IHP Established - November 2004

A new charity, International Health Partners, is appealing to pharmaceutical companies to donate products to aid agencies and other grassroots users in poorer countries, by creating the infrastructure for them to do so safely and securely.

The charity is built on the successful operations of a sister Canadian venture that has been channelling donated pharmaceutical products to the Third World for over 10 years. There are a number of similar initiatives that have operated in the US for 50 years. "From experience in North America and from discussions across the UK healthcare industry we believe that there could be as much as £100 million of in-date and usable pharmaceutical products made available for donation in the UK each year" said Anthony Dunnett CBE, President of International Health Partners.

"The use of pharmaceutical products is regulated and controlled for very good medical safety reasons. For pharmaceutical companies to donate their products to developing countries, they have to be assured that they will be used properly. However, at present no mechanism exists for pharmaceuticals and medical supplies to be distributed in developing countries safely and securely," explained Carsten Hennings, the recently appointed Director of IHP and formerly with Health Partners International of Canada. "IHP is creating the infrastructure that will allow product donations to be made with all the appropriate checks and procedures in place."