By Camomile Shumba
July 30 2020, 12.25
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Farringdon charity International Health Partners (IHP) is on the way to breaking its own record by delivering more than 4 million treatments of vital and lifesaving medicines to 31 countries during the pandemic.
IHP organises donated medicines and healthcare supplies by air, sea, and road to support vulnerable health systems threatened by the crisis.
With Covid-19 adding pressure to already weak health systems, IHP has engaged donors, logistics providers and funders to supply medicines to those in need.
IHP programmes manager, Hannah Dean, 28 said: “IHP believes everyone should have access to the medicines and healthcare services they need.”
Number of treatments shipped by IHP in 2017, 2018, 2019 and January-June 2020
Also I republished the graph, so it may work now if its not too late:The company shipped 4,371,897 medical supplies between January and June 2020 alone meaning the organisation is well en route to break its 2018 record of shipping 4,711,806 medical supplies.
Covid-19 has shown the world the devastation a pandemic can wreak on a relatively well-resourced health system like the NHS.
Miss Dean continued: “For the 2 billion people in the world without access to medicines, Covid-19 is another battle they have to face.”
IHP delivers medicines all donated by the UK and European health industry.
Products include medicines used to treat symptoms and complications of Covid-19 as well as supplies of essential medicines to treat other conditions.
Miss Dean explained that without access to a reliable supply of medicines, patients with existing conditions like heart disease are more at risk from Covid-19.
IHP is regulated by the government to manage the process of medicine donation which means they must adhere to strict guidelines around storage and transportation.
The charity also shares a faith commitment and a desire to treat their neighbour as themselves.
Miss Dean said: “We believe that we need to be the light in spreading hope and the message of God’s love.
“We work to make sure that people have access to the medicines and healthcare they need irrespective of their ethnicity, race, gender or religious belief.”
Miss Dean explained she hears from NGO partners, that many healthcare facilities have well-trained healthcare professionals but lack supplies for treatments.
IHP acts as the bridge to fulfil the gap between need and supply of essential healthcare products.
Miss Dean said: “I think every one of us has something different to give to this pandemic whether you work in this sector or you do not.
“We are all in a position where we can do something good in this situation and that is what is keeping us going.”
To find out more about the work of IHP, visit https://www.ihpuk.org/
