Who we work with

Global Support and Development (GSD) is a US-based non-profit organization whose mission is to conduct immediate, post-disaster humanitarian relief in underserved communities worldwide leveraging diverse skill sets and community-based solutions to alleviate human suffering, enhance resilience and foster sustainability.

GSD is heavily active in the Pacific and Caribbean regions and has direct experience responding to cyclones and hurricanes in both these areas. GSD was among the first teams in place after the devastating Cyclone Pam hit Vanuatu in 2015, and when Hurricane Dorian hit the Bahamas in 2019, GSD responded within hours of the storm passing to provide medical, operational and logistic support. Their efforts were instrumental in stabilizing the precarious humanitarian situation and in supporting the work of local authorities to coordinate the evacuation of residents and the arrival of further humanitarian aid.

In addition to their disaster response capabilities, GSD develops and supports outreach projects and initiatives that work to solve problems and improve quality of life for people in underserved communities locally and around the world. They have particular expertise working with island-nation states to build resilience and strengthen communities that are increasingly susceptible to the effects of climate change and extreme weather phenomena.

Respond Global is proud to collaborate with GSD, as their passion for empowering local community and national responders aligns well with our own ethos. They have a rare ability to be able to respond faster than most other NGO medical teams and do not seek or require direct visibility or branding of their response.

Respond Global has partnered with GSD to assist them as they work to obtain WHO certification as an Emergency Medical Team and to provide general advice and guidance on medical team engagements. Dr Ian Norton has over 20 years’ experience in the international disaster response arena and was the former head of the Emergency Medical Team initiative at the WHO.

4SD was founded as a social enterprise to support the “Skills, Systems and Synergies for Sustainable Development” particularly for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development – the agreed plan for the future of the Earth and her People.

4SD focuses particularly on the sustainable development goals on Health and Food given the backgrounds and skills that the Strategic Director Dr David Nabarro and Managing Director Florence Lasbennes, an agronomist, both possess.

4SD seeks to help people change the way they think, talk, act and lead on sustainable development. Its focus is on inclusion and on leaving no-one behind. It encourages co-creativity and partnering while aiming to ensure that Sustainable Development is about engaging and listening, inspiring and motivating, enabling and empowering, connecting and investing.

Dr Nabarro and Dr Norton worked together for the UN and WHO during the response to the devastating Ebola outbreaks that affected West Africa in 2014-15. Dr Nabarro led the UN response as the Secretary General’s special envoy for Ebola while Dr Norton managed the Emergency Medical Team response to Ebola.

Dr Nabarro was appointed as one of six Special Envoys to the WHO Director-General on COVID-19, providing strategic advice and high-level political advocacy and engagement in different parts of the world to help WHO coordinate the global response to the pandemic.

4SD and Respond Global are collaborating on the response to COVID-19 through support and advocacy to Countries, Not for Profits and the Private sector. Current areas of common interest have included advice to manufacturers in the food and meat industry around COVID safety, the fitness and health sector and in supporting health charities continue to provide essential health services.

Dr Matt Brearley is Australia’s pre-eminent occupational heat stress consultant, conducting and applying research to guide industry practice.

Matt is the founder and managing director of Thermal Hyperformance, a unique company that aims to help workplaces manage heat stress amongst its staff, particularly in the Australian resources sector.

Matt was the 2018 Exercise Scientist of the Year, holds a PhD in Thermal Physiology, and has a reputation for his unrelenting pursuit of maximising human performance in hot environments.

He has worked across a wide range of settings including emergency response, law enforcement, military, mining, construction, utilities and transportation.

Commencing his career in elite sport settings, Matt has worked for the Northern Territory Institute of Sport and National Heat Training and Acclimatisation Centre, and was the heat specialist for the Australian team in the lead up to, and during the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China.

Together in partnership, Respond Global and Dr Matt Brearley can provide essential training and education in the area of heat stress management – please contact us for more information.