Providing prostheses to mine-injured amputees

Providing amputees with artificial limbs to help them to return to a more fruitful life.

There are a hundred million plus landmines sacatttered in 60 countries around the world; an explosion every 15-20 minutes. The result is 24,000 new amputees every year added to the existing number of 250,000 casualties. Apart from personal loss, victims who have suffered the loss of a limb or limbs resulting from being injured by a mine face difficulties in society. They may be considered as outcasts, not marriageable and unemployable.

Demand for prostheses in in mine-impacted nations substantially exceeds supply. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has the longest and broadest experience of international organizations working to provide prostheses to mine-injured amputees, with over 15 years in this field as of 1995. ICRC has 27 centres and workshops in 13 nations. They include among others: two orthopaedic centres, and five associated prosthetic repair branches in Angola; four prostheses workshops in Mozambique; two orthopaedic centres in Sudan; supporting an orthopaedic workshop in Nicaragua; two orthopaedic centres in Afghanistan; one orthopaedic workshop in Pakistan; two orthopaedic workshops in Cambodia; an orthopaedic centre and two satellite workshops in Viet Nam. National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies internationally active in this field include among others the: American Red Cross in Cambodia; Netherlands Red Cross and the Swedish Red Cross in Angola; Norwegian Red Cross in Somalia and Sri Lanka. In Iran, the Iranian Red Crescent Society has provided orthopaedic services to Iranian and Afghan amputees.

Handicap International (HI) runs orthopaedic centres in Cambodia, Iraq (Kurdistan), Mozambique, and Viet Nam. The American Friends Service Committee operates centres in Cambodia, jointly with HI. The Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA) is active in Viet Nam and Cambodia. The Cambodia Trust is active in Cambodia. These organizations seek to provide prostheses at the lowest cost possible, as well as train locals to manage their centres.