title: [Education of health personnel in the design of humanitarian actions; the experiences of a non-governmental organization].
abstract: The aim of this study is to ascertain the importance that a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) such as the French section of Doctors Without Borders, (MSF Médecins Sans Frontières), gives to the education of health staff within for humanitarian aid interventions. The study was carried out at the headquarters of this NGO and consisted in classifying educational activities, analyzing assignment reports and conducting interviews with the staff at the headquarters of the organization. Accordingly, an educational activity can be identified in 85% of the 41 assignments listed in 1998. Nearly half of these were carried out in geographical areas that are classified as stable. The qualitative study of educational activities underlines the importance of the stages preceding the implementation of the actual educational program (needs analysis, feasibility study). During interviews with staff at the MSF headquarters, the majority of the 22 interviewees stated that educational activities contribute to the quality of aid activities in situ. Nearly a third of the interviewees, however, felt that educational methods used were too useless. It would seem, therefore, that the degree of importance attached to education and the actual educational methods practiced differ totally for each of the association's standard forms humanitarian interventions (urgency, post-urgency, development for technical assistance).
authors.affiliation: WHO Collaboration Centre for the Development of Human Ressources in Healthcare, The Health Sciences Educational Laboratory Research and Education Division, Leaonard de Vinci University 74, rue Marcel-Cachin, 93017 Bobigny, France.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zerrouki
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gagnayre
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Biberson
mesh_terms: D000533:Altruism; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003906:Developing Countries; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005602:France; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D007318:Inservice Training; D007391:International Cooperation; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008493:Medical Missions / Q000458:organization & administration; D010560:Personnel Selection; D012066:Relief Work; D014837:Voluntary Health Agencies / Q000458:organization & administration