FIRE - Flagstaff International Relief Effort

FIRE programs focus on community health, capacity building, and community development. FIRE maintains a high standard of oversight, integrity, and efficiency — setting the highest bar among organizations.

Most of FIRE’s work involves public health programs focused on viral hepatitis and liver cancer prevention in Mongolia. Viral hepatitis infections can be prevented through administering vaccines, improvement in infection prevention and control procedures in hospitals, and education of the general population. Targeted at the general population and health care facilities and workers, FIRE’s programs focus on training, supply distribution, awareness campaigns, testing and screening, and vaccination. These life-saving programs are strategically and responsibly implemented through partnerships that include the Mongolian Ministry of Health (MoH) and the World Health Organization (WHO).

FIRE’s programs in Langtang, Nepal focus on improved access to healthcare, direct aid, and heritage preservation.

Our responsible, multi-layered programs work with partners at all levels — local, national and international — including government, civil society, and individuals. FIRE's working relationship with these stakeholders helps maximize efficiency and impact. Our working relationships allow leveraging resources and support, ensuring the most empowering, sustainable, and cost-effective programs as possible.

At each step, FIRE works with local community members from the poorest members of the community to the provincial governor. The community determines their needs and issues. All of FIRE’s staff in Nepal and Mongolia are from the respective countries. In Mongolia, FIRE pointedly supports the infrastructure and administration of the public sector by focusing on state-run facilities and employees. By teaching, we empower individuals and communities with the knowledge to continue the work after FIRE’s projects are completed.

In 2016, FIRE’s “Hepatitis Free Mongolia” liver screening project was one of five international projects recognized as an “Innovative Hepatitis Screening Project” worldwide by the World Health Organization (WHO) and European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL). FIRE’s innovative work comes from a comprehensive approach to designing multi-layered, strategic programs that address complex issues focused on remote and under-served populations. We are able to remain flexible and adaptable to the quickly changing local needs and logistics.

On World Hepatitis Day 2017, FIRE was one of five international initiatives featured in The Economist Magazine Intelligence Unit (EIU) “The Path to Zero” program. FIRE's Executive Director, Meredith Potts, was recognized by The Economist Magazine as a 2017 HCV Change Maker for her exemplary devotion to making screening more readily available throughout Mongolia.

Since 2009, FIRE has provided 8,526 people in 7 provinces with comprehensive liver and cancer screenings including tests for hepatitis B and C, liver cancer, and ultrasound, FibroScan, and physical examinations; distributed 78,500 pieces of community awareness materials; vaccinated 3,022 people against hepatitis B; trained 3,571 health care workers; distributed 155,000 sharps containers and $1,000,000 in medical supplies; and distributed 2,000 health safety training videos.

Next, we hope to continue screening all of Mongolia—one province at a time—reaching everyone who is not covered by the government program. We will continue our hepatitis prevention work by building the health safety and medical waste management capacity of rural health care facilities through training and supply distribution.

Our combined programs are a comprehensive strategy for prevention of and screening for hepatitis and liver cancer that can be replicated in other rural communities in developing countries.