Lebanon Response - September 2006

IHP sent over five tons of medical aid to Lebanon. Over 33 companies supported the UK response to the humanitarian crisis, which was coordinated by International Health Partners to support the work of the World Health Organization (WHO), which is working with international aid organizations and the Lebanese Ministry of Health.

The following pharmaceutical companies donated their products to meet specific requests of the WHO and Ministry of Health in Lebanon: Alliance Unichem Boots, Almus, Athlone Laboratories, Actavis, Durbin, Flexicare Medical, Galderma, Generics UK, Genus Pharma, Goldshield, Janssen-Cilag, Kent Pharmaceuticals, Keyline Brands, Lamberts Healthcare, Lifescan UK, Liquid Plastics, Meadow Labs, Niche Generics, Novartis Consumer, Pfizer Consumer, PLIVA, Proctor & Gamble, Ranbaxy, Roche Pharma, Sanofi-Aventis, Seven Seas, Smiths Medical, UCB Pharma, Winthrop and Wyeth.

In addition three UK companies donated their services to get these medicines to where they were needed. British Mediterranean Airways shipped the supplies free of charge, and DHL and AMG donated their handling services as part of their corporate social responsibility commitment.

At the outbreak of the hostilities in July 2006, in discussion with the Ministry of Health and WHO, IHP was asked to coordinate two phases of donated medical aid. Firstly, IHP was asked to provide emergency medical kits for immediate use in the field. Secondly, recognising the collapse of the local infrastructure and medicines supply chain, the WHO requested donations of a month’s supply of the 55 most needed medicines to ensure that there were sufficient supplies to meet the immediate needs.