Talk:International Medical Corps

Reads like a press release?
Is there a reason this reads less like an encyclopedia entry and more like a bloody press release?


 * Just the usual reason, namely that people like you haven't bothered to improve it yet. WhatamIdoing (talk) 16:33, 25 April 2011 (UTC)


 * I saw this set of pictures from Misrata during the "civil war" and got the impression that this must be some kind of medical wing of the CIA. A front organization with no real grassroots activity. That might explain the "low profile." -- Petri Krohn (talk) 16:53, 15 September 2011 (UTC)


 * P.S. – A quote from the article: "one of the highest fundraising efficiencies in the industry." – When did charities start calling themselves an industry? -- Petri Krohn (talk)

Copyright problem removed
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Adding Footnotes
Hello Wikipedians,

IMC hired me to add secondary sources to its page, in order to address the flag that was added a couple years ago by Kingofthenorf (who’s since been suspected of sockpuppetry and been blocked indefinitely). To this end, I’ve prepared the following requests that add footnotes and clean up language that at times is verbose, jargony, and/or promotional.

To avoid overwhelming you with a long list, I’ll present a first round of requests now; once these are addressed, I’ll submit a second.

Note: I’ve provided multiple sources for each request; feel free to omit some to avoid overwhelming the page.

I welcome your thoughts. Thank you kindly for your consideration.

Signed, BlueRoses13 (talk) 23:19, 25 April 2022 (UTC)
 * ✅ Thanks for properly disclosing your COI, and thanks for your patience. Handmeanotherbagofthemchips (talk) 14:42, 6 August 2022 (UTC)
 * Thank you so much, @Handmeanotherbagofthemchips! Signed, BlueRoses13 (talk) 16:10, 7 August 2022 (UTC)

1. 1st Sentence
In the lead section, can we change this:

"...organization dedicated to saving lives and relieving suffering by providing emergency medical services, as well as healthcare training and development programs, to those affected by disaster, disease or conflict."

to this:

"...organization that provides emergency medical services, healthcare training and capacity building   to those affected by disaster,   disease     or conflict."

Explanation: First, I removed the puffery (for example, “saving lives and relieving suffering”).

Second, I linked certain terms in the sentence to their respective Wikipedia pages (for example, “emergency medical services”).

Third, I changed “development programs” (which doesn’t have a Wikipedia page) to “capacity building” (which does).

Fourth, here are sources to corroborate the given claims:

(a) Here are 4 sources to corroborate IMC’s “emergency medical services”: In 2018, in an article titled “‘The Remedy of a Soul’: Mental Health Worker Hadeel Naser Helps Syrian Refugees Heal,” the New Arab (which has its own Wikipedia page) reported the following: “Through decades designing integrated health programs, International Medical Corps has achieved significant breakthroughs in the global fight for comprehensive mental health care in emergency settings.”

In 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) certified IMC as an EMT Type 1 Provider; here’s the letter from the WHO, and here’s IMC’s news release.

In 2021, in an article titled “International Medical Corps Trains at TEEX's Disaster City Facility to Earn Emergency Certification,” the Eagle college newspaper profiled IMC’s local emergency medical response team.

(b) Here’s a source to corroborate IMC’s “healthcare training”: In 2022, in an article titled “Where to Donate to Help Ukraine Right Now,” the Philadelphia Inquirer (which has its own Wikipedia page) reported the following: “International Medical Corps helped Ukrainians during conflict in 1999-2000 by delivering medicine and training more than 500 local doctors and medical staff. In 2014, it partnered with the Ukraine Ministry of Health to support mobile health services and train medical professionals on preventing and controlling infections.”

(c) Here are 3 sources to corroborate IMC’s “capacity building”: In 2020, in an article titled “Haftar Urges WHO to Support Libya in Fight against COVID-19,” Asharq Al-Aswat (the English edition of Asharq Al-Awsat, which has its own Wikipedia page) reported the following: “The US embassy in Libya said that USAID supports the International Medical Corps to increase accesses to health services for families displaced by the long-term conflict in Libya. The embassy, in a statement, said that doctors, nurses and mental health consultants of the International Medical Corps, a nonprofit organization, provide basic medical care and psychological and social support to help families deal with stress and trauma in health facilities serving displaced communities.”

In 2020, in an article titled “COVID-19: Snoop to Raise Funds for Medical Corps,” the Guardian (which has its own Wikipedia page) reported the following: “The International Medical Corps works closely with international, national and local charities and health organizations, providing medical expertise, equipment, training and triage and treatment services. Its goal is to ensure that at-risk countries and regions can prepare for and respond to outbreaks of coronavirus quickly and safely.”

In 2021, in an article titled “Barriers to Seeking Post-Abortion Care in Paktika Province, Afghanistan: A Qualitative Study of Clients and Community Members,” BMC Women’s Health (a journal published by BioMed Central) reported the following: “International Medical Corps has provided ... capacity building of health workers and development of long-term capacity of supported facilities, as well as strengthening community education related to health and availability of services.”

(d) Here are 3 sources to corroborate IMC’s work in response to “disasters”: In 2016, in an article titled “Lebanon Struggles to Help Syrian Refugees With Mental Health Problems,” Reuters (which has its own Wikipedia page) reported the following: “The International Medical Corps … provides psychosocial support for Syrian refugees in Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey.”

In 2018, in an article titled “PanCare ‘Tent Clinic’ in Full Swing,” the Dothan Eagle (which has its own Wikipedia page) reported the following: “IMC dispatched a number of medical teams to the Florida Panhandle at the request of the state’s Department of Health in the aftermath of Hurricane Michael. With the support of FedEx and AbbVie, IMC has delivered, set up and helped to outfit the two temporary clinics for PanCare Health.”

In 2021, in an article titled “International Medical Corps’ Current Disaster Relief Efforts,” BORGEN Magazine reported the following: “As a ‘preeminent first responder,’ International Medical Corps’ current disaster-relief efforts mitigate both natural and manmade disasters with a broad and successful reach.”

(e) Here are 5 source to corroborate IMC’s work in response to “disease” (which can be linked to the Wikipedia page for that term): In 2015, in an article titled “Ebola Doctor: ‘Tremendous Strides’ in Stemming the Outbreak,” PBS NewsHour (which has its own Wikipedia page) interviewed Dr. Pranav Shetty. The article reported the following: “As global emergency health coordinator for the nonprofit International Medical Corps, Shetty is more typically found in health hot spots around the world. In August, he went to Liberia to help establish and oversee two Ebola treatment units and a training center for health workers.”

In 2019, in an article titled “[https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2019/02/25/697073103/why-does-ebola-keep-spreading-in-congo-heres-a-major-clue Why Does Ebola Keep Spreading in Congo? Here’s a Major Clue],” NPR (which has its own Wikipedia page) reported the following: “Dr. Cimanuka Germain of International Medical Corps, which is helping with the effort [in Congo], says private clinics sometimes resist the help … He had been visiting [one particular clinic] weekly — but from that point on he assigned two people from his organization to keep watch at the clinic all day every day. And he has done the same thing for the 11 other facilities working with International Medical Corps.”

In 2019, in an article titled “Life Amid an Ebola Outbreak: Combating Mistrust — And Saving Lives,” National Geographic (which has its own Wikipedia page) reported the following: “Collaborative research among groups like the Red Cross, the International Medical Corps, MSF, academic institutions, and technology companies resulted in the development of the CUBEs.” A “CUBE” is a plastic isolation unit, which allows healthcare workers to treat a patient who’s suffering from a highly infectious disease.

In 2021, in an article titled “[https://nnumagazine.uberflip.com/i/1380020-national-nurse-magazine-april-may-june-2021/11? Dose of Hope],” National Nurse, a publication of National Nurses United (which has its own Wikipedia page), reported on a Covid-vaccination clinic in South Los Angeles: “The vaccine clinic was a project of International Medical Corps, which partnered with RNRN [the Registered Nurse Response Network]. The two organizations, along with Kedren staff and community volunteers, have helped administer more than 100,000 doses at Kedren Community Health Center.”

In 2021, in an article titled “Vaccinating Refugees Spurs a Global Dilemma,” Politico (which has its own Wikipedia page) reported on Covid-vaccation clinics in refugee campaigns in Jordan: “Refugees could book an appointment through an online portal, with IMC volunteers helping them get access.” Politico also cites Javed Ali, IMC’s emergency-response director, who works in the Azraq and Zaatari refugee camps.

(f): Here are 2 sources to corroborate IMC’s work in response to “conflicts” (aka “war,” which has its own Wikipedia page): In 2016, in an article titled “Lebanon Struggles to Help Syrian Refugees With Mental Health Problems,” Reuters (which has its own Wikipedia page) reported the following: “The International Medical Corps, which provides psychosocial support for Syrian refugees in Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey, said people with untreated mental health issues could gradually lose their ability to function in society.”

In 2022, in an article titled “How You Can Help Ukraine,” the New York Times (which has its own Wikipedia page) reported the following: “Since 2014, IMC has provided medical service and prescription medicine to people in eastern Ukraine.”

2. 2nd Sentence
In the lead section, can we change this:

"The organization responds quickly during disasters and humanitarian crises, providing emergency medical relief and healthcare to affected regions and training local healthcare workers with the goal of creating self-reliant, self-sustaining medical services and infrastructure in places where these had previously been lacking."

to this:

"It seeks to strengthen medical services and infrastructure in the aftermath of crises."

Explanation: First, the first part of the current sentence basically repeats the previous sentence. So I cleaned up the wording.

Second, here are 3 sources to corroborate the claims about “medical services and infrastructure”:

In 2014, in an article titled “Ebola Outbreak: How Can You Help?,” the Guardian (which has its own Wikipedia page) reported the following: “The International Medical Corps is recruiting qualified healthcare practitioners, water, sanitation and environmental experts, psychosocial staff and logistics, human resources and finance professionals to work in Ebola treatment units in Sierra Leone and Liberia.”

In 2018, in an article titled “[https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/02/health/ebola-virus-congo-outbreak-2018.html Ebola Attacked Congo Again. But Now Congo Seems to Be Winning],” the New York Times (which has its own Wikipedia page) reported that IMC was “working to complete a 50-bed unit in Makeke,” a village in the Congo.

In 2019, in an article titled “Sustainable Development for Global Mental Health: A Typology and Systematic Evidence Mapping of External Actors in Low-Income and Middle-Income Countries,” BMJ Global Health reported that IMC “provided psychosocial support and collaborated with local governments to ‘build back better’ mental health systems after the 2014–2015 Ebola outbreak in Liberia and the 2004 tsunami in Aceh (Indonesia), respectively.”

3. 3rd Sentence
In the lead section, can we change this:

"International Medical Corps focuses on health services support, including primary and secondary healthcare, prevention and treatment of infectious diseases, supplemental food for malnourished children, clean water and hygiene education, mental health and psychosocial care, women's and children's health (including assistance for survivors of gender-based violence), and emergency response and preparedness."

to this:

"International Medical Corps focuses on health services and training. This includes the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases;   supplemental food for malnourished children;  water, sanitation and hygiene;  mental health and psychosocial care;    and gender-based violence."

Explanation: First, I added links to Wikipedia pages where appropriate (for example, “infectious diseases,” “malnourished children;” etc.)

Second, I removed “primary and secondary healthcare” (because the list of services is already long) and “emergency response and preparedness” (because this is well-covered elsewhere in the page).

Third, I changed “health services support” to “health services and training” to be more precise.

Fourth, I changed “women's and children's health (including assistance for survivors of gender-based violence)” to “gender-based violence” (which has its own section within the Wikipedia page for “gender violence”).

Fifth, here are sources to corroborate the specific terms in the sentence:

(a) Here are 4 sources to corroborate IMC’s work to “prevent and treat infectious diseases” (such as Ebola and COVID-19): 2 journal articles report on IMC’s 5 treatments centers for Ebola in Sierra Leone and Liberia from 2014-2015:

In 2018, PLoS One (which has its own Wikipedia page) reported the following: “Starting in September 2014, International Medical Corps operated 5 Ebola treatment units in Sierra Leone and Liberia.”

In 2019, the Journal of Nutrition (which has its own Wikipedia page) reported on “patients with Ebola who were admitted to 5 International Medical Corps Ebola Treatment Units in 2 countries during 2014-2015.”

2 news articles report on IMC’s work around COVID-19: In 2022, in an article tilted “[https://www.npr.org/2022/02/25/1082992947/ukraine-support-help Want to Support the People in Ukraine? Here’s How You Can Help],” NPR (which has its own Wikipedia page) reported the following: IMC’s “Ukraine team is preparing to deploy mobile medical teams to provide ... COVID-19 awareness and prevention services for people who have been displaced.”

In 2022, in an article titled “How You Can Help the People of Ukraine,” CBS (which has its own Wikipedia page) reported the following: “International Medical Corps is responding to the Ukrainian crisis” with “COVID-19 prevention and awareness services to keep refugee and displaced populations safe from the pandemic.”

(b) Here are 2 sources to corroborate IMC’s work on “supplemental food for malnourished children”: In 2014, in an article titled “Malnutrition Hits Millions of Children in Yemen,” the New York Times (which has its own Wikipedia page) reported the following: “All of Ms. bin Nasser’s 4 children were malnourished, with her youngest, Hadiya, suffering severely and receiving treatment from the International Medical Corps volunteers.”

In 2017, in an article titled “Charity Groups Unite to Tackle Hunger and Famine in the Horn of Africa,” ABC News (which has its own Wikipedia page) reported that “8 U.S.-based international relief groups have joined forces to desperately urge the public to donate to a new relief fund aimed at addressing looming famine and hunger in South Sudan, Nigeria, Yemen, Somalia and neighboring nations ... The coalition — made up of CARE, International Medical Corps, International Rescue Committee, Mercy Corps, Oxfam, Plan International, Save the Children and World Vision — announced its Hunger Relief Fund.”

(c) Here are 2 sources to corroborate IMC’s work in “water, sanitation and hygiene”: In 2010, in an article titled “Haiti’s Cholera Outbreak Could Spread to Neighbors,” BMJ (which has its own Wikipedia page) reported the following: “In addition to providing medical supplies and assisting the sick, nongovernmental organizations such as the International Medical Corps are training local health workers and even the Boy Scouts to identify new cases early and teach local populations about good health and hygiene practice to help reduce the spread of the disease.”

In 2015, in an article titled “U.S. Government, Organizations Deploying Aid to Quake-Hit Nepal,” the Wall Street Journal (which has its own Wikipedia page) reported the following: “International Medical Corps is sending mobile medical units to the hardest-hit areas, including Gorka District in west Nepal, Ms. Traub said. Hygiene kits and water-purification tablets will be distributed. The group had a team in Nepal when the earthquake struck and has been sending in additional teams of doctors, nurses and logisticians, she said.”

(d) Here are 4 sources to corroborate IMC’s work in “mental health and psychosocial care”: In 2005, in an article titled “Tackling Mental Health in Sierra Leone,” BMJ (which has its own Wikipedia page) reported on a pilot project to “introduce basic mental health care to a remote area of west Africa that has never before received orthodox mental interventions … The International Medical Corps held regular public education workshops with community leaders and police and found that they were able to shift attitudes towards a more positive approach regarding the need for social support and a less nihilistic approach to treatment.”

In 2014, in an article titled “Lebanon Ill-Equipped to Handle Mental-Health Issues of Syrian Refugee Children,” the Washington Post (which has its own Wikipedia page) described IMC as “one of the few aid groups that provides psychiatric and psychotherapist support to refugees in Lebanon.”

In 2016, in an article titled “Lebanon Struggles to Help Syrian Refugees With Mental Health Problems,” the Thompson Reuters Foundation (which has its own Wikipedia page) reported that IMC “provides psychosocial support for Syrian refugees in Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey.”

In 2021, in an article titled “Mental Health Integration in Primary Health Services After the Earthquake in Nepal: A Mixed-Methods Program Evaluation,” Cambridge University Press (which has its own Wikipedia page) reported on the results of a mental-health and psychosocial-support program implemented from 2015 to 2017 in earthquake-ravaged Nepal. The program was a collaboration between IMC and 3 other entities.

(e) Here are 3 sources to corroborate IMC’s work in “gender-based violence” (GBV): In 2017, in an article titled “To Fight Domestic Violence Among Syrian Refugees, an Outreach to Men,” the Christian Science Monitor (which has its own Wikipedia page) reported the following: “IMC has partnered with a local organization, Abaad, to open a center for men in Beirut to raise awareness of gender-based violence, engage men on gender equality, and provide support. It also runs two other men's centers outside the capital.”

In 2020, in an article titled “South Sudan: COVID-19 Brings Abuse and Other Fears to Displaced Women in South Sudan,” AllAfrica (which has its own Wikipedia page) reported that IMC “operates 2 clinics in Juba,” South Sudan’s capital. “The IMC is training local health staff so they can provide basic support to those who have suffered gender-based violence, said Gertrude Garway, the group's GBV program manager. The organization is also trying to increase the number of locations and ways for survivors and those at risk to make toll free phone calls to a caseworker.”

In 2011, in a report titled “Assessment of Services Provided to Victims of Gender Based Violence by State and Nonstate Agencies in Pilot Areas,” the United Nations Population Fund (which has its own Wikipedia page) reported the following: “IMC’s work in the area of GBV response in Nangarhar province specifically targets the communities of returnees (Afghan citizens returning from Pakistan, where they lived as refugees). The organization operates in 6 healthcare facilities serving the returnees in 3 provincial districts (out of 22) and works in the areas of GBV prevention, healthcare and psychosocial counseling for GBV victims.”

4. Funders
In the “current operations” section, can we change this:

"Its programs are funded from both public and private sources, including the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the USAID Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance, the European Commission's Humanitarian Aid Department (ECHO), the United Nations, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and AmeriCares."

to this:

"Its programs are funded from both public and private sources, including the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO) and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation."

Explanation: First, I linked USAID and ECHO to their respective Wikipedia pages.

Second, I removed the second mention of USAID (the Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance).

Third, I removed the mentions of the United Nations and AmeriCares because I couldn’t find reliable sources for these claims.

Fourth, I updated “the European Commission's Humanitarian Aid Department” to its current name: “The Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations.”

Fifth, here are sources for the 3 remaining funders:

(a) USAID. If you visit USASpending.gov, you’ll see that USAID has given IMC $20.5 million. (b) ECHO. If you visit the website of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, you’ll see 3 contracts that ECHO has given to IMC.

Also, in 2019, in an article titled “UK Charities Receive Over £200M From European Commission Development Fund,” Civil Society News reported that ECHO “awarded 122 contracts to UK charities worth a total of over £225m in 2017, the last year for which full data is available. Oxfam, the International Medical Corps UK and International Rescue Committee UK are among the charities which each currently receive tens of millions of pounds through these contracts.” (c) Gates. In 2021, the Los Angeles Times (which has its own Wikipedia page) reported the following: “International Medical Corps, a Los Angeles nonprofit that provides emergency medical and other healthcare services around the world, has been a recipient of significant Gates Foundation funding. It has received millions over the years from the foundation, which the group said has been crucial to its mission.”

5. West Africa and Nepal
In the “current operations” section, the following sentence lacks footnotes for West Africa and Nepal:

"International Medical Corps has provided disaster relief for people impacted by the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, the Ebola virus epidemic in West Africa, and the April 2015 Nepal earthquake."

Here's the revised sentence with footnotes:

"International Medical Corps has provided disaster relief for people impacted by the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, the Ebola virus epidemic in West Africa, and the April 2015 Nepal earthquake."

Explanation: Here’s a source that corroborates IMC’s Ebola work in West Africa: In 2014, in an article titled “Life, Death and Grim Routine Fill the Day at a Liberian Ebola Clinic,” the New York Times (which has its own Wikipedia page) reported the following: “The latest scourge, Ebola, is under assault here in a cluster of cobalt-blue buildings operated by an American charity, International Medical Corps. In the newly opened treatment center, Liberian workers and volunteers from abroad identify who is infected, save those they can and try to halt the virus’s spread.” And here’s a source that corroborates IMC’s earthquake work in Nepal: In 2015, in an article titled “U.S. Government, Organizations Deploying Aid to Quake-Hit Nepal,” the Wall Street Journal (which has its own Wikipedia page) reported the following: “International Medical Corps is sending mobile medical units to the hardest-hit areas, including Gorka District in west Nepal, Ms. Traub said. Hygiene kits and water-purification tablets will be distributed. The group had a team in Nepal when the earthquake struck and has been sending in additional teams of doctors, nurses and logisticians, she said.”

6. Staff and Countries
In the “current operations” section, can we change this:

"It currently employs some 7,000 staff in 30 countries."

to this:

"As of 2020, it employs 7,500 staff and has worked in 80 countries."

Explanation: According to a 2020 TV segment on Spectrum News 1 (which has its own Wikipedia page), IMC works in 80 countries (see the 2:50 mark).

According to IMC’s 2020 annual report, the organization’s “staff numbers more than 7,500 worldwide.”