LIWA

Health Organisations

ICSE Class 9 · Biology · Chapter 19

What this chapter covers

Key definitions

Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.

A health organisation is a body of people, set up at a local, national or international level, that works in an organised way to prevent disease, promote good health and relieve suffering.

Public health is the science and practice of protecting and improving the health of a whole community through organised efforts such as vaccination, sanitation, health education and the control of epidemics.

The Red Cross is an international humanitarian movement, founded in 1863 in Geneva on the proposal of Henry Dunant, that works through trained volunteers to protect human life and health and to relieve suffering in war, disaster and everyday life, without any discrimination.

A national Red Cross society is the recognised Red Cross or Red Crescent body of a single country, which works as an auxiliary to its government in humanitarian and health matters while following the fundamental principles of the movement.

International humanitarian law is the set of rules, chiefly the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their additional protocols, that limits the effects of armed conflict by protecting people who are not, or are no longer, taking part in the fighting.

A prisoner of war is a member of the armed forces who has been captured by the enemy during an armed conflict and who is entitled to humane treatment under the Geneva Conventions.

Disaster preparedness is the set of measures taken in advance, such as training, warning systems, evacuation plans and stores of relief material, so that a community can respond quickly and lose fewer lives when a disaster occurs.

Voluntary blood donation is the giving of blood by a healthy person of their own free will, without receiving money or any other reward in return.

First aid is the immediate and temporary care given to an injured or suddenly ill person, using simple means, to save life, prevent the condition from becoming worse and help recovery until trained medical help is available.

The Junior Red Cross is the wing of a national Red Cross society that enrols school students and trains them in health, first aid, service to others and friendship with children of other countries.

The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialised agency of the United Nations, set up on 7 April 1948 with its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, that directs and coordinates international work on health so that all people may reach the highest possible level of health.

Key points

Questions answered

Define health as stated in the constitution of WHO.
Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.
Who founded the Red Cross, and what event led him to do so?
Jean Henry Dunant, a Swiss businessman, founded the movement after seeing thousands of wounded soldiers left without care after the Battle of Solferino in northern Italy in 1859. His book A Memory of Solferino led to the formation of the committee in Geneva in 1863.
Why was a red cross on a white background chosen as the emblem, and why may a private hospital not display it?
It was chosen in honour of Switzerland by reversing the colours of the Swiss flag. Under the Geneva Conventions it is a protective symbol in war, so its use is restricted by law; misuse would weaken the protection it gives to medical services and relief workers.
Name the seven fundamental principles of the Red Cross.
Humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity and universality.
List four major activities of the Red Cross during war.
Care of the wounded and sick; visiting and protecting prisoners of war; tracing missing persons and carrying Red Cross messages between separated family members; relief such as food, water and shelter for civilians and refugees. Spreading knowledge of the Geneva Conventions is also accepted.
List four major activities of the Red Cross in peacetime.
Disaster relief and preparedness; blood banks and promotion of voluntary blood donation; first aid training and first aid posts; hospitals, maternity and child welfare centres and ambulance services. Running the Junior and Youth Red Cross is also accepted.
Why is blood from voluntary donors considered safer than blood from paid donors?
A voluntary donor gives blood only to help others and has no reason to hide an illness, so donors with infections are less likely to give blood. A paid donor may hide an illness to receive money.
Who is the President of the Indian Red Cross Society, and in which year was the society established?
The President of India is its President. The society was established in 1920 by the Indian Red Cross Society Act.