ICROSS

ICROSS, Created by Dr Michael Elmore-Meegan ( Formally CROSS (1979-1982) ) stands for "the International Community for the Relief of Suffering and Starvation" is a Kenyan-based International Non-Governmental Organization NGO, CHARITY, PVO, founded by Michael Meegan ( Dr Thomas Michael Kevin Elmore-Meegan ) and Dr Joseph Barnes MD which specialises in long term primary health, community health care and public health programmes. The organisation's headquarters are based in Ngong, Rift Valley, Kenya. ICROSS www.icrossinternational.org . ICROSS has a long established research programme with a number of different patrners and research collaborators. Dr Elmore Meegan according to the ICROSS Report 2013 is the International Director.

Activities

ICROSS www.icrossinternational.org is as an International development NGO, with a focus in the field of health,^[1][2] with key international lectures ^[3] including the RedR Future shocks lecture,.^[4] ICROSS is responsible for a large terminal care programme and a series of public health programmes. One of ICROSS's key research streams has been investigating means of solar disinfection (SODIS) of contaminated drinking water, and has helped conduct a number of control trials of SODIS.^[5] Engaged in multi country collaborative programmes www.rcsi.ie/hwts09 ICROSS stresses traditional tribal values, building development programmes through the existing decision systems and creating locally driven agendas.

International profile ICROSS campaigns since 1979 have included Africa awakes which tries to change the stereotypes and negative perceptions of Africa www.africa-awakes.com These exhibitions have received wide media coverage in Italy and France. ICROSS public health work has been cited Internationally, medical work has appeared in key scientific journals since 1981. The Founder, Dr Elmore-Meegan http://www.linkedin.com/pub/dr-michael-elmore-meegan/15/6a5/b0b who received many international awards http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Elmore-Meegan was featured in BBC's Hardtalk current affair's programme for his work for ICROSS^[6] while in 2006 the organisation was the subject of an award winning documentary by Irish Television.^[7] ICROSS and its Founders have received widespread recognition for their work, especially in long term public health and creating lasting community development programmes. ICROSS spcialises in long term pastoralist health programmes, the most recent example of which was opened in December 2010 at Ilkilorit, Maasai land in Kenya. They have been covered extensively in the media, most recently for SODIS and for Africa awakes campaigns fighting racism, prejudice and stereotypes. In 2003 the founder received International person of the year in Ireland and in 2006 was the second person ever to receive a D Med Honoris Causa for his work in International health.www.nui.ie/college/docs/citations/2006/meegan.pdf

ICROSS work is widely cited ( see google scholar ) and the administration is entirely Africanied since August 2000. In early 2013 Dr Elmore-Meegan expanded the Public Health research programmes and developed new Research collaborations within Europe and Africa.

Media news items include research http://www.emwis.net/initiatives/fol060732/proj634131 http://physiciansforhumanrights.org/library/letter-2003-10-16.html The International NGO which has multi lateral and bi lateral donors. Since 2003 the expansion of ICROSS International has seen the creation of an International Advisory board in 2009 chaired by Dr Davida de La Harpe. In October 2009 ICROSS launched www.icrossinternational.org

Dr Michael Elmore-Meegan has also written numerous books on his work in Africa with ICROSS including 'All Will Be Well'(the successor to 'All Shall Be Well'), 'Surprised by Joy' and 'Changing the World 2008 A new series of books is being published by eye books www.eye-books.com http://www.eye-books.com/author/michael-meegan/ In 2013 ICROSS extended its programmes internationally building on over three decades of disease control experience. It established a new Overseas Internship programme extending its 25 year history of Internship support. In May 2013 http://icrossinternational.org/news.aspx?id=147 it extended its localisation strategy and began a radical low cost innovation plan with local tribal communities.http://www.linkedin.com/pub/dr-michael-elmore-meegan/15/6a5/b0b In January 2014 ICROSS launched its radical Strategic plan that has seen dynamic changes in its Global policies.

Research

1. Randomized Intervention Study of Solar Disinfection of Drinking Water in the Prevention of Dysentery in Kenyan Children Aged under 5 Years. Martella du Preez†, Ronan M. Conroy‡, Sophie Ligondo§, James Hennessy§, Michael Elmore-Meegan§, Allan Soita§, and Kevin G. McGuigan* Environ. Sci. Technol., 2011, 45 (21), pp 9315–9323, September 21, 2011

2. Elmore-Meegan M, Conroy RM, Agala CB. Sex workers in Kenya, numbers of clients and associated risks: an exploratory survey. Reprod Health Matters 2004;12(23):50-7.

3. Meegan ME, Conroy RM, Lengeny SO, Renhault K, Nyangole J. Effect on neonatal tetanus mortality after a culturally-based health promotion programme. Lancet 2001;358(9282):640-1.

4. Conroy RM, Meegan ME, Joyce T, McGuigan K, Barnes J. Solar disinfection of drinking water protects against cholera in children under 6 years of age. Arch Dis Child 2001;85(4):293-5.

5. Meegan M, Morley DC. Growth monitoring: family participation: effective community development. Trop Doct 1999;29(1):23-7.

6. Conroy RM, Meegan ME, Joyce T, McGuigan K, Barnes J. Solar disinfection of water reduces diarrhoeal disease: an update. Arch Dis Child 1999;81(4):337-8.

7. Meegan M, Morley D, Chavasse D. Fly traps. Lancet 1997;349(9055):886.

8. Meegan M, Morley DC, Brown R. Child weighing by the unschooled: a report of a controlled study of growth monitoring over 12 months of Maasai children using direct recording scales. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg 1994;88(6):635-7.

9. Conroy RM, Meegan ME. Dwindling donor aid for health programmes in developing countries. Lancet 1994;343(8907):1228-9.

10. Meegan MK. Rethinking famine relief. Lancet 1992;340(8830):1293-4.

11. Konings E, Anderson RM, Morley D, O'Riordan T, Meegan M. Rates of sexual partner change among two pastoralist southern Nilotic groups in east Africa. Aids 1989;3(4):245-7.

12. Meegan M, McCormick J. Prevention of disease in the poor world. Lancet 1988;2(8603):152-3.

13. Meegan M. Starvation and suffering. Lancet 1983;2(8365-66):1506.

14. Meegan M. The reality of starvation and disease. Lancet 1981;1 (8212):146.

References