WHO Collaborating Centre

Earlier this year, the Humanitarian and Conflict Response Institute (HCRI) became one of the first World Health Organisation (WHO) Collaborating Centres with a focus on Conflict Analysis and Programming.

As Collaborating Centre, HCRI will focus on supporting WHO programmes intended for developing health capacities in conflict and post-conflict contexts, through the provision of:

  • Technical Advice
  • Conflict Analysis
  • Research

Key staff: Professor Bertrand Taithe, Dr Stephanie Rinaldi

Technical advice

HCRI provides technical inputs and advice to WHO in its activities aimed at developing health capacities and sustaining peace in fragile, vulnerable, conflict and post-conflict contexts.  This includes the development of in-country emergency health programmes intended for conflict or post-conflict contexts, or for sustaining peace.

Conflict analysis

HCRI reviews and provides conflict analysis for the country/context to summarise it for WHO’s intent, using UN guidelines for conflict analysis.

Research

Another core function of this collaboration is for HCRI to conduct research on the interaction between state and international humanitarian interventions in conflict contexts. This will involve research on the impact of conflict on health service personnel and structures in the contexts where WHO is operating. For example, research papers on peace and health structures; and reports on proposed emergency and peacebuilding health programmes.

Support to the Emergency Medical Teams Office at WHO

Between 2016-2019, HCRI was a WHO Collaborating Centre for Emergency Medical Teams (EMTs) and Emergency Capacity Building, drawing on its experience of establishing the UK International Trauma Register (UKITR).

Emeritus Professor Tony Redmond OBE and Honorary Fellow Dr Amy Hughes MBE lead colleagues at HCRI to work closely with WHO to provide support on the training, mentorship, and global register of EMTs. You can read more about HCRI’s work in this area on the project pages for The Emergency Medical Teams Project with HKAM and the TEAMS project