camp didn’t have enough food.

Before hunger takes hold

Dr Devereux stresses that the media shouldn’t just focus on the powerful images created once famine has firmly taken hold eg. starving children and mass migration.

It should get in there earlier on in the process, when the situation is less “camera friendly” and highlight the numbers affected. It’s worth remembering that the effects of malnutrition kill many more people than famine.

WFP tackles hunger before it takes hold with projects such as school feeding and food-for-work which have the dual purpose of providing food assistance while promoting education and training - and in the long-run, providing a brighter future for beneficiaries.

Hopes for the future

Dr Devereux is hopeful for the future. He thinks the “Right to Food” campaign and other international initiatives will increase and there will be a concerted attempt to prevent famine.

He envisages democracy improving in countries wracked by food insecurity, and biotechnology may offer the potential to increase and stabilise food production. Nevertheless, AIDS will continue to be a big problem, in his opinion.

But, says Dr Devereux, wiping famine from the face of Africa will only be possible if the political will is behind it.

“Our biggest challenge is to move beyond emergencies and have a sustained attacked on hunger. We need to make ending global hunger a political priority,” says Dr Devereux.

Perspectives de l'alimentation
Selon les dernières Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET) et le PAM rapport conjoint de la sécurité alimentaire, les effets cumulatifs de l'échec Octobre to Décembre 2010 pluies et de la contribution insignifiante des pluies au début de 2011 signifie que la sécurité alimentaire dans les plaines et les zones pastorales seront classés à des niveaux d'urgence dans les mois à venir jusqu'à la prochaine saison des pluies, entre Octobre et Décembre 2011. Le rapport ajoute que la réduction significative de la taille du troupeau (60-80% pour les bovins, 25-35% pour les gorets, et 25-40% pour les chameaux) a été signalé à la suite de pénuries d'eau et des pâturages dans les zones méridionales de la Somalie, les zones de plaine de la région d'Oromia (y compris Bale, Borena et Guji zones) et dans le Sud Omo, SNNPR, en plus de la réduction significative de la productivité résultant de la disponibilité de lait pauvre. Par ailleurs, la capacité d'achat des communautés pastorales et agro-pastorales est pauvre à cause de l'élevage défavorables à céréales termes de l'échange causée par l'augmentation des prix des denrées alimentaires contre les bas prix du bétail et de la demande réduite.
Les performances inférieures à la moyenne de 2011 pluies est également susceptible d'entraîner de mauvaises récoltes belg dans certaines parties de l'Est meher régions productrices, y compris les régions du sud du Tigré; Oromia et du Nord Shewa zones d'Amhara et les zones Est et Ouest Harerghe d'Oromia les régions. Par ailleurs, les perspectives de récoltes des cultures à court et cycle long en Juillet et Décembre / Janvier sont faibles, comme la plantation a été sensiblement affectée par les pluies tardives et insuffisantes. Le Juin to Décembre saison maigre, couplé avec les conditions à venir sécheresse dans de nombreuses plaines / les zones pastorales, on s'attend à aggraver la situation de sécurité alimentaire. Pour plus d'informations, contacter: ocha-eth@un.org & Ethiopia@fews.net
Market Watch
PAM rapports Avril Market Watch que l'indice au niveau des pays prix à la consommation a augmenté de 34,7 pour cent des aliments, l'indice des prix à la consommation alimentaire croissante de 40,7 pour cent et l'indice des prix des céréales de 27,5 pour cent, en mai 2011 par rapport au même mois l'année dernière . Prix internationaux du maïs, du blé et du sorgho est restée élevée en mai 2011 et donc importer des prix de parité était au-dessus des niveaux de 2008 et 2009. En mai 2011, le prix de parité à l'importation à Addis-Abeba s'élevait à US $ 584 par tonne pour le maïs, à 562 $ par tonne métrique pour le blé et à 450 $ par tonne métrique pour le sorgho. Les prix de gros de céréales ont augmenté continuellement au cours des quatre derniers mois et actuellement les prix du maïs et du blé sont au-dessus des mêmes mois de 2008 à 2010. Sur les 23 marchés étudiés, le prix du maïs a grimpé dans 20 marchés. Contrairement aux tendances saisonnières, les prix du maïs sur les marchés les plus SNNPR sont similaires à ceux des marchés déficit. En attendant, le gouvernement éthiopien a levé le prix plafond imposé sur les denrées alimentaires de base et des denrées non alimentaires, sauf pour la farine de blé, l'huile comestible (l'huile de palme) et le sucre. L'entreprise Ethiopian Grain Trade a commencé la distribution de blé à des prix subventionnés aux meuniers afin que les boulangeries peuvent maintenir un prix de vente abordable. Pour plus d'informations, contacter: wfp.addisababa @ wfp.org
WASH mise à jour
Bien que la fin des années gu / ganna pluies temporairement soulagé les graves pénuries d'eau et conduit à la réduction des activités de camionnage de l'eau, certaines zones de poche continuent de dépendre de camionnage de l'eau pour leur approvisionnement en eau propre. A l'heure actuelle dans la région d'Oromia, 22 camions d'eau sont nécessaires, dont 18 sont déployés et en fournissant de l'eau dans l'ouest de camionnage Arsi (2 camions) et Borena (16 camions) avec le soutien du Gouvernement, l'UNICEF et les ONG (BUT, l'AFD et PRÉOCCUPATION ). L'ONG Concern se prépare à déployer un camion supplémentaire dans Dillo woreda (Borena zone). En Somalie, où le camionnage de l'eau a été en cours dans les domaines de poche, Save the Children US a entrepris une évaluation rapide avec les responsables des woredas de Moyale et Hudet woredas (Liben zone), dont les résultats ont montré un besoin de reprendre de camionnage de l'eau dans les woredas. Save the Children US reprendra rationnement de l'eau avec un financement du Fonds d'intervention humanitaire (HRF). En Afar, le camionnage de l'eau continue de Bidu, Dupti, Elidar, Erebti Kurri et Yalo woredas. Dans l'Amhara, de camionnage de l'eau est en cours dans Minjar Shenkora et de l'Est Belesa woredas. Dix camions-citernes sont déployés dans la région de Tigray, y compris dans Ahferom, Geter Adwa, Raya Azebo, Shire et Tsegede woredas. Pour plus d'informations, contacter: aayele@unicef.org
Santé Mise à jour
Selon l'Ethiopian Health and Nutrition Institute (EHNRI), le nombre de nouveaux cas de rougeole signalés entre 20 et 27 Juin diminué de 114 à 2 cas. Les deux cas ont été signalés à Addis-Abeba. Toutefois, l'épidémie de rougeole est en cours dans la région SNNPR, avec des flambées signalées à Arba Minch (Gamo Gofa zone), Hadero Tunto (Kembata Tembaro), Hamer, Selamgo, et Bena Tsemay (Sud Omo) et dans Halaba spéciale woreda. EHNRI également reçu des rapports d'une éventuelle épidémie de rougeole à partir Begi woreda (Ouest Wollega zone) et a envoyé une équipe pour enquêter. Au cours des quatre dernières semaines, le total des cas signalés ont été près de 270, sans aucun décès. Pendant ce temps, durant la même semaine, 13 cas suspects de diarrhée aqueuse aiguë (AWD) ont été signalés dans Galadi woreda (Warder zone, la région Somali). Entre 6 et 26 Juin, EHNRI reçu des rapports de près de 200 cas de diarrhée aqueuse aiguë de la région Somali, y compris des parties de Fik, Warder Shinile et les zones). L'UNICEF avait pré-positonned kits cas du centre de traitement et envoyé des trousses de médicaments d'urgence pour soutenir la gestion des cas. En collaboration avec le Bureau régional de la santé (RHB), l'OMS et les partenaires sont le renforcement de la surveillance des maladies et la surveillance de la santé des urgences liées à Amhara, de Gambella, Oromia et SNNPR. En SNNPR, une aide a été fournie pour l'évaluation du niveau de la communauté de surveillance dans 34 woredas de huit zones (Gamo Gofa, Gurage, Hadiya, Kembata Tembaro, Segen Selti, Sidama et Wolayita). Dans l'Amhara, l'OMS a appuyé l'évaluation de l'état actuel de la préparation aux urgences de santé dans le Nord Shewa et les zones d'Oromia, à la lumière des risques épidémie AWD. Pour plus d'informations, contacter: who-wro@et.efro.who.int

Malgré la croissance économique chinoise rapide et saine démocratie de l'Inde, on pourrait dire qu'il ya bien un domaine où l'Afrique bat les géants asiatiques: dans les enjeux de la famine. Le Dr Stephen Devereux, l'éditeur du livre "Les famines Nouvelle" (2006 Routledge) parle au PAM web écrivain Michelle Hough pourquoi l'Afrique est sur le front de la bataille de faim chronique.

Malgré la croissance économique chinoise rapide et saine démocratie de l'Inde, on pourrait dire qu'il ya bien un domaine où l'Afrique bat les géants asiatiques: dans les enjeux de la famine. Le Dr Stephen Devereux, l'éditeur du livre "Les famines Nouvelle" (2006 Routledge) parle au PAM web écrivain Michelle Hough pourquoi l'Afrique est aujourd'hui sur le front de la bataille de faim chronique.

Pour beaucoup d'entre nous face à la famine est noir, il est pauvre et il est avant tout africaine.

Grâce à la mise au point floue de la faim internationales machines nouvelles chroniques semble avoir une mainmise sur ce vaste continent, et la plupart de nous ne peut probablement pas se rappeler un moment où il a été toute différente. Cependant, faire un peu de googling, et vous verrez que les dix premiers pires famines du XXe siècle ont tous eu lieu en Asie.

Les médias sont un outil de grande famine de prévention
Le Dr Stephen Devereux

Dans une présentation au siège du PAM à Rome pour le livre "Les famines Nouveau», le Dr Stephen Devereux qu'il énonce clairement dans un graphique à barres: plus de 30 millions de morts en Chine en 1958, 9 millions de morts en Union soviétique en 1921 et plus de 7 millions personnes tuées par la famine en Union soviétique en 1932.

Si vous comparez les environ un million qui sont morts dans la famine la plus récente en Afrique, en Ethiopie en 1984, au grand nombre de tués dans les cinquante années précédentes, il ya eu un changement positif - même si 854 millions de personnes dans le monde sont toujours désespérément faim .

Improvment relative

"Il ya eu une amélioration relative», explique le Dr Devereux. «Aujourd'hui, il ya moins de famines et ils affectent moins de personnes."

Dr Devereux explique que l'Asie a fait l'abandon de la famine grâce à une infrastructure, une technologie améliorée, l'agriculture et l'accès au marché, qui disponibilités alimentaires.

Démocratie a également donné aux gens une voix et le pouvoir de protéger un de leurs droits les plus élémentaires: accès à la nourriture. En Inde, le gouvernement post-indépendance a été rendu responsable par le biais d'un contrat social décrivant l'éradication de la famine. Le pays n'a pas depuis la famine expérimentés - bien que l'on ne peut pas en dire autant de sous-alimentation chronique, qui est omniprésente.

Renversement des fortunes

Si vous regardez l'Afrique, explique le Dr Devereux, ont non seulement des facteurs tels que l'agriculture et de la démocratie n'est pas améliorée, mais dans certains cas, il ya eu un renversement.

Par exemple, la production alimentaire au Malawi est en baisse parce que les familles avec plus d'enfants ont moins de terres à cultiver. Cette situation est aggravée par le fait que les nouvelles générations comptent toujours sur l'agriculture pour leur subsistance plutôt que de déplacer vers de nouvelles compétences.

"Corbeille à pain"

Le Zimbabwe était autrefois connu comme le «grenier» de sa région, mais maintenant les pénuries alimentaires sont fréquentes.

«Dans des pays comme le Zimbabwe et la Somalie, la mauvaise gouvernance et la pauvreté augmentent les conflits, ce qui augmente la faim», explique le Dr Devereux.

"Pendant ce temps, dans des pays comme l'Éthiopie et le Malawi, la démocratie n'a pas renforcé la faiblesse des voix démocratiques des citoyens et de la faim reste un problème. En Afrique, la faiblesse des processus démocratiques existent souvent parce que les minorités prennent le dessus et exclure la majorité », dit-il.

Un autre problème majeur est la domination du VIH / SIDA dans certains pays africains. Dr Devereux dit que le sida a été un grand facteur dans la résurgence de la famine en Afrique au cours des vingt dernières années, car il épuise les ressources des personnes et des mécanismes d'adaptation.

L'absence de réponse

Dans l'ère de la «Nouvelle famines», comme notre potentiel pour éradiquer la famine augmente, il en va de notre potentiel de le provoquer, selon le Dr Devereux. Il pense que maintenant crises alimentaires ne sont plus causés par la pénurie alimentaire ou une défaillance du marché, une absence de réponse est à blâmer.

Notre plus grand défi est d'aller au-delà des situations d'urgence et ont une attaque soutenue sur la faim. Nous avons besoin de faire éliminer la faim mondiale une priorité politique
Le Dr Stephen Devereux

Les gouvernements nationaux ne peuvent pas être en mesure de protéger la sécurité alimentaire en raison de conflits ou de catastrophes naturelles. La communauté internationale, d'autre part, tend à prioriser certaines crises plutôt que d'autres.

«Certaines famines attirer l'attention internationale, d'autres pas», explique le Dr Devereux. «Il y avait une réaction grande à la possibilité de la famine dans les Balkans dans les années 1990, car la famine en Europe aurait été inacceptable. L'Irak a obtenu l'action. Le Soudan n'a pas. "

Anciens et nouveaux médias

Dans la «nouvelle famine" scénario, le mélange capiteux des gouvernements nationaux, les ONG et la communauté internationale signifie qu'il est souvent difficile de jeter la responsabilité aux pieds d'un acteur. Et d'ailleurs, aucune crise ne devrait jamais être autorisé à accéder à la phase d'urgence lorsque les doigts sont fait parce qu'il aurait dû être repérés et traités plus tôt, explique le Dr Devereux.

«Les médias sont un outil de grande famine de prévention», explique le Dr Devereux. »Il souligne que les crises ont été dissimulés et force les gens à répondre, comme au Malawi en 2002."

Il va encore plus loin et suggère que les victimes de la faim peut utiliser les nouveaux médias comme l'Internet pour sensibiliser à leur condition. Je lui dis que un réfugié dans un camp au Kenya a fait exactement cela quand il a envoyé un message texte au PAM à Londres à-dire les gens dans le camp n'ont pas eu assez de nourriture.

Avant la faim s'empare

Dr Devereux souligne que les médias ne devraient pas se concentrer uniquement sur les images puissantes créé une fois que la famine a pris fermement par exemple tenir. enfants affamés et des migrations de masse.

Il devrait entrer là plus tôt dans le processus, lorsque la situation est moins "caméra amicale" et de souligner le nombre de personnes touchées. Il faut se rappeler que les effets de la malnutrition tuent beaucoup plus de gens que la famine.

Le PAM s'attaque à la faim avant qu'il s'empare avec des projets comme l'alimentation scolaire et de la nourriture contre travail, qui ont le double objectif de fournir une aide alimentaire tout en favorisant l'éducation et la formation - et dans le long terme-, offrant un meilleur avenir pour les bénéficiaires.

Espoirs pour l'avenir

Dr Devereux est optimiste pour l'avenir. Il pense que le "droit à l'alimentation" de campagne et d'autres initiatives internationales va augmenter et il y aura une tentative concertée pour prévenir la famine.

Il envisage la démocratie dans les pays en améliorant ravagé par l'insécurité alimentaire et la biotechnologie peut offrir la possibilité d'augmenter et de stabiliser la production alimentaire. Cependant, le SIDA continuera d'être un gros problème, à son avis.

Mais, explique le Dr Devereux, essuyant la famine de la face de l'Afrique ne sera possible que si la volonté politique est derrière elle.

«Notre plus grand défi est d'aller au-delà des situations d'urgence et ont une attaque soutenue sur la faim. Nous avons besoin de faire éliminer la faim une priorité politique globale ", déclare le Dr Devereux.

ICROSS Research has ben focused for three decades on these core areas.
among the wide ranging publications

1. Elmore-Meegan M, Conroy RM, Agala CB. Sex workers in Kenya,
numbers of clients and associated risks: an exploratory survey.
Reprod Health Matters 2004;12(23):50-7.

2. Meegan ME, Conroy RM, Lengeny SO, Renhault K, Nyangole J. Effect
on neonatal tetanus mortality after a culturally-based health
promotion programme. Lancet 2001;358(9282):640-1.

3. Conroy RM, Meegan ME, Joyce T, McGuigan K, Barnes J. Solar
disinfection of drinking water protects against cholera in children
under 6 years of age. Arch Dis Child 2001;85(4):293-5.

4. Meegan M, Morley DC. Growth monitoring: family participation:
effective community development. Trop Doct 1999;29(1):23-7.

5. Conroy RM, Meegan ME, Joyce T, McGuigan K, Barnes J. Solar
disinfection of water reduces diarrhoeal disease: an update. Arch Dis
Child 1999;81(4):337-8.

6. Meegan M, Morley D, Chavasse D. Fly traps. Lancet 1997;349(9055):886.

7. Meegan M, Morley DC, Brown R. Child weighing by the unschooled: a
report of a controlled study of growth monitoring over 12 months of
Maasai children using direct recording scales. Trans R Soc Trop Med
Hyg 1994;88(6):635-7.

8. Conroy RM, Meegan ME. Dwindling donor aid for health programmes in
developing countries. Lancet 1994;343(8907):1228-9.

9. Meegan MK. Rethinking famine relief. Lancet 1992;340(8830):1293-4.

10. Konings E, Anderson RM, Morley D, O'Riordan T, Meegan M. Rates of
sexual partner change among two pastoralist southern Nilotic groups
in east Africa. Aids 1989;3(4):245-7.

11. Meegan M, McCormick J. Prevention of disease in the poor world.
Lancet 1988;2(8603):152-3.
12. Meegan M. Starvation and suffering. Lancet 1983;2(8365-66):1506.

13. Meegan M. The reality of starvation and disease. Lancet 1981;1
(8212):146.

Published Books
Changing the World
Feb 2009 256 pgs www.eye-books.com

Take my hand, a spiritual journey
With Sharon Wilkinson, Forward by T Hogan, 58 pgs www.michaelmeegan.com July 2008

Surprised by joy; a story of hope in the midst of tragedy ( forward by Stephen Sackur) 156 pgs
July 2006 www.maverickhouse.com

All Will be Well (Forward by John Hurt) Eye-Books, 149 pgs
May 2004.
ISBN 1903070279 www.eye-book.com

All Shall be Well, Forward by John Powell SJ, ISBN 000-627006-9, Collins. 146 pgs. First edition 1986, Reprint Jan 1999.

In preparation
The path of change
Meegan M ,Conroy R Scrima M
Eye Books May 2011 www.eye-books.com

The Tribe of One With Colin Meagle www.eye-books.com
May 2011

So you want o be a volunteer A guide for International volunteers

Pain and fear
Understanding death dying and suffering a practical companion guide
With Thomas Ernst MD

Bright darkness Fortress monastery on Montpellier, guarding the secrets of the last king of Jerusalem 1200 pgs, historical Novel 2013

Illustrative general articles
AFRO Journal Italy, regular contributor on Global health, poverty and International health trends and patterning Oct 09 Feb 09 Dialogue on Diarrhoea , regular contributor
World Health Organsation (WHO ) guidelines Trachoma prevention, fly traps , M Elmore-Meegan Prof D Morely et al, Geneva, Switzerland. 2001

Peer Reviews for key publications & major conferences and journals incl Int AIDS Conference

Scientific conferences and presentations (illustrative)

Health care in regions of absolute Poverty
Seminar , Dept International health, Faculty of Medicine
University of Tampere, Finland 30th November 2009

SODIS in KENYA, 20 years of field implementaton
SODIS International Conference Phnom Phen Cambodia
International seminar of the impact of Solar disinfection

International Research Colloquium of the Network to promote
Household Water Treatment and Safe Storage (HWTS), Twenty years of SODIS in Kenya.
Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin 21st - 23rd September 2009

Changing dynamics of Morbidity, Mortality and poverty of children in the Third World.
Senate Hearing, Italian Senate, Rome
Senatorial Commission on International Children’s Rights , At the request of Italian Senate Commission, Rome , 31st April 2009

Global health and interdependency,
The Royal College of Surgeons Charter day lecture 2009
Royal College of Surgeons,Dublin. 12th Feb 2009

Emerging mega-trends in Global health
Future shocks; disasters and relief in a changing world, RedR Conference, Royal College of nursing, London, 5th December, 2007

Locally appropriate technologies in low income settings, Dept International health, Tampere University, Finland. 29th Nov 2007

Applied operational study of pain determinants in terminally ill patients in Bondo, Kenya XVI International AIDS Conference,Toronto, August 06 Francis,P,Meegan,M

The 46th Robert Graves Lecture
Royal Academy of Medicine in Ireland
Creating long term change through culturally acceptable cost effective public health interventions.
Dublin 10 May 06
IFCW World Forum. “AIDS orphans & Vulnerable Children; an evidence-led response.” Cape Town, South Africa. 2003
Annual Consultative Review, Manitoba and Nairobi Universities Collaborative Conference. “An assessment of home-based care interventions among 2,116 terminally ill patients in Bondo and Siaya using clinically validated scales.
Interim results.” Nairobi, Kenya. 2003

"AIDS and the changing face of Africa: The impact on children, WUSC-Carleton, Médecins Sans Frontières, CARE Carlton University Canada, 25th Nov 2002

Annual Consultative Review, Manitoba and Nairobi Universities Collaborative Conference. “Modeling cultural determinants of sexual behavior” - A Pilot Study. Nairobi, Kenya. 2002

Annual Consultative Review, Manitoba and Nairobi Universities Collaborative Conference. “AIDS, children and poverty, an alternative model to international Aid, ‘Love, evidence and common sense.” Nairobi, Kenya. 2002.

WHO Trachoma conference
. “Effect of fly control using sustainable  interventions on the prevalence of Trachoma in five pastoral tribes in Kenya.” Geneva, Switzerland. 2001

Child Survival. Alternative strategies in reducing infant mortality” International Conference on Child survival. Nairobi, Kenya. 2001

Identifying emerging needs among AIDS orphans in Kenya. “Multicentre Matched Perspective Control Study of 2,786 Children Orphaned by AIDS, 2,420 other Orphans and 3,400”
Nairobi, Kenya. 2000

AIDS orphans. “An emerging crisis: a USAID sponsored conference.” Nanyuki. Kenya. 2000
Annual Consultative Review, Manitoba and Nairobi Universities Collaborative Conference. “Multi centre Matched Perspective Control Study of 2,786 Children
Orphaned by AIDS, 2,420 other Orphans and 3,400.” Nairobi, Kenya. 2000
East African Association of Anthropologists inaugural Conference. “Anthropology and ethnography.” Nairobi, Kenya. 2000

Ongoing education

PhD “The Importance of Local Appropriateness in Health services – A case study effective health programming among the pastoral nomadic Maasai , Kenya, East Africa ”, Doctorate Global Health, Dept International Health, University of Tampere, Finland 2009-12

ICROSS July 23 2011

2011-07-23T04:31:00.000-07:00

Children

The poorest children on earth live in rural Sub-Sahara. Over 80% of starvation and ¾ of preventable deaths occur in this region. In many areas, 1 in 5 children die before their 5th birthday. The suffering facing these children can be stopped. The gap between a child born in rural Africa and Western Europe has never been bigger. ICROSS has been developing effective ways of improving child health for over three decades. To read more, please click here.

a) Primary Health Care

All ICROSS clinics provide comprehensive primary care to children in the homes and schools. This includes immunizing against the main six killer diseases; Tuberculosis, diphtheria, Whooping cough, polio, meningitis and tetanus, monitoring the growth of infants, nutritional support to malnourished children. For 16 years, ICROSS has pioneered innovations, finding new ways to improve drinking water for children and reduce diarrhea infections. We are developing new ways to prevent blindness from Trachoma. Our child survival programme has reached over 200,000 children since it began in 1984.

b) Child Survival

Child survival is a program that reduced child deaths. ICROSS Child survival interventions fight diarrhea, pneumonia, malaria, and neonatal illnesses. Of the portion of children under the age of 5 alone, an estimated 9.2 million children die each year mostly from these causes.

ICROSS child survival includes:

* immunizing mothers against tetanus

* ensuring clean delivery practices in a hygienic birthing space

* proper nutrition of babies

* care of new-borns

* continued breastfeeding

* immunization, and treatment of infections with antibiotics

These interventions could save the lives of 3 million newborns annually in developing countries.

Improved sanitation and access to clean drinking water can reduce childhood infections and diarrhea.

Over 40 percent of the world's population does not have access to basic sanitation, and more than one billion people use unsafe sources of drinking water. This is why ICROSS has focused on these projects since 1980.

Enfants

Les enfants les plus pauvres sur terre vivent en milieu rural sub-saharienne. Plus de 80% de la famine et les ¾ des décès évitables surviennent dans cette région. Dans de nombreuses régions, 1 enfant sur 5 meurt avant leur 5ème anniversaire. La souffrance face à ces enfants peut être arrêtée. L'écart entre un enfant né en Afrique rurale et en Europe occidentale n'a jamais été aussi grand. ICROSS a été l'élaboration de moyens efficaces d'améliorer la santé des enfants depuis plus de trois décennies. Pour en savoir plus, s'il vous plaît cliquez ici.

a) soins de santé primaires

Toutes les cliniques ICROSS fournissent des soins primaires complets aux enfants dans les maisons et les écoles. Cela comprend la vaccination contre les six principales maladies mortelles; tuberculose, la diphtérie, la coqueluche, la polio, la méningite et le tétanos, la surveillance de la croissance des nourrissons, un soutien nutritionnel aux enfants mal nourris. Depuis 16 ans, a été le pionnier des innovations ICROSS, trouver de nouvelles façons d'améliorer l'eau potable pour les enfants et réduire les infections de diarrhée. Nous développons de nouvelles façons de prévenir la cécité due au trachome. Notre programme de survie de l'enfant a atteint plus de 200.000 enfants depuis qu'il a commencé en 1984.

Survie de l'enfant b)

La survie des enfants est un programme qui a réduit la mortalité infantile. Enfant ICROSS survie lutter contre les interventions diarrhée, la pneumonie, le paludisme et les maladies néonatales. De la portion d'enfants de moins de 5 ans seulement, 9,2 millions d'enfants meurent chaque année principalement de ces causes.

Survie de l'enfant ICROSS comprend:

* Mères immuniser contre le tétanos

* Assurer des pratiques d'accouchement propre dans un espace d'accouchement hygiénique

* Bonne nutrition des bébés

* Les soins des nouveau-nés

* Poursuite de l'allaitement

* Vaccination et le traitement des infections avec des antibiotiques

Ces interventions pourraient sauver la vie de 3 millions de nouveau-nés chaque année dans les pays en développement.

Amélioration de l'assainissement et l'accès à l'eau potable peuvent réduire les infections infantiles et la diarrhée.

Plus de 40 pour cent de la population mondiale n'a pas accès à un assainissement de base, et plus d'un milliard de personnes utilisent des sources d'eau potable insalubres. C'est pourquoi ICROSS s'est concentrée sur ces projets depuis 1980.

More about ICROSS projects

2011-07-23T04:29:00.001-07:00

Ce que nous faisons

Nous combattons la pauvreté en identifiant une cause de souffrance et de la conception à long terme de manière à créer un changement. Solutions Famine Relief, projets à court terme et rapide ne fonctionnent pas. Depuis 30 ans, nous avons développé des innovations alternatives et des solutions à faible technologie pour de gros problèmes.

projets

Les Nations Unies, a fixé une série d'objectifs pour mettre fin à la pauvreté et la faim. L'écart entre les riches et les pauvres des causes plus de 50.000 enfants meurent de maladies évitables par la pauvreté causent tous les jours. Ces objectifs du millénaire sont l'étalon-or, nous visons tous. Pour plus de faits sur la pauvreté mondiale et les raisons pour lesquelles ICROSS se concentre sur ces domaines, s'il vous plaît voir ici.

Toucher les gens tout autour de vous

2011-07-23T04:24:00.001-07:00

Toucher les gens tout autour de vous

Il ya mille idées de comment vous pouvez toucher et changer les choses autour de vous où que vous soyez. «Changer le monde, de l'intérieur" de Michael Meegan est disponible sur le amazon.co.uk ou par l'intermédiaire des yeux books.com.

Vous n'avez pas besoin d'aller en Afrique pour aider les gens et que vous n'avez pas besoin d'aller très loin dans votre propre vie pour inspirer ou aider quelqu'un. Si vous ne voulez aider notre travail en Afrique, il ya beaucoup de choses que vous pouvez faire.

ICROSS reçoit les demandes de bénévoles / stages / positions des milliers de candidats par an. Cependant, il ya des stages limitées disponibles dans notre programme.

Nous recevons des demandes dans les domaines suivants.

Médical / professionnels de la santé
Professionnels de la gestion et des affaires
professionnels sabbatique
Conseils juridiques et techniques
Étudiants de l'Université élective

ICROSS est constitué de bénévoles de la collectivité, la majorité étant formés comme agents de santé communautaires ou des travailleurs de soins à domicile, travaillant dans les communautés que nous desservons. Vous pouvez aussi aider. Ce n'est pas grave si vous êtes un étudiant, un professeur, une mère ou un constructeur, vous pouvez organiser un petit groupe d'amis et de faire une énorme différence dans la vie de centaines - vous pouvez faire aujourd'hui.

Avant de nous contacter, nous vous invitons à considérer les questions suivantes:

Pourquoi pensez-vous vraiment envie de venir?

Etes-vous prêt à apprendre d'autres cultures?
Pouvez-vous vous engager pour un an? Les stages sont un minimum d'un an, pas moins serait une brève visite pour dire bonjour.
Comment allez-vous faire face à la maladie et la souffrance autour de vous?
Si vous êtes toujours intéressés à vous impliquer et faire une différence, s'il vous plaît nous contacter directement.

Extending ICROSS Clinics July 2011 ICROSS Kenya programmes

2011-07-21T09:04:00.005-07:00

Dr Mike Meegan announces expansion of all ICROSS health facilities in Kenya.

Dr Mike Meegan at the Dr Joe Barnes Clinic Longusua July 21 2011 with ICROSS team at the new ICROSS Clinic extension

Famine in Kenya ICROSS preparing interventions july 2011

2011-07-21T08:53:00.001-07:00

As Kenya famine spreads ICROSS has started supplimentary feeding of malnourished children in two of our medical programmes. Womens groups and Community based organisations working in ICROSS prevention programmes have appealed for more food as the drought worsens.
The Dr Joe Barnes Clinic is one of the first Clinics to undergo extensions as part of the expansion programme. The next five years will see a large increase in demand for all ICROSS rural health programmes. Ole Lasoi announced today " We expect patient numbers to double by 2015 so we are extending all our health facilities to accomodate more medical staff and the community needs in each area " All ICROSS Clinics are getting larger water tanks , Maternity units and more patient facilities as well as storage space for emergency supplies. The International Director was today in Longosua discussing ewith women's groups and community elders about the community needs. The ICROSS planning team gathered at the ICROSS facility to review plans currently underway with communities and health staff.

The drought has seen a rapid increase in dehydration, diarrhoea among children and severe water shortage. The semi desert areas wheere most ICROSS health programmes operate are experiencing sever water shortages and deaths among livestock. Dr Michael Meegan said today " Our health teams are monitoring the nutritional status of children carefully throughout July and August to assess the nutritional needs of each area. The Ministry of Public health has introduced improved surveillance and data collection which we are watching carefully.

All the Country team leaders and the administration staff were at Longosua to prepare for the coming drought and discuss community needs. All the planning team are local Maasai who work closely with the community groups and leaders in ongoing discussions responding to the changing needs in a fast changing situation.

Latest clips from Maasai Public health programmes

A Maasai Welcome: ICROSS new project
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PoHy7f_q1g

Unveiling of new ICROSS Clinic
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqbrh4WTL-M

Maasai People Singing at ICROSS Clinic Opening:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-5vF0ZRKq4&feature=related

Gerry's Speech at Paula's ICROSS Clinic Opening:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVrIgJYsU4s&feature=related

Food Distribution at ICROSS Clinic Opening:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQTBdfurJnU&feature=related

Counsellor's speech at Clinic Opening:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QPfX2ConHU

more on

www.icrossinternational.org
www.icrosskenya.org
www.michaelmeegan.com
http://www.wix.com/michaelmeegan/official

and our official blog

ICROSS blog
http://icrossprojects.blogspot.com/

more coming soon
January 22, 2011 2:18 AM
Mike Meegan said...

New team appointments announced by CEO , ICROSS Kenya 2011
Danny Ngwiri , Country Drector ICROSS announced three new staff appontments today.

Following announcementas last week of new board members , the CEO made further updates today. Sally Mukwana and Lawyer Edwn Chege joined Dr E Sequeira, Danny Ngwiri and Dr Michael Meegan on the Board of Directors.

Anne Wanaina, formallly in charge of the HIC project in Nakuru is now Senior Programme Manager,ICROSS Nakuru as well as head, Programme Development, Gender projects.

P Karioki is in charge of ICROSS Kenya web awareness programme , developinng ICROSS work on the Web as well as web development.

I Maina Kamau is head of IT develoopment and computerisation, He will oversee the gradual computerisation of field clinics and be in charge of training. Saruni Ole Lengeny is n charge of ICROSS Volunteers and Interns 2011-2012.

Kinyanjui Kamau is now the Personal Assstant of the Country Director ICROSS Kenya.

Other team updates will be posted shortly. The Country Director is working with new partner organsations as we prepare to scale up our Rural health services.

P OleSironka
ICROSS Kenya www.icrossinternational.org
www.icrosskenya.org
Posted by Mike Meegan at 4:16 AM 0 comments
Labels: ICROSS, ICROSS International, ICROSS Kenya, Mke Meegan
Rift Valley Drector ICROSS Kenya visits Longosua
P Ole Lasoi visits Longosua, Dr Joe Barnes Clinic today to discuss plans with the heaklth team to build a maternity unit. The communty are served by ICROSS health services in Longosua since 2004. Paul ole Laso will work with the local community in preparing a plan that will see the Joe Barnes Clinc expanded to meet growing needs n the area. Parts of the large Maasai area are already suffering from drought.

Saruni Ole Lengeny is in Nyoonyorrie with women's groups as we plan the anti Malaria programme for 2011.
January 24, 2011 8:09 AM
Mike Meegan said...

"The most important thing each of us can do is to touch the
life of another person. There is no greater task for each of us than
to be the difference needed in the lives of the poor. Rather than talk about it we need to atually do it. We can change the lfe of the person in front of us now. We can feed the hungry, build a better World.... or we can spend our energy complaining. Each of us can make our mark, make our dfference"
Michael Meegan
Internatonal Director
ICROSS
January 24, 2011 12:58 PM
Mike Meegan said...

Im 2011 ICROSS Rural health programmes focuses on water borne diseases, child health, holistic primary health care and maternal health. Building on thirty years of experience we continue to develop community owned preventive programmes that directly change the incidence and prevalance of disease patterns in Pastoralist communities.

In 2011 ICROSS projects take on two new challenges. As we expand into new areas we are building improved rapid responses to outbreaks of malara and TB . We have just released the ICROSS Annual report 2010, it reviews our public health programmes over the last year. As we build a stronger ICROSS for the next decade we are creating new partnerships . With over 120 community groups and partner NGOs we look forward to an exciting 2011.

Dr Michael Meegan MSc Community Health TCD
D Med HC NUI FRAMI
Founder International Director

www.icrossinternational.org
www.icrosskenya.org

African drought

2011-07-20T10:38:00.000-07:00

ICROSS famine relief

famine worsening in Africa,ICROSS prepares for long term malnutrition

2011-07-20T10:08:00.000-07:00

The International Community for relief of starvation and suffering ICROSS preparing the long term famine relief in its 7th famine in Africa. Dr Mike Meegan , International Director is meeting Government officers to prepare the strategy for ICROSS in reaching thousands of malnourished children July 2011

helping children in Africa

2011-07-16T03:46:00.000-07:00

eres lots of ways ICROSS reaches children . With your help heres a few ideas of how you can help.

helping ICROSS

2011-07-16T03:41:00.000-07:00

Women's health

ICROSS has focused on women's health and reproductive health care in its expansion of Maternal and child health programmes. ICROSS health services have provided comprehensive care for mothers and children for 30 years in Africa in a wide range of evidence based health projects.

Our health projects focus since 1983 on mothers and children in community owned initiatives. These are the most vulnerable to disease and malnutrition. The International Director/Founder Dr Michael Meegan said today "We are really interested in increasing the capacity of the communities we live with to deliver long term health services and change. This is a dynamic shared learning with a wide range of partners and friends."

Saruni Ole Lengeny added "Our work includes includes training local ICROSS health volunteers as counsellors, and carers community health. ICROSS is focused on interventions ranging from prevention, diarrhoea control and reducing blindness, nutrition and education to birth spacing and clinical services. Our reproductive health projects include family planning. We are planning new maternity units to improve prenatal care, labour and delivery services, and the prevention, detection and treatment of STDs, including HIV/AIDS."

ICROSS Maasai clinic celebrates 25 years of programmes

Saruni Ole Lengeny announced today that ICROSS will celebrate twenty five years of health programmes at one of our longest serving clinics. After the 1983 drought we worked with communities and villages to provide long term health services owned and run by the communities. By early 1985 we began building funded by the British High Commission. Together with Paul Ole Lasoi, Danieal and Supuk OleNtilai we opened a nutrition programme for Maasai villages in the area. Now 25 years later there is a dynamic health programme serving Many Maasai communities across Maasai land. Following earlier successes building clinics serving the Nomadic communities ICROSS extending Mother and child health, Malaria control and child survival.

The Founder and International Director Dr Michael Meegan met with Maasai leaders today to plan celebrations of Inyonyori Clinic. He said "When I first came here many years ago I decided to work with the communities towards a long term health plan, this would take a life time. We are all excited to see the impact of long term community health and the real change in community owned health systems". The ICROSS model is based on health systems that are people owned and driven.

"We built earlier dispensaries, but this is the one that has co ordinated most of the famine relief, child survival and safe motherhood" said Saruni.

It has served the Maasai Communities since July 1985. There will be events and community celebrations over the next few months to mark the occasion.

Internet stories on primary health care

ICROSS extends primary health care programmes. For 30 years, the emphasis of ICROSS primary care has been improving immunisation, creating support mechanisms for public health and community medicine and establishing innovations in disease control, reproductive health and nutrition. In 1981 the founder Dr Michael Meegan launched his first disease control programme. This focused on disease supplements that would benefit children under five and women in the post natal stage.

Immunisation programmes have since the beginning of our programmes reached 14 districts and in all of our operational clinical services, we are immunising 90% of children between 9 months and 4 years old. Every ICROSS clinic and programme is based upon community responsibility and ownership in managing their primary healthcare/public health programme. ICROSS has greatly expanded the concept of primary health care. It includes social equity, reproductive health responsibility and safe sex. The rights of women to choose comprehensive child survival and focused safe motherhood. The centre of our primary health care programmes measurable impact in maternal and child health.

When Prof David Morley began working with ICROSS in 1981, he introduced the fundamental concept of children teaching children basic health promotion. A critical component of the success was the fact that the communities owned the decision making and the health prioritisation. Today (20th April 2011), we are extending the work created by Prof David Morley and building new diarrhoea control, neonatal tetanus and neonatal control. The success of reproductive health interventions have resulted in a dramatic decrease in maternal morbidity, mortality and suffering. We remain committed to the long term reduction in neonatal tetanus, malaria, trachoma, sexually transmitted infection, tropical dermatitis, water borne diseases and all preventable diseases cause by injustice, poverty and hunger.

Dr Michael Meegan met today with Ministry of Health nurses working in ICROSS programmes to discuss strategies for improvements in ICROSS long term disease prevention and public health activities. In partnership with the govt of Kenya and working within the UN, UNICEF, and WHO frameworks, ICROSS is building long term strategic policies for and with communities that will determine the long term focus of our maternal child health care for the next decade.

http://icrossinternational.org/
www.icross-africa.net
http://www.michaelmeegan.net/
www.michaelmeegan.com
http://icrossprojects.blogspot.com/
http://twitter.com/#!/ICROSSprojects

ICROSS nutrition support programme

2011-07-16T03:34:00.000-07:00

A central part of ICROSS projects is long term primary health care and maternal child health

ICROSS support programme

2011-07-16T03:30:00.001-07:00

facts on starvation and hunger

2011-07-16T03:23:00.000-07:00

Hunger

http://icrossinternational.org/
www.icross-africa.net
http://www.michaelmeegan.net/
www.michaelmeegan.com
http://icrossprojects.blogspot.com/
http://twitter.com/#!/ICROSSprojects

facts about hunger

Hunger concepts and definitions
Number of hungry people in the world
Does the world produce enough food to feed everyone?
Causes of hunger
Progress in reducing the number of hungry people
Micronutrients

Hunger concepts and definitions

Hunger is a term which has three meanings (Oxford English Dictionary 1971)

the uneasy or painful sensation caused by want of food; craving appetite. Also the exhausted condition caused by want of food
the want or scarcity of food in a country
a strong desire or craving

World hunger refers to the second definition, aggregated to the world level. The related technical term (in this case operationalized in medicine) is malnutrition.1

Malnutrition is a general term that indicates a lack of some or all nutritional elements necessary for human health (Medline Plus Medical Encyclopedia).

There are two basic types of malnutrition. The first and most important is protein-energy malnutrition--the lack of enough protein (from meat and other sources) and food that provides energy (measured in calories) which all of the basic food groups provide. This is the type of malnutrition that is referred to when world hunger is discussed. The second type of malnutrition, also very important, is micronutrient (vitamin and mineral) deficiency. This is not the type of malnutrition that is referred to when world hunger is discussed, though it is certainly very important.

[Recently there has also been a move to include obesity as a third form of malnutrition. Considering obesity as malnutrition expands the previous usual meaning of the term which referred to poor nutrition due to lack of food inputs.2 It is poor nutrition, but it is certainly not typically due to a lack of calories, but rather too many (although poor food choices, often due to poverty, are part of the problem). Obesity will not be considered here, although obesity is certainly a health problem and is increasingly considered as a type of malnutrition.]

Protein-energy malnutrition (PEM) is the most lethal form of malnutrition/hunger. It is basically a lack of calories and protein. Food is converted into energy by humans, and the energy contained in food is measured by calories. Protein is necessary for key body functions including provision of essential amino acids and development and maintenance of muscles.

Take a two-question hunger quiz on this section

Number of hungry people in the world

925 million hungry people in 2010

No one really knows how many people are malnourished. The statistic most frequently cited is that of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, which measures 'undernutrition'. The most recent estimate, released in October 2010 by FAO, says that 925 million people are undernourished. As the figure below shows, the number of hungry people has increased since 1995-97, though the number is down from last year. The increase has been due to three factors: 1) neglect of agriculture relevant to very poor people by governments and international agencies; 2) the current worldwide economic crisis, and 3) the significant increase of food prices in the last several years which has been devastating to those with only a few dollars a day to spend. 925 million people is 13.6 percent of the estimated world population of 6.8 billion. Nearly all of the undernourished are in developing countries.

Number of hungry people, 1969-2010

Source: FAO

In round numbers there are 7 billion people in the world. Thus, with an estimated 925 million hungry people in the world, 13.1 percent, or almost 1 in 7 people are hungry.

The FAO estimate is based on statistical aggregates. It looks at a country's income level and income distribution and uses this information to estimate how many people receive such a low level of income that they are malnourished. It is not an estimate based on seeing to what extent actual people are malnourished and projecting from there (as would be done by survey sampling).3

Undernutrition is a relatively new concept, but is increasingly used. It should be taken as basically equivalent to malnutrition. (It should be said as an aside, that the idea of undernourishment, its relationship to malnutrition, and the reasons for its emergence as a concept is not clear to Hunger Notes.)

Children are the most visible victims of undernutrition. Children who are poorly nourished suffer up to 160 days of illness each year. Poor nutrition plays a role in at least half of the 10.9 million child deaths each year--five million deaths. Undernutrition magnifies the effect of every disease, including measles and malaria. The estimated proportions of deaths in which undernutrition is an underlying cause are roughly similar for diarrhea (61%), malaria (57%), pneumonia (52%), and measles (45%) (Black 2003, Bryce 2005). Malnutrition can also be caused by diseases, such as the diseases that cause diarrhea, by reducing the body's ability to convert food into usable nutrients.

According to the most recent estimate that Hunger Notes could find, malnutrition, as measured by stunting, affects 32.5 percent of children in developing countries--one of three (de Onis 2000). Geographically, more than 70 percent of malnourished children live in Asia, 26 percent in Africa and 4 percent in Latin America and the Caribbean. In many cases, their plight began even before birth with a malnourished mother. Under-nutrition among pregnant women in developing countries leads to 1 out of 6 infants born with low birth weight. This is not only a risk factor for neonatal deaths, but also causes learning disabilities, mental, retardation, poor health, blindness and premature death.

Take a three-question hunger quiz on this section

Does the world produce enough food to feed everyone?

The world produces enough food to feed everyone. World agriculture produces 17 percent more calories per person today than it did 30 years ago, despite a 70 percent population increase. This is enough to provide everyone in the world with at least 2,720 kilocalories (kcal) per person per day (FAO 2002, p.9). The principal problem is that many people in the world do not have sufficient land to grow, or income to purchase, enough food.

What are the causes of hunger?

What are the causes of hunger is a fundamental question, with varied answers.

Poverty is the principal cause of hunger. The causes of poverty include poor people's lack of resources, an extremely unequal income distribution in the world and within specific countries, conflict, and hunger itself. As of 2008 (2005 statistics), the World Bank has estimated that there were an estimated 1,345 million poor people in developing countries who live on $1.25 a day or less.3 This compares to the later FAO estimate of 1.02 billion undernourished people. Extreme poverty remains an alarming problem in the world’s developing regions, despite some progress that reduced "dollar--now $1.25-- a day" poverty from (an estimated) 1900 million people in 1981, a reduction of 29 percent over the period. Progress in poverty reduction has been concentrated in Asia, and especially, East Asia, with the major improvement occurring in China. In Sub-Saharan Africa, the number of people in extreme poverty has increased. The statement that 'poverty is the principal cause of hunger' is, though correct, unsatisfying. Why then are (so many) people poor? The next section summarizes Hunger Notes answer.

Harmful economic systems are the principal cause of poverty and hunger. Hunger Notes believes that the principal underlying cause of poverty and hunger is the ordinary operation of the economic and political systems in the world. Essentially control over resources and income is based on military, political and economic power that typically ends up in the hands of a minority, who live well, while those at the bottom barely survive, if they do. We have described the operation of this system in more detail in our special section on Harmful economic systems.

Conflict as a cause of hunger and poverty. At the end of 2005, the global number of refugees was at its lowest level in almost a quarter of a century. Despite some large-scale repatriation movements, the last three years have witnessed a significant increase in refugee numbers, due primarily to the violence taking place in Iraq and Somalia. By the end of 2008, the total number of refugees under UNHCR’s mandate exceeded 10 million. The number of conflict-induced internally displaced persons (IDPs) reached some 26 million worldwide at the end of the year . Providing exact figures on the number of stateless people is extremely difficult But, important, (relatively) visible though it is, and anguishing for those involved conflict is less important as poverty (and its causes) as a cause of hunger. (Using the statistics above 1.02 billion people suffer from chronic hunger while 36 million people are displaced [UNHCR 2008])

Hunger is also a cause of poverty, and thus of hunger. By causing poor health, low levels of energy, and even mental impairment, hunger can lead to even greater poverty by reducing people's ability to work and learn, thus leading to even greater hunger.

Climate change Climate change is increasingly viewed as a current and future cause of hunger and poverty. Increasing drought, flooding, and changing climatic patterns requiring a shift in crops and farming practices that may not be easily accomplished are three key issues. See the Hunger Notes special report: Hunger, the environment, and climate change for further information, especially articles in the section: Climate change, global warming and the effect on poor people such as Global warming causes 300,000 deaths a year, study says and Could food shortages bring down civilization?

Progress in reducing the number of hungry people

The target set at the 1996 World Food Summit was to halve the number of undernourished people by 2015 from their number in 1990-92. (FAO uses three year averages in its calculation of undernourished people.) The (estimated) number of undernourished people in developing countries was 824 million in 1990-92. In 2009, the number had climbed to 1.02 billion people. The WFS goal is a global goal adopted by the nations of the world; the present outcome indicates how marginal the efforts were in face of the real need.

So, overall, the world is not making progress toward the world food summit goal, although there has been progress in Asia, and in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Micronutrients

Quite a few trace elements or micronutrients--vitamins and minerals--are important for health. 1 out of 3 people in developing countries are affected by vitamin and mineral deficiencies, according to the World Health Organization. Three, perhaps the most important in terms of health consequences for poor people in developing countries, are:

Vitamin A Vitamin A deficiency can cause night blindness and reduces the body's resistance to disease. In children Vitamin A deficiency can also cause growth retardation. Between 100 and 140 million children are vitamin A deficient. An estimated 250,000 to 500 000 vitamin A-deficient children become blind every year, half of them dying within 12 months of losing their sight. (World Health Organization)

Iron Iron deficiency is a principal cause of anemia. Two billion people—over 30 percent of the world’s population—are anemic, mainly due to iron deficiency, and, in developing countries, frequently exacerbated by malaria and worm infections. For children, health consequences include premature birth, low birth weight, infections, and elevated risk of death. Later, physical and cognitive development are impaired, resulting in lowered school performance. For pregnant women, anemia contributes to 20 percent of all maternal deaths (World Health Organization).

Iodine Iodine deficiency disorders (IDD) jeopardize children’s mental health– often their very lives. Serious iodine deficiency during pregnancy may result in stillbirths, abortions and congenital abnormalities such as cretinism, a grave, irreversible form of mental retardation that affects people living in iodine-deficient areas of Africa and Asia. IDD also causes mental impairment that lowers intellectual prowess at home, at school, and at work. IDD affects over 740 million people, 13 percent of the world’s population. Fifty million people have some degree of mental impairment caused by IDD (World Health Organization).

(Updated June 22, 2011)

Footnotes

1. The relation between hunger, malnutrition, and other terms such as undernutrition is not 'perfectly clear,' so we have attempted to spell them out briefly in "World Hunger Facts."

2. For example, the Oxford English Dictionary (1971 edition) has 'insufficient nutrition' as the only meaning for malnutrition.

3. It has been argued that the FAO approach is not sufficient to give accurate estimates of malnutrition (Poverty and Undernutrition p. 298 by Peter Svedberg. For other discussions of measuring hunger see Califero 2011, Headey 2011 and Masset, in press.

4. The table used to calculate this number.
Region % in $1.25 a day poverty Population (millions) Pop. in $1 a day poverty (millions)
East Asia and Pacific 16.8 1,884 316
Latin America and the Caribbean 8.2 550 45
South Asia 40.4 1,476 596
Sub-Saharan Africa 50.9 763 388
Total Developing countries 28,8 4673 1345
Europe and Central Asia 0.04 473 17
Middle East and North Africa 0.04 305 11
Total 5451 1372

Source: See World Bank PovcalNet "Replicate the World Bank's Regional Aggregation" at http://iresearch.worldbank.org/PovcalNet/povDuplic.html (accessed May 7, 2010). Also see World Bank "PovcalNet" at http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/EXTDEC/EXTRESEARCH/EXTPROGRAMS/EXTPOVRES/EXTPOVCALNET/0,,contentMDK:21867101~pagePK:64168427~piPK:64168435~theSitePK:5280443,00.html

Bibliography

Black RE, Morris SS, Bryce J. "Where and why are 10 million children dying every year?" Lancet. 2003 Jun 28;361(9376):2226-34.

Black, Robert E, Lindsay H Allen, Zulfiqar A Bhutta, Laura E Caulfield, Mercedes de Onis, Majid Ezzati, Colin Mathers, Juan Rivera, for the Maternal and Child Undernutrition Study Group Maternal and child undernutrition: global and regional exposures and health consequences. (Article access may require registration) The Lancet Vol. 371, Issue 9608, 19 January 2008, 243-260.

Jennifer Bryce, Cynthia Boschi-Pinto, Kenji Shibuya, Robert E. Black, and the WHO Child Health Epidemiology Reference Group. 2005. "WHO estimates of the causes of death in children." Lancet ; 365: 1147–52.

Cafiero, Carlo and Pietro Gennari. 2011. The FAO indicator of the prevalence of undernourishment FAO

Caulfield LE, de Onis M, Blössner M, Black RE. Undernutrition as an underlying cause of child deaths associated with diarrhea, pneumonia, malaria, and measles. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2004; 80: 193–98.

Shaohua Chen and Martin Ravallion. June 2004. "How have the world’s poorest fared since the early 1980s?" World Bank Policy Research Working Paper 3341 Washington: World Bank.

de Onis, Mercedes, Edward A. Frongillo and Monika Blossner. 2000. "Is malnutrition declining? An analysis of changes in levels of child malnutrition since 1980." Bulletin of the World Health Organization 2000, : 1222–1233.

Food and Agriculture Organization, International Fund for Agricultural Development, World Food Program. 2002 "Reducing Poverty and Hunger, the Critical Role of Financing for Food, Agriculture, and Rural Development."

Food and Agriculture Organization. 2006. State of World Food Insecurity 2006

Food and Agriculture Organization. 2010. The state of Food Insecurity in the World 2010

Headey, Derek. 2011. “Was the Global Food Crisis Really a Crisis? Simulations versus Self-Reporting”, IFPRI Discussion Paper 01087.

International Food Policy Research Institute. 2010. 2010 Global Hunger Index

Masset, Edoardo. 2011 In Press. A review of hunger indices and methods to monitor country commitment to fighting hunger Food Policy.

Oxford University Press. 1971. Oxford English Dictionary. Definition for malnutrition.

Pelletier DL, Frongillo EA Jr, Schroeder D, Habicht JP. The effects of malnutrition on child mortality in developing countries. Bulletin of the World Health Organization 1995; 73: 443–48.

Svedberg, Peter. 2000. Poverty and Undernutrition Oxford University Press: New York p. 298.

United Nations High Commissioner on Refugees. 2007. Statistical Yearbook 2006 "Main Findings"

UNHCR 2008 Global Report 2008 "The Year in Review" http://www.unhcr.org/4a2d0b1d2.pdf

World Bank. Understanding Poverty website

World Health Organization Comparative Quantification of Health Risks: Childhood and Maternal Undernutition

Starvation is a severe reduction in vitamin, nutrient and energy intake. It is the most extreme form of malnutrition. In humans, prolonged starvation can cause permanent organ damage[1] and eventually, death. The term inanition refers to the symptoms and effects of starvation.

According to the World Health Organization, hunger is the single gravest threat to the world's public health.[2] The WHO also states that malnutrition is by far the biggest contributor to child mortality, present in half of all cases.[2] Six million children die of hunger every year.[3]Figures on actual starvation are difficult to come by, but according to the FAO, the less severe condition of undernourishment currently affects about 925 million people, or about 14 % of the world population.[4]

The bloated stomach, as seen in the picture to the right, represents a form of malnutrition called kwashiorkor which is caused by protein deficiency combined with inadequate caloric consumption.[5] Children are more vulnerable to kwashiorkor whose advanced symptoms include weight loss and muscle wasting.[6] It is quite common to depict a thin child with a bloated stomach as starving, but in reality, such child is malnourished.
Contents
[hide]

1 Common causes
2 Signs and symptoms
3 Biochemistry
4 Efforts
4.1 Treatment
4.2 Prevention
4.3 Example of successful response in Malawi
4.4 Organizations
5 Starvation statistics
6 As capital punishment
7 See also
8 References
8.1 External links

[edit] Common causes

The basic cause of starvation is an imbalance between energy intake and energy expenditure. In other words, the body expends more energy than it takes in as food. This imbalance can arise from one or more medical conditions and/or circumstantial situations, which can include:

Medical reasons

Anorexia nervosa
Bulimia nervosa
Coeliac Disease
Coma
Major depressive disorder
Diabetes mellitus
Digestive disease
Constant vomiting

Circumstantial causes

Famine – for any reason, including overpopulation and war.
Fasting – done without proper medical supervision and lasting more than a month.
Poverty

[edit] Signs and symptoms

Individuals experiencing starvation lose substantial fat (adipose) and muscle mass as the body breaks down these tissues for energy. Catabolysis is the process of a body breaking down its own muscles and other tissues in order to keep vital systems such as the nervous system and heart muscle (myocardium) functioning. Vitamin deficiency is a common result of starvation, often leading to anemia, beriberi, pellagra, and scurvy. These diseases collectively can also cause diarrhea, skin rashes, edema, and heart failure. Individuals are often irritable and lethargic as a result.

Early symptoms include impulsivity, irritability, hyperactivity and possibly submissiveness.[7] Atrophy (wasting away) of the stomach weakens the perception of hunger, since the perception is controlled by the percentage of the stomach that is empty. Victims of starvation are often too weak to sense thirst, and therefore become dehydrated.

All movements become painful due to muscle atrophy and dry, cracked skin that is caused by severe dehydration. With a weakened body, diseases are commonplace. Fungi, for example, often grow under the esophagus, making swallowing unbearably painful.

The energy deficiency inherent in starvation causes fatigue and renders the victim more apathetic over time. As the starving person becomes too weak to move or even eat, their interaction with the surrounding world diminishes.

There is also an inability to fight diseases, and in females, irregular menstruation can occur.
[edit] Biochemistry

When food intake ceases, the body enters the starvation response. Initially, the body's glycogen stores are used up in about 24 hours.[citation needed] The level of insulin in circulation is low and the level of glucagon is very high. The main means of energy production is lipolysis. Gluconeogenesis converts glycerol into glucose and the Cori cycle converts lactate into usable glucose. Two systems of energy enter the gluconeogenesis: proteolysis provides alanine and lactate produced from pyruvate, while acetyl CoA produces dissolved nutrients (Ketone bodies), which can be detected in urine and are used by the brain as a source of energy.

In terms of insulin resistance, starvation conditions make more glucose available to the brain.
[edit] Efforts
[edit] Treatment
Wiki letter w cropped.svg This section requires expansion.

Starving patients can be treated, but this must be done cautiously to avoid refeeding syndrome.[8]
[edit] Prevention
See also: Food security

For the individual, prevention obviously consists of ensuring they eat plenty of food, varied enough to provide a nutritionally complete diet. Short of sitting in front of a potentially starving person and offering him or her food, to address societal mechanisms by which people are denied access to food is a more complicated matter.

Supporting farmers in areas of food insecurity through such measures as free or subsidized fertilizers and seeds increases food harvest and reduces food prices.[9]
[edit] Example of successful response in Malawi

In Malawi, almost 5 million of its 13 million people needed emergency food aid. Then, however, deep fertilizer subsidies and lesser ones for seed, abetted by good rains, helped farmers produce record-breaking corn harvests in 2006 and 2007, according to government crop estimates. The government reported that corn production rose from 1.2 million metric tons (mmt) in 2005, to 2.7 mmt in 2006 and 3.4 mmt in 2007. The harvest also helped the poor by lowering food prices and increasing wages for farm workers. Malawi became a major food exporter, selling more corn to the World Food Program and the United Nations than any other country in Southern Africa.

Over the 20 years prior to this change in policy (enacted by the World Bank), some richer nations that Malawi depended on for aid had periodically pressed it to cut back or eliminate fertilizer subsidies, in the name of free market policies. This is despite the fact that the United States and Europe extensively subsidized their own farmers. However, many, if not most, of its farmers are too poor to afford fertilizer at market prices. Proponents for helping the farmers includes the economist Jeffrey Sachs, who has championed the idea that wealthy countries should invest in fertilizer and seed for Africa’s farmers. He also conceived the Millennium Villages Project (MVP), which provides seeds and fertilizers, as well as training, to qualifying farmers. In one Kenyan village, application of this policy resulted in a tripling of its corn harvest, even though the village had previously experienced a cycle of hunger.
[edit] Organizations
Main article: Famine relief

Many organizations have been highly effective at reducing starvation in different regions. Aid agencies give direct assistance to individuals, while political organizations pressure political leaders to enact more macro-scale policies that will reduce famine and provide aid.
[edit] Starvation statistics
Main articles: Malnutrition and Hunger

According to estimates by the FAO there were 925 million under- or malnourished people in the world in 2010.[10] This was a decrease from an estimate of 1023 million malnourished people in 2009.[11] In 2007, 923 million people were reported as being undernourished, an increase of 80 million since 1990-92.[12] It has also been recorded that the world already produces enough food to support the world's population.

As the definitions of starving and malnourished people are different, the number of starving people is different from that of malnourished. Generally, much fewer people are starving, than are malnourished. The numbers here may provide some indication, but should not be quoted as a number of starving people.

The share of malnourished and of starving people in the world has been more or less continually decreasing for at least several centuries.[13] This is due to an increasing supply of food and to overall gains in economic efficiency. In 40 years, the share of malnourished people in the developing world has been more than halved. The share of starving people has decreased even faster. This improvement is expected to continue in the future.
Year 1970 1980 1990 2005 2007 2009
Share of undernourished people in the developing world[11][14][15] 37 % 28 % 20 % 16 % 17 % 16 %
[edit] As capital punishment
This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (December 2008)
Wikisource has original text related to this article:
The Women of the Caesars
The starving Livilla refusing food.
From a drawing by André Castagne

Historically, starvation has been used as a death sentence. From the beginning of civilization to the Middle Ages, people were immured, or walled in, and would die for want of food.

In ancient Greco-Roman societies, starvation was sometimes used to dispose of guilty upper class citizens, especially erring female members of patrician families. For instance, in the year 31, Livilla, the niece and daughter-in-law of Tiberius, was discreetly starved to death by her mother for her adulterous relationship with Sejanus and for her complicity in the murder of her own husband, Drusus the Younger.

Another daughter-in-law of Tiberius, named Agrippina the Elder (a granddaughter of Augustus and the mother of Caligula), also died of starvation, in 33 AD. (However, it is not clear whether or not her starvation was self inflicted.)

A son and daughter of Agrippina were also executed by starvation for political reasons; Drusus Caesar, her second son, was put in prison in 33 AD, and starved to death by orders of Tiberius (he managed to stay alive for nine days by chewing the stuffing of his bed); Agrippina's youngest daughter, Julia Livilla, was exiled on an island in 41 by her uncle, Emperor Claudius, and not much later, her death by starvation was arranged by the empress Messalina.

It is also possible that Vestal Virgins were starved when found guilty of breaking their vows of celibacy.

Ugolino della Gherardesca, his sons and other members of his family were immured in the Muda, a tower of Pisa, and starved to death in the thirteenth century. Dante, his contemporary, wrote about Gherardesca in his masterpiece The Divine Comedy.

In Sweden in 1317, King Birger of Sweden imprisoned his two brothers for a coup they had staged several years earlier (Nyköping Banquet). A few weeks later, they died of starvation.

In Cornwall in 1671, John Trehenban from St Columb Major was condemned to be starved to death in a cage at Castle An Dinas for the murder of two girls.

Saint Maximilian Kolbe, a martyred Polish friar, offered his life to save another inmate who had a family that had been sentenced to death in the Auschwitz concentration camp along with nine other prisoners because a prisoner had escaped. He was starved, along with another nine inmates. After two weeks of starvation, only Kolbe and three other inmates were still alive, and they were then executed with injections of phenol.
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ICROSS will launch an emergancy famine appeal in August 2011.

2011-07-15T04:21:00.003-07:00

ICROSS prepares for worsening famine conditions

Dr Michael Meegan announced today that the dramatic rise in malnutrition has now reached critical status. The drought is worsening.

Dr Meegan, head of research and Founder said " Throughout ICROSS health programmes we have been monitoring the rise of dehydration and children falling below safe weight. We have assessed the weight charts of 1345 children under five yrs over the last 8 weeks. There are 278 Mothers who have been weighed. We have also monitored 122 Maasai over 60 yrs old. Initial figures show that 39% of Boys and 43% of girls are malnourished Of these 22% of all boys and 34 % of girls were moderately malnourished with 8% of boys and 11% severely malnourished Among old people 27% are below weight."

This means that there are serious trends in malnutrition the current drought that are increasingly . ICROSS is working throughout its programmes preparing immediate response to the lack of safe water and the threat to infants in drought areas. Our first drought in 1983 saw thousands of children die from starvation.

Community leader Philip OleSironka said today "ICROSS is preparing with communities in over 120 villages for a rapid response programme to reach those most in need"

The Founder Dr Mike Meegan was today with Ministry of health teams assessing the water resources in Longosua . P OleLasoi, ICROSS emergency response team said " we have thirty years experience with these communities , its about living among our people now , in the good times and in these situations"

ICROSS will launch an emergancy famine appeal in August 2011.

Icross in History These articles will cover everything from our fight against suffering and starvation and the decades of Medical work in hundreds of communities in Africa. This year we celebrate thirty years of improving health in Africa by sharing a series of articles, images and interviews. Like this, one of our first articles on poverty appearing in the LANCET medical journal in 1981to the BBC interview shown this week 2005. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/hardtalk/4675531.stm As ICROSS begins new and ambitious disease control programmes it is important to remember the experience and history that has created a unique and dynamic set of long term projects. Together with pioneers like Dr Joe Barnes and Dr David Morley ICROSS developed community owned medical services that have stood the test of time. This month we unveil exciting new initiatives to extend child-survival and safe motherhood.

2011-07-15T04:21:00.001-07:00

Icross in History

These articles will cover everything from our fight against suffering and starvation and the decades of Medical work in hundreds of communities in Africa. This year we celebrate thirty years of improving health in Africa by sharing a series of articles, images and interviews. Like this, one of our first articles on poverty appearing in the LANCET medical journal in 1981to the BBC interview shown this week 2005. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/hardtalk/4675531.stm

As ICROSS begins new and ambitious disease control programmes it is important to remember the experience and history that has created a unique and dynamic set of long term projects. Together with pioneers like Dr Joe Barnes and Dr David Morley ICROSS developed community owned medical services that have stood the test of time. This month we unveil exciting new initiatives to extend child-survival and safe motherhood.

"Silence is power, stillness is strength , from this flows action" Michael Meegan

2011-07-15T04:19:00.001-07:00

"Silence is power, stillness is strength , from this flows action" Michael Meegan

bio Dr Michael Meegan ICROSS

2011-07-12T14:01:00.001-07:00

Profile

Dr Michael Elmore- Meegan

July 2011

Michael Kevin Elmore-Meegan
British
ICROSS Rural Health Programmes, P. O. Box 507, Ngong Hills, Rift Valley, Kenya

mikemeegan@gmail.com
www.icrossinternational.org www.icross-africa.net
www.michaelmeegan.com www.michaelmeegan.net
+ 447525257413 (UK Mobile)
+ 254721737394 (Kenya Office)

Consultant International health, analysing health problems, belief systems, cultural public health processes. Community based health programmes . Creating effective long term health changes, design of research proegrammes Africa, Asia. Author.

Doctorate in Medicine ( D.Med Hon, C) National University of Ireland 2006,
M.Sc (Community Health)1989, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
B.Phil (Hons) 1979 Milltown Park,
Ongoing learning: Ph.D “The importance of local appropriateness in health programmes in Africa”(Dept International Health, Faculty of Medicine, Tampere University, Finland )

FRAMI Fellow of the Royal Academy of Medicine of Ireland
East African Association of Anthropology, co-founder
Senior Research fellow, Centre of Culture and Development Baroda, Gujarat
Melvin Jones Fellow
Trinity College Association, life member

Languages : English ,French, Samburu, Maasai, Swahili

Areas of Professional Experience:

Programme Management and Development

• Thirty years in strategic public health planning, project development and successful fundraising for community based health and development projects. Experienced in negotiating with donors and the government. Negotiated Global fund and multi/bi lateral grants of over $12 million.

• Designed and developed culturally appropriate health care based programmes for nomadic peoples in East Africa.Developed Strategic public health Plan 2011-2016.

• Established and designed numerous community based projects with emphasis on development of community systems, including women’s development and youth programmes

• Provided programmatic management and directed famine relief operations across 21,000 sq. miles reaching 32,700 including follow-up and rehabilitation of severely malnourished children 2009Programmatic management including human and financial resource management to ICROSS to achieve project goals, including personnel management and organisational restructuring for Kenyan and Tanzanian Programmes

• Provided monitoring and evaluation of internationally funded projects in the ICROSS programme including supervision of project feedback, development of proposal design and undertaking feasibility studies

• Pioneered the use of dialogic methodology for education and facilitation at community level.Pioneered the use of cultural linguistic ethnography and the application of epistemological and epidemiological disciplines to PLWA and programme development

• Designed, developed and monitored the implementation of competency based and problem oriented training system, for traditional birth attendants, in collaboration with Ministry of Health Tanzania (village and District level)

• Provided team leadership, drawing together multi disciplinary teams from widely differing ethnic, religious and cultural backgrounds into cohesive effective teams.

Research and Consultancy

Areas of specialization.
Anthropology
19 years living among Samburu and Maasai pastoral nomadic tribal communities in semi-arid rural areas. Cultural ethnography, applied medical anthropology, application of belief systems to public health policies, academic and ethnographic interpretation of data using cultural mechanisms.
The use of community concepts such as meaning, religion, symbol, value, systems and behavioral modeling, truth and acceptance in structuring development strategies.

International Health
Experienced in developing community centered evaluation systems through the use of epistemology (ethnic cognitional theories) and cultural epidemiology.
Key consultancies include:

• Principal Investigator Kenya, International Consortium ,Alternative methods for mass water protection , led by Royal College of Surgeons 2007-10
• Visiting Lecturer , Dept International Health, Faculty of Medicine Tampere University 2008-2011
• Principle investigator Kenya , International collaborative study on Solar disinfection of drinking water, EU funded multi country research, RCSI 2005-2010
• Visiting lecturer, Gujarat, Centre for Culture and Development Baroda Jan 2008
• Community based new born care, 2007, CARE International Cambodia
• Women’s health and Safe Motherhood Programme, Ministry of Health, Manila, Philippines June 2002 – December 2005. European Union.
• Development on extended medical anthropological studies and field research components for malaria control: Surat Malaria Control and Research Project. India (1999) (DFID funded project)
• Epidemiology advisor to the Rapid Response Mechanism component for malaria control; Surat Malaria Control and Research Project. India (1998) (DFID funded project)
• Social Development Advisor to Surat Malaria Control and Research Project. Development aspects of malaria control in Surat District, Gujarat State India 1997-98 (DFID funded project).
• Clinical epidemiological and statistical advisor, Central Leprosy Teaching and Research Institute, Tamil Nadu, India, Government of India, 1998 (DFID funded project). Clinical epidemiological and statistical Advisor, Central Leprosy Teaching and Research Institute, Tamil Nadu, India, Government of India, 1999 (DFID funded project)Project preparation, communications component Child-to-Child modules (1995) (Kenya).
• Project appraisal: community participation/education and communication components of regional health care programme (Population and Health Services, Kenya 1994)

Programme Experience:
2000- 2011 : Founder and International Director ICROSS, Head Public Health Research Programme. Based in Kenya. Overseeing the development of ICROSS as a local NGO in Kenya, and Tanzania, providing technical support to policy and planning.

• Founder , International Director ICROSS , established registered charities in 5 countries.
• Founder, New World International Kenya, NWI UK , an advocacy, awareness and action group for Global development 2008 / NWI Kenya 2008
• Designed participatory systems, models of impact analysis and mechanisms for evaluation surveillance for long-term programmes.
• Training Kenyan and Tanzanian programme managers in problem solving skills and developing line management systems
• Director of research ensuring ongoing analysis of development impact supervising 11 collaborative medical research programmes in East Africa.
• Production of project write-ups including financial profiles, cost benefits analysis and impact assessments totaling $4 million in 05-06
• Responsible for the Africanisation of all ICROSS programmes 2001-2009
• Advisor to numerous official bodies including; REHAB Ireland, Consultants in Public Affairs, Dublin, Japanese Embassy, Nairobi, DANIDA, Local NGOs, local grassroots development groups and the Centre for Social Studies Gujarat, India.
• Sourced over $28 million in grants for ICROSS health programmes in Kenya while International Director between 1997-2004

1987 –1999 Director of Rural Health Programmes, ICROSS
Based in Kenya; Responsible for establishing ICROSS Tanzania as an autonomous NGO, assisting local NGOs in the development of self-sustaining strategies.
• Ensured capacity building through human resource development. Responsible for 47 separate health project activities, through 36 local NGOs in Kenya.
• Advisory Board member for the Kenya Association of Professional Counselors Adolescent project.
• Initiated and ensured epidemiological and anthropological research to support the development of indicators for impact assessment.

1981-1986 Field Director
Based in Kenya. Responsible for implementation and coordination of multiple development activities in Kenya, Somalia and Uganda, including: -
• Evaluation of projects already in place, looking particularly at their impact on vulnerable local communities, including women and the internally displaced.
• Networking of NGOS and field supervision of famine relief logistics of supplementary feeding and emergency relief activities in three semi desert areas.
• Evaluation of micro-credit options available to disadvantaged groups in rural areas, research into options and secure, where appropriate, alternative micro-credit schemes to establish small scale enterprises. Recommend new avenues for continuing support between ICROSS international, and UK/USA solidarity groups and local initiatives.
• Research and implementation of multiple development projects in partnership with nomadic people, local NGOs and government departments, focus areas included health care interventions, water conservation and appropriate agricultural development planning for semi arid areas.
• Evaluation and assessment of field projects in Mogadishu, Somalia

Illustrative awards
2008
-Premio internazionale Exposcuola per l'impegno civile Italy, International Humanitarian award of the Exposcuola.
-International Angelo della Pace for 2008 The Rachel Foundation Italy
2006
Fellow of the Royal Academy of Medicine in Ireland 10 May 2006
Doctorate in Medicine D.Med (Honoris Causa) National University of Ireland 10 April 2006
2003
International Person of the year,
Irish National Awards , November 2003
1995
Melvin Jones Fellow
Humanitarian services
Lions Clubs International 1995
1988
Past Pupil of the Year
Terenure College 1988

Illustrative Research Articles and Publications

1. Elmore-Meegan M, Conroy RM, Agala CB. Sex workers in Kenya,
numbers of clients and associated risks: an exploratory survey.
Reprod Health Matters 2004;12(23):50-7.

2. Meegan ME, Conroy RM, Lengeny SO, Renhault K, Nyangole J. Effect
on neonatal tetanus mortality after a culturally-based health
promotion programme. Lancet 2001;358(9282):640-1.

3. Conroy RM, Meegan ME, Joyce T, McGuigan K, Barnes J. Solar
disinfection of drinking water protects against cholera in children
under 6 years of age. Arch Dis Child 2001;85(4):293-5.

4. Meegan M, Morley DC. Growth monitoring: family participation:
effective community development. Trop Doct 1999;29(1):23-7.

5. Conroy RM, Meegan ME, Joyce T, McGuigan K, Barnes J. Solar
disinfection of water reduces diarrhoeal disease: an update. Arch Dis
Child 1999;81(4):337-8.

6. Meegan M, Morley D, Chavasse D. Fly traps. Lancet 1997;349(9055):886.

7. Meegan M, Morley DC, Brown R. Child weighing by the unschooled: a
report of a controlled study of growth monitoring over 12 months of
Maasai children using direct recording scales. Trans R Soc Trop Med
Hyg 1994;88(6):635-7.

8. Conroy RM, Meegan ME. Dwindling donor aid for health programmes in
developing countries. Lancet 1994;343(8907):1228-9.

9. Meegan MK. Rethinking famine relief. Lancet 1992;340(8830):1293-4.

10. Konings E, Anderson RM, Morley D, O'Riordan T, Meegan M. Rates of
sexual partner change among two pastoralist southern Nilotic groups
in east Africa. Aids 1989;3(4):245-7.

11. Meegan M, McCormick J. Prevention of disease in the poor world.
Lancet 1988;2(8603):152-3.
12. Meegan M. Starvation and suffering. Lancet 1983;2(8365-66):1506.

13. Meegan M. The reality of starvation and disease. Lancet 1981;1
(8212):146.

Published Books
Changing the World
Feb 2009 256 pgs www.eye-books.com

Take my hand, a spiritual journey
With Sharon Wilkinson, Forward by T Hogan, 58 pgs www.michaelmeegan.com July 2008

Surprised by joy; a story of hope in the midst of tragedy ( forward by Stephen Sackur) 156 pgs
July 2006 www.maverickhouse.com

All Will be Well (Forward by John Hurt) Eye-Books, 149 pgs
May 2004.
ISBN 1903070279 www.eye-book.com

All Shall be Well, Forward by John Powell SJ, ISBN 000-627006-9, Collins. 146 pgs. First edition 1986, Reprint Jan 1999.

In preparation
The path of change
Meegan M ,Conroy R Scrima M
Eye Books May 2011 www.eye-books.com

The Tribe of One With Colin Meagle www.eye-books.com
May 2011

So you want o be a volunteer A guide for International volunteers

Pain and fear
Understanding death dying and suffering a practical companion guide
With Thomas Ernst MD

Bright darkness Fortress monastery on Montpellier, guarding the secrets of the last king of Jerusalem 1200 pgs, historical Novel 2013

Illustrative general articles
AFRO Journal Italy, regular contributor on Global health, poverty and International health trends and patterning Oct 09 Feb 09 Dialogue on Diarrhoea , regular contributor
World Health Organsation (WHO ) guidelines Trachoma prevention, fly traps , M Elmore-Meegan Prof D Morely et al, Geneva, Switzerland. 2001

Peer Reviews for key publications & major conferences and journals incl Int AIDS Conference

Scientific conferences and presentations (illustrative)

Health care in regions of absolute Poverty
Seminar , Dept International health, Faculty of Medicine
University of Tampere, Finland 30th November 2009

SODIS in KENYA, 20 years of field implementaton
SODIS International Conference Phnom Phen Cambodia
International seminar of the impact of Solar disinfection

International Research Colloquium of the Network to promote
Household Water Treatment and Safe Storage (HWTS), Twenty years of SODIS in Kenya.
Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin 21st - 23rd September 2009

Changing dynamics of Morbidity, Mortality and poverty of children in the Third World.
Senate Hearing, Italian Senate, Rome
Senatorial Commission on International Children’s Rights , At the request of Italian Senate Commission, Rome , 31st April 2009

Global health and interdependency,
The Royal College of Surgeons Charter day lecture 2009
Royal College of Surgeons,Dublin. 12th Feb 2009

Emerging mega-trends in Global health
Future shocks; disasters and relief in a changing world, RedR Conference, Royal College of nursing, London, 5th December, 2007

Locally appropriate technologies in low income settings, Dept International health, Tampere University, Finland. 29th Nov 2007

Applied operational study of pain determinants in terminally ill patients in Bondo, Kenya XVI International AIDS Conference,Toronto, August 06 Francis,P,Meegan,M

The 46th Robert Graves Lecture
Royal Academy of Medicine in Ireland
Creating long term change through culturally acceptable cost effective public health interventions.
Dublin 10 May 06
IFCW World Forum. “AIDS orphans & Vulnerable Children; an evidence-led response.” Cape Town, South Africa. 2003
Annual Consultative Review, Manitoba and Nairobi Universities Collaborative Conference. “An assessment of home-based care interventions among 2,116 terminally ill patients in Bondo and Siaya using clinically validated scales.
Interim results.” Nairobi, Kenya. 2003

"AIDS and the changing face of Africa: The impact on children, WUSC-Carleton, Médecins Sans Frontières, CARE Carlton University Canada, 25th Nov 2002

Annual Consultative Review, Manitoba and Nairobi Universities Collaborative Conference. “Modeling cultural determinants of sexual behavior” - A Pilot Study. Nairobi, Kenya. 2002

Annual Consultative Review, Manitoba and Nairobi Universities Collaborative Conference. “AIDS, children and poverty, an alternative model to international Aid, ‘Love, evidence and common sense.” Nairobi, Kenya. 2002.

WHO Trachoma conference
. “Effect of fly control using sustainable  interventions on the prevalence of Trachoma in five pastoral tribes in Kenya.” Geneva, Switzerland. 2001

Child Survival. Alternative strategies in reducing infant mortality” International Conference on Child survival. Nairobi, Kenya. 2001

Identifying emerging needs among AIDS orphans in Kenya. “Multicentre Matched Perspective Control Study of 2,786 Children Orphaned by AIDS, 2,420 other Orphans and 3,400”
Nairobi, Kenya. 2000

AIDS orphans. “An emerging crisis: a USAID sponsored conference.” Nanyuki. Kenya. 2000
Annual Consultative Review, Manitoba and Nairobi Universities Collaborative Conference. “Multi centre Matched Perspective Control Study of 2,786 Children
Orphaned by AIDS, 2,420 other Orphans and 3,400.” Nairobi, Kenya. 2000
East African Association of Anthropologists inaugural Conference. “Anthropology and ethnography.” Nairobi, Kenya. 2000

Ongoing education

PhD “The Importance of Local Appropriateness in Health Technology”, Doctorate Global Health, Dept International Health,University of Tampere, Finland 2009-12

Creating a better World by serving the poor

2011-07-12T13:57:00.000-07:00

Touching people all around you

There are a thousand ideas of how you can touch and change things all around you wherever you are. "Changing the world, from the inside out" by Michael Meegan is available on amazon.co.uk or through eye-books.com. www.michaelmeegan.com www.michaelmeegan.net

You do not need to go to Africa to help people and you do not need to go very far in your own life to inspire or help someone. If you do want to help our work in Africa, there are a lot of things you can do.

ICROSS receives enquiries from volunteers/internships/positions from thousands of applicants annually. However, there are limited placements available in our programme.

We receive applications in the following areas.

Medical/health professionals
Management and business professionals
Sabbatical professionals
Legal and technical consultants
University elective students

ICROSS is made up of community volunteers, the majority being trained as community health workers or home based care workers, working in the communities we serve. You can help too. It does not matter if you are a student, a teacher, a mother or builder, you can organise a small group of friends and make a huge difference in the lives of hundreds - you can do that today.

Before you contact us, we would like you to consider the following questions:

Why do you really want to come?

Are you willing to learn from other cultures?
Can you commit for a year? Internships are a minimum of one year, any less would be a brief visit to say hello.
How will you cope with disease and suffering around you?
If you are still interested in getting involved and make a difference, please contact us directly.
Check out www.idealist.org for ICROSS postings.

We will not know where we are going unless we know where we started from. Many projects in Africa begin without really understanding the starting points. ICROSS works in scientific programmes using strict epidemiological surveillance to understand the patterns and determinants of disease and mortality. We have published in major peer review journals (Lancet, Reproductive Health Matters among others). Our work has influenced the way in which primary health care is delivered in many parts pf the world. Solar disinfection of drinking water as well as the use of flytraps in improving trachoma control is two important examples of the long term impact of our medical research. Currently we have 16 research programmes targeting orphans and vulnerable children, female genital circumcision, terminally ill AIDS patients, men who have sex with men and women.
Latest News

A unique project which aims to demonstrate that solar disinfection (SODIS) of drinking water is an effective way of preventing waterborne diseases has been awarded €1.9 million in grant aid from the EU.

More than one billion people lack access to safe drinking water. SODIS is a low-tech, safe and affordable method to improve water quality which involves placing contaminated water into transparent bottles which are then placed in direct sunshine for 6 hours. It is approved by the World Health Organisation and recently proved to be effective in the aftermath of the tsunami disaster in Southeast Asia in 2004. The three year SODISWATER programme will be carried out by nine research groups in Ireland, Spain, UK, Switzerland, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Kenya.

Over the next three years, the multidisciplinary team will investigate the health benefits of using solar disinfected drinking water in developing countries, the factors that influence communities to adopt or reject SODIS, whether the basic SODIS technique can be improved using simple technologies and whether there are there any major waterborne diseases that are not susceptible to SODIS.

ICROSS was involved in the first studies together with RCSI which included the impact of SODIS on Cholera.

"After a series of laboratory and field trials, we are certain that it is an effective way of preventing many diseases such as cholera, dysentery or polio and that it should be considered as an option alongside boiling, chlorination and other standard water treatment methods."

More about ICROSS projects

2011-07-12T13:48:00.000-07:00

ICROSS on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G19SgCKvZcM

ICROSS charity in action /www.youtube.com/watch?v=M80yYp5XbKU

ICROSS work on youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFWy25wncUs&feature=related

http://www.rte.ie/tv/programmesales/whenyousay4000goodbyes.html

films video clips on ICROSS public health projects

ICROSS past and future

2011-07-12T13:31:00.000-07:00

We are building a section on this site to share key successes and achievements of ICROSS over the last three decades

The section will cover everything from our fight against suffering and starvation and the decades of Medical work in hundreds of communities in Africa. This year we celebrate thirty years of improving health in Africa by sharing a series of articles, images and interviews. Like this, one of our first articles on poverty appearing in the LANCET medical journal in 1981to the BBC interview shown this week 2005. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/hardtalk/4675531.stm

As ICROSS begins new and ambitious disease control programmes it is important to remember the experience and history that has created a unique and dynamic set of long term projects. Together with pioneers like Dr Joe Barnes and Dr David Morley ICROSS developed community owned medical services that have stood the test of time. This month we unveil exciting new initiatives to extend child-survival and safe motherhood.

ICROSS on you tube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M80yYp5XbKU

Last Updated: Tuesday, 12 July 2005, 12:51 GMT 13:51 UK
E-mail this to a friend Printable version
Africa '05 - Michael Meegan
Stephen Sackur with Dr Michael Meegan (right) in the Rift Valley.

In a HARDtalk interview on July 21st, Stephen Sackur talks to Dr Michael Meegan in Kenya's Rift Valley.

Click here to watch the full interview

The recent G8 Summit at Gleneagles ended with an agreement to boost aid for developing countries by $50 billion.

The debt of some of Africa's poorest countries is also being cancelled. Michael Meegan runs a small charity trying to help some of Africa's poorest.

He doesn't think debt relief and more aid are the answer to the complex issue of lifting people out of poverty.

He talks to Stephen Sackur near one of his clinics in the Rift Valley - the home of the Masaai people.

HARDtalk can be seen on BBC World at 03:30 GMT, 0830 GMT, 1530 GMT, 1830 GMT, 2330 GMT

ICROSS fighting drought July 2011 Dr Michael Meegan

2011-07-11T09:26:00.000-07:00

http://icrossinternational.org/news.aspx?id=105

ICROSS creating long range women's health programmes
(23 June 2011)

ICROSS has focused on women's health and reproductive health care in its expansion of Maternal and child health programmes.
More
ICROSS Maasai clinic celebrates 25 years of programmes.
(27 May 2011)

Saruni Ole Lengeny announced today that ICROSS will celebrate twenty five years of health programmes at one of our longest serving clinics.
More

ICROSS fighting drought July 2011 Dr Michael Meegan

2011-07-11T08:07:00.000-07:00

ICROSS prepares for worsening famine conditions. July 2011

Dr Michael Meegan announced today that the dramatic rise in malnutrition has now reached critical status.
The drought is worsening . Dr Meegan, head of research and Founder said

" Throughout ICROSS health programmes we have been monitoring the rise of dehydration and children falling below safe weight. We have assessed the weight charts of 1345 children under five yrs over the last 8 weeks.
There are 278 Mothers who have been weighed. We have also monitored 122 Maasai over 60 yrs old.
Initial figures show that 39% of Boys and 43% of girls are malnourished
Of these 22% of all boys and 34 % of girls were moderately malnourished with 8% of boys and 11% severely malnourished
Among old people 27% are below weight."

This means that there are serious trends in malnutrition the current drought that are increasingly . ICROSS is working throughout its programmes preparing immediate response to the lack of safe water and the threat to infants in drought areas. Our first drought in 1983 saw thousands of children die from starvation. Community leader Philip OleSironka said today "ICROSS is preparing with communities in over 120 villages for a rapid response programme to reach those most in need"

The Founder Dr Mike Meegan was today with Ministry of health teams assessing the water resources in Longosua . P OleLasoi, ICROSS emergency response team said
" we have thirty years experience with these communities , its about living among our people now , in the good times and in these situations" ICROSS will launch an emergancy famine appeal in August 2011.

Mary-Anne Fitzgerald ICROSS and ACE

2011-07-10T09:14:00.000-07:00

Michael O'Farrell personal hate campaign at MAIL ON SUNDAY

Scandal at News of the World or Mail on Sunday Michael O'Farrell this story is copied to the Kenya Anti Corruption Unit. Michael O'Farrell of Mail on Sunday has published interviews by James Njenga and others attacking ICROSS in Kenya. MAIL ON SUNDAY withheld 5 other interviews from the public domain. Also, James Njenga Kihara is now recorded 10 July 2001 as saying Augustine Wasonga of ACE Kenya was paying him in Bungoma Kenya ACE Kenya paid for the hotel concealing him in Bungoma for a month. Njenga received money from Mary Anne Fitzgerald. MAIL ON SUNDAY special investigator Michael 'Farrell withheld in the public interest all the retractions and the information he knew about this . He also withheld what he knew about MARY-ANNE FITZGERALD and REBECCA BURRELL and Michael O'Farrell concealed details that he knew. Five statements were excluded by MOF as they discredited the hate story he wanted to lie about to Irish public and these Kenyan need a voice how Mail bribed them. The same witnesses they used in the Irish High Court. He knew about SAIDIA, ACE, the conflict of interests, the sexual rejections and relationships, and he knew the interviews he personalle removed from interviews. Michael O'Farrell wrote the story in July 2011 knowing that Sainkaire was not questioned because of the MAIL but because od the verification of his statements made to Nzamba Kitonka. In an attempt to interfere with the due process of the course of justice and conceal his actions Michael O'Farrell has midled the Mail in the information provided. Mary Anne Fitzgerald was fired by Dr Mike Meegan and Augustine Wasonga and Joe Waddington all of ACE were all fired by Dr Michael Meegan. The dishonesty of this story has been recorded by the authorities and whatever the efforts of corrupt journalists, the work of Mary-Anne Fitzgerald and all involved will result in criminal action against them. More of the sources, the alleged abused kenyans have come forward to say they were bribed and will record TV statements verifying who bribed them. MAIL on Sunday, News of the World Hacking next story. News of the World id not lie and conceal stories but Michael O'Farrell and the Journalist have their own sources saying MAIL ON SUNDAY coached the answers. More of thw people they bribed are coming forward to testify about the attempt by ACE led by Mary Anne Fitzgerald to damage ICROSS. ACE fed information to Journalists and we will release full details and recordings of all the recordings which will be resulting in criminal charges. Mary Anne Fitzgerald has attempted to pervert the course of justice covering up her paying and coaching of witnessess and detailed files have been handed to the Kenyan Police. A growing number of bribed people are coming forward with collaborative evidence. ACE http://www.ace-africa.org/who-we-are.aspx founded by people including four people fired for corruption and other reasons inclluding Mary Anne Fitzgerald, Augustine Wasonga and Joe Waddington launched a campaign including bribary in a focused vendetta that included paying James Njenga and Peter Meripe to Lie. Four of those paid have been making statements which will show the Mail on Sunday story was created and fed by Mary Anne Fitzgeral in an atttempt to pervert justice and cause criminal harm. ACE founders Joanna Waddington, Augustine Wasonga are directly named in the covering up of evidfence and concealing of witnesses in a plot to attack their former Boss Mike Meegan. Mail on Sunday is unaware of the recorded interviews with their sources including James Njenga and Ele Kihara. The Mail is unaware of the taped meetings detailing the promises of money and guarantees of financial incentives. . Legal action has commenced in Ireland and Kenya by ICCROSS Kenya. ICROSS Kenya has lauched actions against 12 , the 7 Kenyans named in the fraud by the paid informants have taken civila action inseperate suits for fraus defamation and slander. The journalists in South Africa will have actions served on them by a group of people recorded by thenm but not verified , and legal action is in process in Ireland. Mary-Anne fitzgerald has attempted to delay these proceedings by last minute attempts to protect Kate McIntyre and Mary Anne Fitzgerald. Mary Anne Fitzgerald of SAIDIA and ACE, who was dismissed by ICROSS founder remains at the centre of the case Tom Lyons a friend of Rebecca Burrell ( ex girlfriend of Mike Meegan ) has been closely involved . Criminal and civil suits are being followed in response to the statements of witnesses. ICROSS Kenya and others will take legal action against Mary-Anne Fitzgerald this month in Kenya and UK. How many sources stated in the |Irish high court have recirded new statements that they were bribed and paid for their stories, Will MAIL ON SUNDAY tell the Irish Public the latest news or continuue to misinform them. Did Barbara Jones bribe the five sources of the story despite the majority of the sources saying they did. Why is the MAIL ON SUNDAY not telling the Irish public that their sources are saying they were paid by journalists ? Next NEWS OF THE WORLD expose ? jurnalists manufacturing stories , growing numbers of witnesses , soon will be on youtube Corruption Irish tabloids

getting in touch with ICROSS

2011-06-25T07:22:00.001-07:00

ICROSS research

2011-06-25T07:21:00.000-07:00

If you would like more information about our research programmes please check out the ICROSS research section on out web sites

http://www.icrossinternational.org/news.aspx?id=97

2011-06-25T07:18:00.001-07:00

How can I get involved fighting poverty in Africa

ICROSS teams in Kenya

2011-06-25T07:13:00.000-07:00

Whats different about ICROSS, the ICROSS concept

2011-06-23T05:32:00.000-07:00

THE ICROSS CONCEPT

ICROSS is much more than just an organisation working in Africa. ICROSS is a concept, an idea, a set of values, which is shared and advocated by a large and evolving international community.

Long before community participation became popular, ICROSS promoted community ownership and planning in the local language through local values and beliefs.
The three decades ICROSS has operated in Africa has taught us the importance of these values and in a world where political, religious and socio-economic agendas play an ever more important role in the aid industry, ICROSS has uniquely, and with instinct, refrained from giving up its values and beliefs. Dr Michael Meegan has been promoting this vision and local ownership since creating ICROSS in 1979.

The values of ICROSS derive from something as simple as caring for our brothers and sisters; assist them out of and prevent them from suffering, without an agenda other than genuinely wanting to assist. We assist them through their own people, their languages, their traditions and existing political and belief systems with a sincere admiration and respect for their cultures.

By listening to the people whom we assist and develop programmes according to their needs and in their presence, rather than our wishes in an office far from their reality, the communities we serve, gain a sense of ownership. This is a real ownership not a donor driven or foreign idea. The feeling of ownership is crucial in any development work; it reduces possible constraints and limitations of a programme and ensures success, cost effectiveness and more importantly sustainability. ICROSS assists communities to facilitate themselves out of affliction.

ICROSS has over the years, scientifically shown, that what we do works. Our values and evidence based approach has ensured that even as a small, bottom-up, grass-root operating organisation, we have gained international respect among politicians, religious leaders, and academics around the world, who among thousands of others, make up the international community of ICROSS. ICROSS actually has the poor, donors and Government represented on our board of Directors, it is transparent and shares new ideas.

This international community is the driving force behind ICROSS as an idea. The humanitarian work of ICROSS stretches far beyond our programmes in Africa. ICROSS is within anyone who genuinely wants to care and assist others with love, respect and understanding. ICROSS as an idea is growing dynamically and with your help could reach more people.

For more about ICROSS work and our programmes 2011-2016 please look at our sites or follow us on facebook and twitter.

ICROSS women's health programme 2011

2011-06-23T05:24:00.000-07:00

ICROSS creating long range women's health programmes

ICROSS has focused on women's health and reproductive health care in its expansion of Maternal and child health programmes. ICROSS health services have provided comprehensive care for mothers and children for 30 years in Africa in a wide range of evidence based health projects.

Our health projects focus since 1983 on mothers and children in community owned initiatives.
These are the most vulnerable to disease and malnutrition. The International Director/Founder Dr Michael Meegan said today " We are really interested in increasing the capacity of the communities we live with to deliver long term health services and change. This is a dynamic shared learning with a wide range of partners and friends"

Saruni Ole Lengeny added " Our work includes includes training local ICROSS health volunteers as counsellors, and carers community health. ICROSS is focused on interventions ranging from prevention, diarrhoea control and reducing blindness, nutrition and education to birth spacing and clinical services. Our reproductive health projects include family planning. We are planning new maternity units to improve prenatal care, labour and delivery services, and the prevention, detection and treatment of STDs, including HIV/AIDS."
There are more facts on women's health at http://www.who.int/features/factfiles/women/en/

you can google scholar search our publicaltions through searching ICROSS Kenya at google scholar http://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&q=ICROSS+KENYA&btnG=Search&as_sdt=0%2C5&as_ylo=&as_vis=0

and more on our web sites www.icrossinternational.org
www.icross-africa.net You can help by buying from our online store and by donating to our partners and network organisations.

You can learn more about ICROSS projects on http://www.icrossinternational.org/about/index.asp

For decades ICROSS has worked with mothers and children in building long term safe motherhood projects

There are many problems Ordinary woman in Kenya are unable to afford basic sanitary protection.

⇒ One pack of sanitary pads costs more than 50% of the average monthly wage for women.

⇒ Millions of Kenyan women are forced to replace tampons with newspapers and dirty rags.

• This can lead to vaginal infections for which there is no available medication.

• These vaginal infections are often mistaken to be sexually transmitted infections leading to social embarrassment and domestic violence.

⇒ Wives and mothers are unable to work when they have their periods, further hindering already impoverished families.

⇒ Girls are forced to take time off school, further jeopardizing their education.

• Because of the economic and cultural crises in Africa, its schools serve as more than academic centers. They provide community resources where young people receive basic care and services, such as food programs, clean water and counseling.

Clinic celebrates 25 years

2011-05-27T05:38:00.001-07:00

ICROSS Maasai clinic celebrates 25 years of programmes.

Saruni Ole Lengeny announced today that ICROSS will celebrate twenty five years of health programmes at one of our longest serving clinics. After the 1983 drought we worked with communities and villages to provide long term health services owned and run by the communities. By early 1985 we began building funded by the British High Commission. Together with Paul Ole Lasoi, Danieal and Supuk OleNtilai we opened a nutrition programme for Maasai villages in the area. Now 25 years later there is a dynamic health programme serving Many Maasai communities across Maasai land. Following earlier successes building clinics serving the Nomadic communities ICROSS extending Mother and child health, Malaria control and child survival.

The Founder and International Director Dr Michael Meegan met with Maasai leaders today to plan celebrations of Inyonyori Clinic. He said " When I first came here many years ago I decided to work with the communities towards a long term health plan, this would take a life time. We are all excited to see the impact of long term community health and the real change in community owned health systems" The ICROSS model is based on health systems that are people owned and driven.

" We built earlier dispensaries, but this is the one that has co ordinated most of the famine relief, child survival and safe motherhood", said Saruni.

It has served the Maasai Communities since July 1985. There will be events and community celebrations over the next few months to mark the occasion.

ICROSS public health strategy

2011-04-27T02:00:00.000-07:00

ICROSS extends primary health care programmes.

For 30 years, the emphasis of ICROSS primary care has been improving immunisation, creating support mechanisms for public health and community medicine and establishing innovations in disease control, reproductive health and nutrition. In 1981 the founder Dr Michael Meegan launched his first disease control programme. This focused on disease supplements that would benefit children under five and women in the post natal stage.

Immunisation programmes have since the beginning of our programmes reached 14 districts and in all of our operational clinical services, we are immunising 90% of children between 9 months and 4 years old.

Every ICROSS clinic and programme is based upon community responsibility and ownership in managing their primary healthcare/public health programme. ICROSS has greatly expanded the concept of primary health care. It includes social equity, reproductive health responsibility and safe sex. The rights of women to choose comprehensive child survival and focused safe motherhood.

The centre of our primary health care programme‘s measurable impact in maternal and child health.

When Prof David Morley began working with ICROSS in 1981, he introduced the fundamental concept of children teaching children basic health promotion. A critical component of the success was the fact that the communities owned the decision making and the health prioritisation. Today (20th April 2011), we are extending the work created by Prof David Morley and building new diarrhoea control, neonatal tetanus and neonatal control. The success of reproductive health interventions have resulted in a dramatic decrease in maternal morbidity, mortality and suffering. We remain committed to the long term reduction in neonatal tetanus, malaria, trachoma, sexually transmitted infection, tropical dermatitis, water borne diseases and all preventable diseases cause by injustice, poverty and hunger.

Dr Michael Meegan met today with Ministry of Health nurses working in ICROSS programmes to discuss strategies for improvements in ICROSS long term disease prevention and public health activities. In partnership with the govt of Kenya and working within the UN, UNICEF, and WHO frameworks, ICROSS is building long term strategic policies for and with communities that will determine the long term focus of our maternal child health care for the next decade

Internationally renowned tribal rights leader joins ICROSS team.

2011-04-27T01:19:00.000-07:00

For more on this update please check our site at http://icrossinternational.org/news.aspx?id=102

Peter Saitaga, one of Kenya's most famous Maasai leaders has joined ICROSS. P Ole Saitaga who represents Maasai tribal communities across the vast savannah has been an ambassador of the Maasai around the World. Together with the Zulu, the Maasai are the two tribes that are known by everyone. Of the 6,000 tribes in Africa, few are as respected or known as the Maasai. P Ole Saitaga has worked with communities served by ICROSS for over 25 years. He is now the ICROSS community representative and spokesperson for ICROSS rural development projects. ICROSS works across a vast terrain spanning over 26,400 square Kms of Africas great Rift Valley.

Together with other elders and Maasai leaders the community spokesman said " We have worked closely since 1983 with Dr Mike Meegan and ICROSS, ICROSS is Maasai, Maasai is ICROSS. the great success of our projects is that we the communities own the work. Many people are jealous of the great success of our work. Many see the Maasai projects created through ICROSS as a wonderful way of rethinking AID and development. ICROSS is about us , about the people, in our ways , in our language, through our cultures. Some have challenged this, others tried to steal money raised by Dr Meegan, others have tried to steal even our work. Because we own the projects, ICROSS can not be stolen, it is ours. The day will come when all development will be driven by the African communities. We the Maasai believe in determining our own ideas of change. We will not accept ideas imposed without us. Dr Michael Meegan has lived among us, learnt our culture, our language we encourage others to do the same. " Speaking among the Maasai today, the Maasai leader, now ICROSS ambassador at large said " We welcome those who respect our culture, our traditions and our ways. We want people to learn from us, experience our civilisation and our way of life, you are welcome to see our work and the special approach of ICROSS which belongs to the way of life of our people"
Dr Michael Meegan added " Saitaga has worked with us gor many years and is deeply loved and respected across the Maasai communities and clans in all districts, he knows our programmes for decades and is a dynamic witness to how the ICROSS model has worked over generations"

ICROSS, which stands for "the International Community for the Relief of Suffering and Starvation" is a Kenyan-based non-governmental organization founded by Michael Meegan, Joseph Barnes and Thomas O'Riordan which specialises in long term primary health, community health care and public health programmes. The organisation's headquarters are based in Ngong, Rift Valley, Kenya. ICROSS www.icrossinternational.org . ICROSS has a long established research programme with a number of different patrners and research collaborators.
[edit] Activities

ICROSS www.icrosskenya.org works as a Kenyan-based development NGO, with a focus in the field of health,[1][2] with key international lectures [3] including the RedR Future shocks lecture,.[4] ICROSS is responsible for a large terminal care programme and a series of public health programmes. One of ICROSS's key research streams has been investigating means of solar disinfection (SODIS) of contaminated drinking water, and has helped conduct a number of control trials of SODIS.[5] Engaged in multi country collaborative programmes www.rcsi.ie/hwts09 ICROSS stresses traditional tribal values, building development programmes through the exisyting decision systems and creating locally driven agendas.

International profile ICROSS campaigns have included Africa awakes which tries to change the stereotypes and negative perceptions of Africa www.africa-awakes.com These exhibitions have received wide media coverage in Italy and France. ICROSS public health work has been cited Internationally , medical work has appeared in key scienticif journals since 1981. Meegan who received many international awards http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Elmore-Meegan was featured in BBC's Hardtalk current affair's programme for his work for ICROSS[6] while in 2006 the organisation was the subject of an award winning documentary by Irish Television.[7] ICROSS and its Founders have received widespread recognition for their work, especially in long term public health and creating lasting community development programmes. ICROSS spcialises in long term pastoralist health programmes, the most recent example of which was opened in December 2010 at Ilkilorit, Maasai land in Kenya. They have been covered extensively in the media, most recently for SODIS and for Africa awakes campaigns fighting racism, prejudice and stereotypes. In 2003 the founder received International person of the year in Ireland and in 2006 was the second person ever to receive a D Med Honoris Causa for his work in International health.www.nui.ie/college/docs/citations/2006/meegan.pdf

ICROSS work is widely cited ( see google scholar ) and the administration is entirely Africanied since August 2000.

Media news items include research http://www.emwis.net/initiatives/fol060732/proj634131 http://physiciansforhumanrights.org/library/letter-2003-10-16.html The International NGO which has multi lateral and bi lateral donors. Since 2003 the expansion of ICROSS International has seen the creation of an International Advisory board in 2009 chaired by Dr Davida de La Harpe. In October 2009 ICROSS launched www.icrossinternational.org and www.icrosskenya.org

Michael Meegan has also written numerous books on his work with ICROSS including 'All Will Be Well'(the successor to 'All Shall Be Well'), 'Surprised by Joy' and 'Changing the World 2008 A new series of books is being published by eye books www.eye-books.con

In January 2010 ICROSS Kenya extended its Rural health programmes. In March ICROSS Kenya began legal action in Ireland to try and establlish where funds raised for Kenyan projects had gone. The co founder of ICROSS Dr Joe Barnes installed a new Board of Directors in ICROSS Ireland july 2010 and funding to ICROSS Kenya programmes resumed. This funding was raised by the Founders

Keeping in touch with ICROSS Programmes

2011-04-23T03:09:00.000-07:00

As we extend our rural health programmes and activities we are also improving ways of sharing our work with friends and donors.
Our International web site is www.icrossinternational.org

We are replacing www.icrosskenya.org with a new site www.icross-africa.net
We are on facebook http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=67269670621 and http://www.facebook.com/pages/Icross/214121631935136

and will shortly launch a new discussion forum and help line in Kenya. you can follow us on twitter at IcrossAfrica

For more about ICROSS and our work in Africa please check out our sites and follow our work

ICROSS, which stands for "the International Community for the Relief of Suffering and Starvation" is a Kenyan-based non-governmental organization founded by Michael Meegan, Joseph Barnes and Thomas O'Riordan which specialises in long term primary health, community health care and public health programmes. The organisation's headquarters are based in Ngong, Rift Valley, Kenya. ICROSS www.icrossinternational.org . ICROSS has a long established research programme with a number of different patrners and research collaborators.
[edit] Activities

ICROSS www.icrosskenya.org works as a Kenyan-based development NGO, with a focus in the field of health,[1][2] with key international lectures [3] including the RedR Future shocks lecture,.[4] ICROSS is responsible for a large terminal care programme and a series of public health programmes. One of ICROSS's key research streams has been investigating means of solar disinfection (SODIS) of contaminated drinking water, and has helped conduct a number of control trials of SODIS.[5] Engaged in multi country collaborative programmes www.rcsi.ie/hwts09 ICROSS stresses traditional tribal values, building development programmes through the exisyting decision systems and creating locally driven agendas.

International profile ICROSS campaigns have included Africa awakes which tries to change the stereotypes and negative perceptions of Africa www.africa-awakes.com These exhibitions have received wide media coverage in Italy and France. ICROSS public health work has been cited Internationally , medical work has appeared in key scienticif journals since 1981. Meegan who received many international awards http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Elmore-Meegan was featured in BBC's Hardtalk current affair's programme for his work for ICROSS[6] while in 2006 the organisation was the subject of an award winning documentary by Irish Television.[7] ICROSS and its Founders have received widespread recognition for their work, especially in long term public health and creating lasting community development programmes. ICROSS spcialises in long term pastoralist health programmes, the most recent example of which was opened in December 2010 at Ilkilorit, Maasai land in Kenya. They have been covered extensively in the media, most recently for SODIS and for Africa awakes campaigns fighting racism, prejudice and stereotypes. In 2003 the founder received International person of the year in Ireland and in 2006 was the second person ever to receive a D Med Honoris Causa for his work in International health.www.nui.ie/college/docs/citations/2006/meegan.pdf

ICROSS work is widely cited ( see google scholar ) and the administration is entirely Africanied since August 2000.

Media news items include research http://www.emwis.net/initiatives/fol060732/proj634131 http://physiciansforhumanrights.org/library/letter-2003-10-16.html The International NGO which has multi lateral and bi lateral donors. Since 2003 the expansion of ICROSS International has seen the creation of an International Advisory board in 2009 chaired by Dr Davida de La Harpe. In October 2009 ICROSS launched www.icrossinternational.org and www.icrosskenya.org

Michael Meegan has also written numerous books on his work with ICROSS including 'All Will Be Well'(the successor to 'All Shall Be Well'), 'Surprised by Joy' and 'Changing the World 2008 A new series of books is being published by eye books www.eye-books.con

In January 2010 ICROSS Kenya extended its Rural health programmes. In March ICROSS Kenya began legal action in Ireland to try and establlish where funds raised for Kenyan projects had gone. The co founder of ICROSS Dr Joe Barnes installed a new Board of Directors in ICROSS Ireland july 2010 and funding to ICROSS Kenya programmes resumed. This funding was raised by the Founders

ICROSS comprehensive primary health Kenya

2011-04-23T02:14:00.000-07:00

ICROSS PRIMARY HEALTH CARE AFRICA

ICROSS extends primary health care programmes. For 30 years, the emphasis of ICROSS primary care has been improving immunisation, creating support mechanisms for public health and community medicine and establishing innovations in disease control, reproductive health and nutrition. In 1981 the founder Dr Michael Meegan launched his first disease control programme. This focused on disease supplements that would benefit children under five and women in the post natal stage.

Immunisation programmes have since the beginning of our programmes reached 14 districts and in all of our operational clinical services, we are immunising 90% of children between 9 months and 4 years old. Every ICROSS clinic and programme is based upon community responsibility and ownership in managing their primary healthcare/public health programme. ICROSS has greatly expanded the concept of primary health care. It includes social equity, reproductive health responsibility and safe sex. The rights of women to choose comprehensive child survival and focused safe motherhood. The centre of our primary health care programme‘s measurable impact in maternal and child health.

When Prof David Morley began working with ICROSS in 1981, he introduced the fundamental concept of children teaching children basic health promotion. A critical component of the success was the fact that the communities owned the decision making and the health prioritisation. Today (20th April 2011), we are extending the work created by Prof David Morley and building new diarrhoea control, neonatal tetanus and neonatal control. The success of reproductive health interventions have resulted in a dramatic decrease in maternal morbidity, mortality and suffering. We remain committed to the long term reduction in neonatal tetanus, malaria, trachoma, sexually transmitted infection, tropical dermatitis, water borne diseases and all preventable diseases cause by injustice, poverty and hunger.

Dr Michael Meegan met today with Ministry of Health nurses working in ICROSS programmes to discuss strategies for improvements in ICROSS long term disease prevention and public health activities. In partnership with the govt of Kenya and working within the UN, UNICEF, and WHO frameworks, ICROSS is building long term strategic policies for and with communities that will determine the long term focus of our maternal child health care for the next decade

Michael Meegan lectures on poverty and suffering

2011-04-16T01:15:00.000-07:00

The Founder of ICROSS Dr Michael Meegan gave a series of talks recently on global health and the changes in World poverty. Here are some extracts from a lecture on “ the rise of poverty in a rich world “

“We are divided just think about this for a moment the 200 richest people in the World own more than the 400 million poorest and 48 poorest countries account for less than 0.4% of global exports. Worse still According to the World bank the 500 richest people in the world own more than 50% of humanity.

50,000 children die each day due to poverty. And they die quietly in some of the poorest villages on earth, far removed from the conscience of the world. Being powerless and vulnerable in life makes these dying people even more invisible in death. That is about 210,000 children each week, or almost 11,000,000 children under age 5, each year. “

“ Its easy to get lost in the numbers the figures are overwhelming. 1.3 billion have no access to clean water; 3 billion have no access to sanitation; over a third of the planet have no access to electricity.”

“Think about our priorities here , 12% of the world's population uses 85% of its water. These 12% do not live in the Third World.”
This is why ICROSS and our partners remain committed to fighting poverty and the engines that drive the causes of poverty and suffering . unless we understand the forces and realities behind the numbers we simply observe the inevitable cycles and patterns that generate inequality. Unless the numbers become real people in our hearts we will watch them die. “

We will be sharing more extracts from lectures by Dr Michael Meegan throughout 2011.

Compassion as an ICROSS Value,

2011-04-15T02:25:00.000-07:00

" Be kind, always be kind, everyone we meet needs a little more kindness, a little more compassion. You can lighten their load, touch their hearts , bring just a little more joy into their journey. Be kind , always , always be kind"

Michael Meegan ALL WILL BE WELL
International Director ICROSS
http://www.michaelmeegan.net/
www.michaelmeegan.com

Michael Meegan Founder ICROSS Kenya

2011-04-10T04:55:00.001-07:00

Michael Elmore-Meegan, also known as Michael Meegan,[1] (born 26 March 1959) is the co-founder of the International Community for Relief Of Starvation and Suffering (ICROSS),[2] an aid agency operating in East Africa that describes itself as "a small international organisation working to fight poverty and disease in the poorest parts of the world."[3] Meegan also co-founded an Irish branch of the charity known as Icross Ltd, which broke with Meegan in 2010.[4] ICROSS Kenya's website currently lists "Dr. Michael Elmore Meegan - Founder and International Director ICROSS."[5]

At age twenty, he went to Kenya where he began to work among the Masai people to address village devastated by diseases such as malaria, tuberculous, and, eventually AIDS.[10] This work led him to found ICROSS and begin advocating for the poor villagers with whom he worked.[11] Under Meegan's leadership, ICROSS worked with a number of other organization on Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland led project to develop a Solar water disinfection system that could be used by village households.[12]
In the 2000s, Meegan became a prominent figure in Ireland whose fundraising activities for ICROSS attracted the public support of former Irish Prime Minister Garret FitzGerald and entertainment celebrities such as Elton John, Chris de Burgh, Caroline Corr, and Andrea Corr.[13] His writing and charitable activity brought him Ireland's well-regarded 2003 International Person of the Year Award presented in a nationally televised ceremony by the Irish charity Rehab.[14]
In May 2005, Ireland's state owned RTE televised a documentary about Meegan entitled When You Say 4000 Goodbyes.[15] After the broadcast, Meegan's charity ICROSS received 400,000 euros in donations.[16] On 19 November 2005, When You Say 4000 Goodbyes. was shown at Harvard University's prestigious Magners Irish Film Festival.[17] On 5 May 2006, the documentary won the Radharc Award 2006 for the "documentary programme of outstanding quality which addresses a national or international topic of social justice, morality or faith."[18]
On 7 April 2006, he was honored with an honorary degree from the National University of Ireland in a ceremony at the ornate Royal Hospital Kilmainham where other honorees included actor Martin Sheen, Philip Treacy (millner to celebrities including Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall), and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Louise Arbour.[19] On 5 December 2007, Meegan spoke at RedR UK's conference entitled Future Shocks: disasters and relief in a changing world on the same platform as the charity's British president

Publications
• Conroy, Ronán M.; & Michael Elmore Meegan. Dwindling Donor Aid for Health Programmes in Developing Countries, The Lancet, 14 May 1994.[32]
• Conroy, Ronán M.; Michael Elmore-Meegan, Tina M. Joyce, Kevin G. McGuigan & Joseph Barnes. Solar Disinfection of Drinking Water and Diarrhoea in Maasai Children: A Controlled Field Trial, The Lancet, 21 December 1996.[33]
• Conroy, Ronán M.; Michael Elmore Meegan, Tina M. Joyce, Kevin G. McGuigan & Joseph Barnes. Solar Disinfection of Drinking Water Protects Against Cholera in Children Under 6 Years of Age, Archives of Disease in Childhood, October 2001.[34]
• Conroy, Ronán M.; Michael Elmore Meegan, Tina M. Joyce, Kevin G. McGuigan & Joseph Barnes. Solar Disinfection of Water Reduces Diarrhoeal Disease: An Update, Archives of Disease in Childhood, October 1999.[35]
• Elmore-Meegan, Michael; Ronán M. Conroy & C. Bernard Agala. Sex Workers In Kenya, Numbers Of Clients and Associated Risks: An Exploratory Survey, Reproductive Health Matters, May 2004.[36]
• Joyce, Tina M.; Kevin G. McGuigan, Michael Elmore-Meegan, & Ronán M. Conroy. Inactivation of Fecal Bacteria in Drinking Water by Solar Heating, Applied and Environmental Microbiology, February 1996.[37]
• Konings, E.; , R.M. Anderson, Donald Morley, T. O'Riordan, Michael Meegan. Rates of Sexual Partner Change Among Two Pastoralist Southern Nilotic Groups in East Africa, AIDS, Londond, England, April 1989.[38]
• Mccormick, James; & Michael Elmore-Meegan. Maasai Diet, The Lancet, 24 October 1992.[39]
• McGuigan, Kevin G.; Tina M. Joyce, Ronán M. Conroy, J.B. Gillespie, & Michael Elmore-Meegan. Solar Disinfection of Drinking Water Contained in Transparent Plastic Bottles: Characterizing the Bacterial Inactivation Process, Journal of Applied Microbiology, June 1998.[40]
• Meegan, Michael; & Manuel Scrima (Photographer). 100 Ways to Change the World, London: Eye Books, 1 March 2011 (anticipated)[41]
• Meegan, Michael. All Shall Be Well: On Compassion and Love, London: Fount, 13 Oct 1986.[42]
• Meegan, Michael. All Will Be Well, London: Eye Books, 15 May 2004[43]
• Meegan, Michael. Changing the World from the Inside Out: Connecting Your Intellegences, London: Eye Books, 30 November 2007[44]
• Meegan, Michael; Donald C. Morley, & R. Brown. Child Weighing by the Unschooled: A Report of a Controlled Study of Growth Monitoring Over 12 Months of Maasai Children Using Direct Recording Scales, Transactions of The Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, November–December 1994.[45]
• Meegan, Michael Elmore; Ronán M. Conroy, Sarune Ole Lengeny, Kate Renhaul, & J Nyangole. Effect On Neonatal Tetanus Mortality After A Culturally-Based Health Promotion Programme, The Lancet, 25 August 2001.[46]
• Meegan, Michael; & David Morley. Growth Monitoring: Family Participation: Effective Community Development, Tropical Doctor, January 1999.[47]
• Meegan, Michael; & James, McCormick. Prevention of Disease in the Poor World, The Lancet, 16 July 1988.[48]
• Meegan, Michael. The Reality of Starvation and Disease, The Lancet, 17 January 1981.[49]
• Meegan, Michael. Rethinking Famine Relief, The Lancet, 21 November 1992.[50]
• Meegan, Michael. Starvation and Suffering, The Lancet, 31 December 1983.[51]
• Meegan, Michael. Surprised by Joy: Out of the Darkness - Light, a Story of Hope in the Midst of Tragedy, Dunboyne, Ireland: Maverick House, 2 May 2006[52]
Meegan, Michael; & Sharon At age twenty, he went to Kenya where he began to work among the Masai people to address village devastated by diseases such as malaria, tuberculous, and, eventually AIDS.[10] This work led him to found ICROSS and begin advocating for the poor villagers with whom he worked.[11] Under Meegan's leadership, ICROSS worked with a number of other organization on Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland led project to develop a Solar water disinfection system that could be used by village households.[12]
In the 2000s, Meegan became a prominent figure in Ireland whose fundraising activities for ICROSS attracted the public support of former Irish Prime Minister Garret FitzGerald and entertainment celebrities such as Elton John, Chris de Burgh, Caroline Corr, and Andrea Corr.[13] His writing and charitable activity brought him Ireland's well-regarded 2003 International Person of the Year Award presented in a nationally televised ceremony by the Irish charity Rehab.[14]
In May 2005, Ireland's state owned RTE televised a documentary about Meegan entitled When You Say 4000 Goodbyes.[15] After the broadcast, Meegan's charity ICROSS received 400,000 euros in donations.[16] On 19 November 2005, When You Say 4000 Goodbyes. was shown at Harvard University's prestigious Magners Irish Film Festival.[17] On 5 May 2006, the documentary won the Radharc Award 2006 for the "documentary programme of outstanding quality which addresses a national or international topic of social justice, morality or faith."[18]
On 7 April 2006, he was honored with an honorary degree from the National University of Ireland in a ceremony at the ornate Royal Hospital Kilmainham where other honorees included actor Martin Sheen, Philip Treacy (millner to celebrities including Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall), and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Louise Arbour.[19] On 5 December 2007, Meegan spoke at RedR UK's conference entitled Future Shocks: disasters and relief in a changing world on the same platform as the charity's British president HRH The Princess Royal.[20]

• Conroy, Ronán M.; & Michael Elmore Meegan. Dwindling Donor Aid for Health Programmes in Developing Countries, The Lancet, 14 May 1994.[32]
• Conroy, Ronán M.; Michael Elmore-Meegan, Tina M. Joyce, Kevin G. McGuigan & Joseph Barnes. Solar Disinfection of Drinking Water and Diarrhoea in Maasai Children: A Controlled Field Trial, The Lancet, 21 December 1996.[33]
• Conroy, Ronán M.; Michael Elmore Meegan, Tina M. Joyce, Kevin G. McGuigan & Joseph Barnes. Solar Disinfection of Drinking Water Protects Against Cholera in Children Under 6 Years of Age, Archives of Disease in Childhood, October 2001.[34]
• Conroy, Ronán M.; Michael Elmore Meegan, Tina M. Joyce, Kevin G. McGuigan & Joseph Barnes. Solar Disinfection of Water Reduces Diarrhoeal Disease: An Update, Archives of Disease in Childhood, October 1999.[35]
• Elmore-Meegan, Michael; Ronán M. Conroy & C. Bernard Agala. Sex Workers In Kenya, Numbers Of Clients and Associated Risks: An Exploratory Survey, Reproductive Health Matters, May 2004.[36]
• Joyce, Tina M.; Kevin G. McGuigan, Michael Elmore-Meegan, & Ronán M. Conroy. Inactivation of Fecal Bacteria in Drinking Water by Solar Heating, Applied and Environmental Microbiology, February 1996.[37]
• Konings, E.; , R.M. Anderson, Donald Morley, T. O'Riordan, Michael Meegan. Rates of Sexual Partner Change Among Two Pastoralist Southern Nilotic Groups in East Africa, AIDS, Londond, England, April 1989.[38]
• Mccormick, James; & Michael Elmore-Meegan. Maasai Diet, The Lancet, 24 October 1992.[39]
• McGuigan, Kevin G.; Tina M. Joyce, Ronán M. Conroy, J.B. Gillespie, & Michael Elmore-Meegan. Solar Disinfection of Drinking Water Contained in Transparent Plastic Bottles: Characterizing the Bacterial Inactivation Process, Journal of Applied Microbiology, June 1998.[40]
• Meegan, Michael; & Manuel Scrima (Photographer). 100 Ways to Change the World, London: Eye Books, 1 March 2011 (anticipated)[41]
• Meegan, Michael. All Shall Be Well: On Compassion and Love, London: Fount, 13 Oct 1986.[42]
• Meegan, Michael. All Will Be Well, London: Eye Books, 15 May 2004[43]
• Meegan, Michael. Changing the World from the Inside Out: Connecting Your Intellegences, London: Eye Books, 30 November 2007[44]
• Meegan, Michael; Donald C. Morley, & R. Brown. Child Weighing by the Unschooled: A Report of a Controlled Study of Growth Monitoring Over 12 Months of Maasai Children Using Direct Recording Scales, Transactions of The Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, November–December 1994.[45]
• Meegan, Michael Elmore; Ronán M. Conroy, Sarune Ole Lengeny, Kate Renhaul, & J Nyangole. Effect On Neonatal Tetanus Mortality After A Culturally-Based Health Promotion Programme, The Lancet, 25 August 2001.[46]
• Meegan, Michael; & David Morley. Growth Monitoring: Family Participation: Effective Community Development, Tropical Doctor, January 1999.[47]
• Meegan, Michael; & James, McCormick. Prevention of Disease in the Poor World, The Lancet, 16 July 1988.[48]
• Meegan, Michael. The Reality of Starvation and Disease, The Lancet, 17 January 1981.[49]
• Meegan, Michael. Rethinking Famine Relief, The Lancet, 21 November 1992.[50]
• Meegan, Michael. Starvation and Suffering, The Lancet, 31 December 1983.[51]
• Meegan, Michael. Surprised by Joy: Out of the Darkness - Light, a Story of Hope in the Midst of Tragedy, Dunboyne, Ireland: Maverick House, 2 May 2006[52]
• Meegan, Michael; & Sharon Wilinson. Take My Hand 2008.[53]
• Meegan, Michael; & Colin Meagle. Tribe of One: A Guide to Personal Happiness, London: Eye Books, 11 July 2011 (anticipated)[54]
• Meegan, Mike; David Morley, & Desmond Chavasse. Fly Traps, The Lancet, 22 March 1997.[55]
• Wilinson. Take My Hand 2008.[53]
• Meegan, Michael; & Colin Meagle. Tribe of One: A Guide to Personal Happiness, London: Eye Books, 11 July 2011 (anticipated)[54]
• Meegan, Mike; David Morley, & Desmond Chavasse. Fly Traps, The Lancet, 22 March 1997.[55]

ICROSS, which stands for "the International Community for the Relief of Suffering and Starvation" is a Kenyan-based non-governmental organization founded by Michael Meegan, Joseph Barnes
which specialises in long term primary health, community health care and public health programmes. The organisation's headquarters are based in Ngong, Rift Valley, Kenya. ICROSS www.icrossinternational.org . ICROSS has a long established research programme with a number of different patners and research collaborators.

ICROSS www.icrosskenya.org works as a Kenyan-based development NGO, with a focus in the field of health,[1][2] with key international lectures [3] including the RedR Future shocks lecture,.[4] ICROSS is responsible for a large terminal care programme and a series of public health programmes. One of ICROSS's key research streams has been investigating means of solar disinfection (SODIS) of contaminated drinking water, and has helped conduct a number of control trials of SODIS.[5] Engaged in multi country collaborative programmes www.rcsi.ie/hwts09 ICROSS stresses traditional tribal values, building development programmes through the exisyting decision systems and creating locally driven agendas.

International profile ICROSS campaigns have included Africa awakes which tries to change the stereotypes and negative perceptions of Africa www.africa-awakes.com These exhibitions have received wide media coverage in Italy and France. ICROSS public health work has been cited Internationally , medical work has appeared in key scienticif journals since 1981. Meegan who received many international awards http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Elmore-Meegan was featured in BBC's Hardtalk current affair's programme for his work for ICROSS[6] while in 2006 the organisation was the subject of an award winning documentary by Irish Television.[7] ICROSS and its Founders have received widespread recognition for their work, especially in long term public health and creating lasting community development programmes. ICROSS spcialises in long term pastoralist health programmes, the most recent example of which was opened in December 2010 at Ilkilorit, Maasai land in Kenya. They have been covered extensively in the media, most recently for SODIS and for Africa awakes campaigns fighting racism, prejudice and stereotypes. In 2003 the founder received International person of the year in Ireland and in 2006 was the second person ever to receive a D Med Honoris Causa for his work in International health.www.nui.ie/college/docs/citations/2006/meegan.pdf

ICROSS work is widely cited ( see google scholar ) and the administration is entirely Africanied since August 2000.

Media news items include research http://www.emwis.net/initiatives/fol060732/proj634131 http://physiciansforhumanrights.org/library/letter-2003-10-16.html The International NGO which has multi lateral and bi lateral donors. Since 2003 the expansion of ICROSS International has seen the creation of an International Advisory board in 2009 chaired by Dr Davida de La Harpe. In October 2009 ICROSS launched www.icrossinternational.org and www.icrosskenya.org

Michael Meegan has also written numerous books on his work with ICROSS including 'All Will Be Well'(the successor to 'All Shall Be Well'), 'Surprised by Joy' and 'Changing the World 2008 A new series of books is being published by eye books www.eye-books.con

In January 2010 ICROSS Kenya extended its Rural health programmes. In March ICROSS Kenya began legal action in Ireland to try and establlish where funds raised for Kenyan projects had gone. The co founder of ICROSS Dr Joe Barnes installed a new Board of Directors in ICROSS Ireland july 2010 and funding to ICROSS Kenya programmes resumed. This funding was raised by the Founders
[edit] Research

Published research conducted by ICROSS includes:

1 Elmore-Meegan M, Conroy RM, Agala CB. Sex workers in Kenya, numbers of clients and associated risks: an exploratory survey. Reprod Health Matters 2004;12(23):50-7.

2 Meegan ME, Conroy RM, Lengeny SO, Renhault K, Nyangole J. Effect on neonatal tetanus mortality after a culturally-based health promotion programme. Lancet 2001;358(9282):640-1.

3 Conroy RM, Meegan ME, Joyce T, McGuigan K, Barnes J. Solar disinfection of drinking water protects against cholera in children under 6 years of age. Arch Dis Child 2001;85(4):293-5.

4 Meegan M, Morley DC. Growth monitoring: family participation: effective community development. Trop Doct 1999;29(1):23-7.

5 Conroy RM, Meegan ME, Joyce T, McGuigan K, Barnes J. Solar disinfection of water reduces diarrhoeal disease: an update. Arch Dis Child 1999;81(4):337-8.

6 Meegan M, Morley D, Chavasse D. Fly traps. Lancet 1997;349(9055):886.

7 Meegan M, Morley DC, Brown R. Child weighing by the unschooled: a report of a controlled study of growth monitoring over 12 months of Maasai children using direct recording scales. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg 1994;88(6):635-7.

8 Conroy RM, Meegan ME. Dwindling donor aid for health programmes in developing countries. Lancet 1994;343(8907):1228-9.

9 Meegan MK. Rethinking famine relief. Lancet 1992;340(8830):1293-4.

10 Konings E, Anderson RM, Morley D, O'Riordan T, Meegan M. Rates of sexual partner change among two pastoralist southern Nilotic groups in east Africa. Aids 1989;3(4):245-7.

11 Meegan M, McCormick J. Prevention of disease in the poor world. Lancet 1988;2(8603):152-3.

12 Meegan M. Starvation and suffering. Lancet 1983;2(8365-66):1506.

13 Meegan M. The reality of starvation and disease. Lancet 1981;1 (8212):146.