Working in the humanitarian sector can be very rewarding and the PDA has found the same. Humanitarian work is expansive and allows for projects to evolve and address different issues ranging from medicine shortages to antimicrobial resistance. You can click here to find out more about the work that the PDA has been undertaking in the humanitarian sector.
A ‘humanitarian’ can be defined as, “(a person who is) involved in or connected with improving people’s lives and reducing suffering.” However, it can be said that being a humanitarian is simply being human. Caring for others and wanting to help them should be integral to all humans but in particular, pharmacists. As pharmacists, we care for our patients, and we work hard to improve their lives by improving their health. Pharmacists are crucial when it comes to the public accessing medicines, supply chain management, providing expertise in medication management and playing a role in public health. Therefore, we are all humanitarians, we simply express it in different ways.
Social justice is a core component to being a humanitarian and so it is important to have an awareness of what is happening in the global community. With the current global landscape, there is evidence of the destruction of healthcare systems, groups of people being displaced, and societies being destroyed. In these times, it can be hard to know how to help.
Often the best way of helping is by donating money to trusted charities where experts are able to determine how best to support the affected individuals. Where there is a lack of expertise, even with the best of intentions, more harm can be caused than good. It is for this reason that supporting credible campaigns and understanding how your money is being used is important.
In the case of the ‘Medicines to…’ campaign, the concept of utilising pharmacist expertise and a ‘pull’ model is a proven way to help those who do not have access to the medicines that they desperately need. The ‘Medicines to…’ campaign is a framework that can allow people in a crisis whether that be a natural disaster or war, to receive the medicines that they actually need, properly and in a quality assured manner. It is vital in any crisis that the respective country has access to such a framework and network that can be activated in times of crisis. This will equip them to help themselves as they will have the regional knowledge to know what is best suited to the local population needs. It is important to empower local populations as it ensures a faster, more effective response to the crisis at hand.
The work of a pharmacist is never limited and can expand to helping those outside of the local community in ways that may not be expected. To keep up to date with the work that the PDA is doing in this sector and for opportunities to participate, follow us on X, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
By PDA Policy Officer, Tasnim Khan
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