‍

Once again, we saw our impact span across the world, bringing hope to vulnerable and disaster-hit communities:

‍

‍

This represents real lives being drastically changed. Below, we have outlined some of the areas of the world in which we supported in 2022.

‍

‍

Ukraine

On the 24th of February 2022, the conflict in Ukraine began, which plummeted communities into shock, fear and despair.  IHP’s response was one of the biggest we have ever undertaken. We have been shipping essential medical products to the areas of chronic need, in addition to supplying support to Ukrainian refugees in neighbouring countries such as Moldova. In total, we have shipped 496,305 treatments to Ukraine and neighbouring countries impacted by the migration of refugees out of Ukraine. One recipient we have been fortunate enough to work with is Valerie.

‍

Valerie, who is 63 years old, had arrived at a clinic in Moldova which serves refugees fleeing the conflict. She had escaped from her home in the Mykolaiv region ten days earlier. She explained that she has hypertension and is suffering from headaches, chest pain and feelings of anxiety. She had her blood pressure taken and was given Enalapril medication for her hypertension, which she had previously been taking, but misplaced her prescription as she escaped from Ukraine.

‍

Valerie is just one of the many people we have been able to help. Whenever conflict emerges, an inevitable consequence is a reduced quality of healthcare for citizens. It is, therefore, imperative that organisations work to ensure that ongoing treatment can be continued, and patients can be treated as quickly as possible.

‍

This need becomes further apparent when assessing the lack of NCD medications across Ukraine. After sending a shipment containing the antidiabetic drug, metformin, we received the following feedback from our partner Project HOPE:

‍

According to Dr Iryna, Chief Endocrinologist at a regional hospital in Ukraine, "Metformin, a diabetic drug, is a lifesaver. At the moment, medicines from these groups (NCD drugs) are nearly impossible to find in Ukraine, let alone for free. This donation saved many lives for the most vulnerable people. This donation also provided time for the hospital and pharmacies to restore their logistics supply chains and continue to save lives in Ukraine.”

‍

When Metformin appeared in the department, there was an unprecedented case for our type II diabetes patients. Nothing from this medicine group was available then, so when they came to us for treatment, and there was finally a metformin drug here, it was like a miracle. They could not believe that it was free and in sufficient quantity.”

‍

‍

As the conflict in the country continues, so too does our response. We currently have two shipments being processed for Ukraine in 2023, containing feminine hygiene products presently in low supply in the country. When needs present themselves, we do our utmost to rectify the problem and provide a solution.

‍

‍

Haiti

Haiti is still recovering from the 7.2 magnitude earthquake it suffered in August 2021. Over 4 million people were already in need of humanitarian support before this disaster. This structural need has now been compounded, with over 25 hospitals and health facilities being destroyed by the earthquake and the UN estimating that 10% of the country’s GDP was lost overnight.

‍

A further problem facing the country is gang violence. According to The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), over half of the Haitians in need of humanitarian assistance live in areas controlled by armed gangs. This makes accessing vital treatments far more difficult. Health needs remain critical, and with news of a new cholera outbreak, the forecast for Haiti‘s struggling health system is of great concern.

‍

To meet this growing need, IHP shipped more to Haiti than any other country last year. IHP is seeking to continue to make a difference in a country in which 60% of people live below the poverty line, in spite of all the obstacles in our path.

‍

To learn more about the work IHP is carrying out in the area to improve conditions, this article is a valuable resource.

‍

‍

Horn of Africa

‍

The Horn of Africa – a region formed of multiple countries including Djibouti, Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya- is experiencing the longest and most severe droughts in history. 36 million people in the region have been affected by severe drought conditions, while 18 million people currently live under threat of starvation and malnutrition.

‍

Drought has various consequences, as can be seen in the graphic below. Pregnant women need nutrients and so are often particularly impacted by the undernutrition caused by drought. Young children are also impacted heavily, frequently suffering from stunting, while instances of infectious disease commonly surge as access to clean water diminishes.

‍

‍

These issues are exacerbated by a chronic lack of medicines in the area, while power outages are also a huge problem, with a senior doctor in the Tigray region of Ethiopia recently reporting that 80 to 90% of hospitals are defective.

In response to this need, we have shipped Essential Health Packs (EHPs) and are supplying deworming medications to strengthen nutrition programmes.

‍

As we move into 2023, and as the crisis is predicted to worsen, IHP is keen to be at the forefront of relief efforts in the region. As the morbidity rate is increasing, and water scarcity becomes greater, we will further our focus on the area and send a higher number of treatments.

‍

For essential information about the current crisis facing the region, click here

‍

‍

Women’s Health

Liberia has one of the world’s highest maternal mortality rates. In many cases, the fundamental act of giving birth can prove fatal. Frequently, women experience postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) in which they lose 500ml of blood shortly after giving birth. While this is not a prevalent condition in countries such as the UK, it is the leading cause of maternal mortality in Liberia, accounting for over 25% of all maternal deaths in the country.

While most of these deaths are easily preventable when the appropriate obstetric medicine is used, access to the necessary care and treatment is hard to come by in many countries throughout the world. In Liberia, a nation in which over half the population lives below the poverty line, such high-quality care is not obtainable for most people. As recently as 2018, there were only 246 doctors in the entire country, equating to one doctor per 20,000 people, one of the lowest rates in the world. This means that for much of the population, especially those living in rural areas, dangerous operations without adequate medical provisions are commonplace.

‍

IHP is working to address this need and save lives. In 2022 IHP supplied over 40,000 obstetric medicines to help support safe delivery and increase the survival rates of women, enabling them to fulfil their vital role as mothers.

‍

Travel with us to Liberia and find out more about our work with Life for African Mothers in our recent photo essay. Read it here

‍

‍

Hurricane Fiona response

On September 14th a category 4 (denoting extreme power) Atlantic hurricane was formed which went on to hit several countries. It became, the most destructive hurricane to ever hit Canada and caused more than $5 Billion worth of damage across the affected areas. In the Dominican Republic, very strong winds and heavy rainfall (8-16 inches) resulted in power blackouts, flooding and the destruction of over 8,000 homes, while more than 1 million people were left without running water.

‍

Our partner, Project HOPE, immediately deployed a rapid response team to assess the need and approached IHP for immediate support with EHPs. We were able to send 9 EHPs to Project HOPE, who explained: “EHPs were spot on for what the Ministry of Health wanted, and what we found were highly needed products during our assessments.”

‍

According to Angel Jordanovski, the Program Manager at Project Hope:

“Project HOPE and IHP have been able to respond to the most critical shortages of medicines related to disease caused by the hurricane. The Ministry of Health in the Dominican Republic has reported diseases such as leptospirosis, dengue, leishmania etc., which have become a growing concern. There is a shortage of prophylaxis, specifically doxycycline and amoxicillin etc. in the country. Thanks to IHP’s shipment, they were able to get these medicines that will help replenish the stock in the primary healthcare centres that were affected by the hurricane.”

‍

‍

‍

Our year in numbers

We are thankful that we have been able to be a part of so many people’s health journeys. We couldn’t be more grateful for the part our supporters and partners have played in making the achievements of the past year possible.

‍

As we look toward 2023, we will continue to work together to ensure thousands more families will have access to health, transforming lives for the better.

‍

You can take the next step with us on this journey by joining the Change Makers, our community of monthly givers, committed to making a lasting difference to improve access to safe medicines for families and healthcare workers around the world. Click here to find out more.

‍

‍