The need to significantly increase access to primary health care is the main theme being discussed during the Global Health and Care Forum 2008, organized by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and taking place in Geneva until Friday, May 16. More than 120 health delegates from Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies from all over the world are meeting to exchange best practices on different public health topics. Thirty years after the Declaration of Alma Ata, which marked a watershed in development by defining health as a key entry point to reduce inequality in access to basic health needs, the Forum also looks into ways to make primary health care available to more people.

In his welcome address, Markku Niskala, secretary general of the International Federation underlined the growing impact of the community-based health work implemented by Red Cross and Red Crescent volunteers. He also called for governments to explore more ways in which volunteers can best contribute to primary health care programmes. Mr Niskala mentioned several examples of Red Cross and Red Crescent achievements at the community level. He highlighted in particular the unique contribution of the 80,000 volunteers who took part in measles vaccination campaigns that made it possible - together with other partners - to reduce the measles mortality by 91% in Africa in just six years from 2000 to 2006.

The action of Red Cross and Red Crescent volunteers was also strongly recognized by Dr Margaret Chan, director general of the World Health Organization (WHO) who gave the keynote speech. Dr Chan insisted on the fact she was speaking not only as director general of the UN agency. She reminded the audience that she had been herself a Red Cross volunteer in Hong Kong for several years.

"I appreciate the enormous impact embodied in the International Federation with its global workforce of almost 100 million people. This is a workforce uniquely placed to penetrate inaccessible areas under the most challenging conditions," she said.

Her words were also a reflection of the increasing cooperation between the International Federation and the World Health Organization. A Letter of Cooperation between both organizations was signed in 2005. A Memorandum of Understanding further developing opportunities for common action will be signed with the regional office for Europe on Friday. Last year, a similar document was signed with the regional office for Africa.

Dr Chan also emphasized how crucial it is for Red Cross and Red Crescent volunteers to work more closely with her agency and governments to make up for lost time on achieving the Millenium Developments Goals, a process in which she believes Red Cross and Red Crescent societies can play a major role, especially at a time when there is a shortage of health care workers in developing countries.

More examples of how Red Cross and Red Crescent community-based work on long term health programmes are making a difference are included in the survey "Red Cross Red Crescent successes in global health", released on the opening day of the Forum.

The document mentions the fact that in Europe alone, the International Federation trains more than 3 million people in first aid every year. Water and sanitation programmes are implemented in over 40 countries, serving 6.5 million people with emergency water and sanitation and 2.5 million people in long-term development projects.

The survey also highlights the massive scaling up of HIV programmes with the example of southern Africa, where 10 Red Cross Societies, involving more than 7,700 trained volunteers, are currently implementing home-based care programmes supporting more than 68,000 people living with HIV and nearly 120,000 children orphaned by AIDS in 143 sites. It also includes factsheets on the growing impact of other health activities implemented by Red Cross and Red Crescent volunteers and staff in areas such as tuberculosis, polio, meningitis and blood donor recruitment.

"The figures released today clearly show the necessity to further increase community-based health care," concludes Dr Bruce Eshaya-Chauvin, Head of the International Federation Health and Care Department in Geneva.