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Strengthening global health and child survival to provide a better future for all

When tasked with writing a blog post that would be published in the middle of November, my first thought was, “Perfect, easy – everyone loves a post that is comforting, moving and inspiring during the season of giving thanks!” When I learned the blog post topic was global health, well … after the last 18 months we’ve had, all I could think was, “How am I supposed to put a positive spin on global health at a time like this?” While the state of global health these days may not be the first thing that comes to mind when thinking…

Having fled war, Syrian mothers give birth during a deadly pandemic

Original post published May 6, 2021 on the International Medical Corps website. This week we’re featuring our Charity Alliance partner International Medical Corps! Learn about the vital work they’re doing to support Syrian refugee mothers during the COVID-19 pandemic in this guest blog post. Since the 1947–49 Palestine war, Jordan has been a refuge for those fleeing from wars in the region. In the past 10 years, the country has welcomed more than 1 million refugees. The vast majority of them are from Syria, joining an already substantial refugee community made up of Palestinians, Iraqis and a smaller number of…

20/20 vision: How the Himalayan Cataract Project cures blindness in 20 minutes for $20

The 2 million cataract surgeries that are performed in the U.S. each year make the procedure feel routine, when actually the results are quite extraordinary. Last year, I had an opportunity to personally see this in action. In early 2020, right before the COVID-19 pandemic halted non-essential medical procedures, my dad underwent cataract surgery in both eyes. The surgery was a game-changer – it greatly improved his quality of life by restoring his ability to drive safely at night and read without glasses. Seeing these amazing results made me want to learn more about one of Global Impact’s partners, the…

Everyday inspiration: International Relief Teams provides hope to families across the world

When I left college nine years ago, like many, I was suddenly confronted with the big question – what’s next? With no set plan or vision for what I wanted to do, I decided to start my job search with one of my favorite hobbies – I began working in the museums that I loved to visit. It wasn’t long after that I found myself kicking off a career in fundraising. Fast forward to the present day, and I am so grateful that this is where life led me. Working in fundraising has allowed me to follow causes that I…

Did you think the Salvation Army was just a thrift store?

For a long time, I only knew The Salvation Army for the thrift stores and the bell ringers that we see around the holidays. What I didn’t know until more recently is that they impact lives both here at home and around the world through the Salvation Army World Service Organization (SAWSO). SAWSO has spent over 40 years helping people across 131 countries improve their circumstances, maintain their health and gain financial independence. The charity’s vision is to serve as a dedicated resource committed to responding to the global interests of The Salvation Army USA by: Developing sustainable solutions for…

Blue graphic of two hands preparing a COVID-19 vaccine with a world map behind them.

Want a global vaccine rollout status update? (Spoiler: It’s uneven)

Many of us are excitedly and not-so-patiently waiting for our COVID-19 vaccine appointments. With plans to have all U.S. citizens eligible for vaccines by May 1, we can finally see a light at the end of this long tunnel. Everyone deserves access to this life-saving medical care. However, our experience in the U.S. vastly differs from that of low-income countries. The pandemic has highlighted so many global inequities that our Charity Alliance members were already fighting against. Access to vital needs like health care, medical supplies, personal protective equipment (PPE), clean water and so much more is regularly limited for…

Images

Title: Providing Clean Water
Charity: Action Against Hunger
Country: Ethiopia
Photo Credit: Peter Caton for Action Against Hunger

Title: Livelihoods Support in Bangladesh
Charity: Action Against Hunger
Country: Bangladesh
Photo Credit: Fabeha Monir for Action Against Hunger

Title: Emergency Response
Charity: Action Against Hunger
Country: South Sudan
Photo Credit: Peter Caton

Title: Emergency Drought Response
Charity: Action Against Hunger
Country: Madagascar
Photo Credit: Stéphane Rakotomalala

Droughts in Grand Sud, Madagascar, have sharply increased in both frequency and intensity in recent years. Bearing the full brunt of the effects of climate change, families who live in this region have seen drastic impacts on their livelihoods and health. In 2020, there were virtually no rains and this trend continued in 2021. Historically low rainfall levels depleted the few sources of clean water that existed in this chronically dry region. As a result, water-borne illnesses such as diarrhea have increased sharply. And, without rain, there could be no harvests. Food insecurity and malnutrition have increased dramatically. Action Against Hunger’s teams are on the ground, treating malnutrition and helping farmers adapt.

Title: Supporting Refugees
Charity: Action Against Hunger
Country: Uganda
Photo Credit: Solomon Serwanjja

Uganda is home to more than one million refugees, who are welcomed to the country with a small plot of land, the ability to work and go to school, and more. To help both refugees and the communities that host them, Action Against Hunger works with groups of farmers to help them learn new skills, grow new crops, and make the most of the limited land and water they have.

Title: Beirut’s Fire Brigade Receives Shipments of Burn Treatments
Charity: Anera
Country: Lebanon
Photo Credit: Hisham Mustapha

The Beirut Fire Brigade is a first responder institution in every sense of the term. Like medical staff, the fire brigade goes into high-risk zones every day. They are on the frontlines protecting and serving the public. To aid the Brigade, Anera sent a shipment of kits customized for wildfire response and burn injuries. The kits contained items such as bandages, scissors, burn ointment, antibiotics, adrenaline, analgesics, face masks, gloves, goggles, wound disinfectant, and nebulizers. Anera distributed the donated kits among several local frontline responders, including the Beirut Fire Brigade.

Title: Vocational Students in Lebanon Sew Winter Clothes
Charity: Anera
Country: Lebanon
Photo Credit: Hisham Mustapha

Two Anera vocational sewing students in Shatila Palestinian refugee camp, Lebanon, holding up clothing they made for winterization efforts. At the Social Communication Center, in the Shatila Palestinian Refugee Camp, Anera has organized vocational sewing courses, funded by UNICEF and KFW. The sewing courses give young Palestinian refugees an opportunity to gain new skills. They also provide employment support services, including cash-for-work, so youth can earn an income while helping their communities.

Title: Stopping Malaria
Charity: Alight (formerly American Refugee Committee)
Country: Thailand
Photo Credit: Alight/ Alight

A scientist studies a malaria sample.

Title: An Americares doctor sees a patient in Colombia
Charity: Americares
Country: Colombia
Photo Credit: Ana Maria Ariza/Americares

Operated in coordination with the Colombian Ministry of Health and Social Protection and made possible with the generous support of the United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA) and the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration (PRM), Americares Colombia clinics aim to alleviate the strain placed on the Colombian health system.

Videos

Success Stories

WATERAID: Healthcare facilities in Tanzania

Globally, 1.8 billion people are at risk of infectious diseases because they use or work in a health facility that doesn’t have water. Such infections can lead to prolonged hospital stays, long-term disability and spiraling healthcare costs. High infection rates and poor water, sanitation and hygiene can damage trust in health systems and make patients less likely to seek care when they are sick. In the district of Geita, northwestern Tanzania, some healthcare facilities that don’t have water ask pregnant women to bring it with them when they give birth. If the nearest water source to the hospital is unsafe, or patients are unable to bring water with them, they must buy it from commercial vendors at inflated prices. Kalunde Rashid gave birth to her second child at Chikobe Health Center in Tanzania. “Mum is here taking care of me. She is old and could not go to collect water…

SIGHTSAVERS: Trachoma is eliminated in Malawi

Malawi has become the first country in southern Africa to eliminate the infectious eye disease trachoma, as confirmed by the World Health Organization. Sightsavers began working in Malawi in the 1950s and helped to launch the Malawi Trachoma Elimination Programme in 2014. On 21 September 2022 the World Health Organization (WHO) officially announced that the country had eliminated the disease as a public health problem. Trachoma is the world’s leading infectious cause of blindness. In the past 20 years, the number of people at risk of trachoma globally has dropped by 92 per cent, from around 1.5 billion people in 2002 to 125 million today. But the condition still affects people in more than 40 countries, the vast majority of which are in Africa. HE Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera, President of Malawi, said: “I am proud to lead Malawi’s celebration in defeating yet another neglected tropical disease (NTD). This success in…

PROJECT HOPE: 4 Facts: How You Made an Impact in 2022

Every year, we work to improve access to health care in the world’s most challenging settings and improve health equity among those who need it most. This year was no different. We responded to catastrophic natural disasters. We showed up on the front lines of urgent and complex humanitarian crises. We continued the fight against COVID-19. We ensured healthier futures for pregnant women, new mothers, and children in places like Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Indonesia, Sierra Leone, and North Macedonia. We protected people living with or affected by HIV in countries including Namibia, Nigeria, and Zambia, and we empowered young people to take charge of their health and minimize the risk of noncommunicable disease. None of this would have been possible without your support. Here are four ways you helped us make an impact in 2022. 1. You helped rush emergency relief to Ukraine. Project HOPE has delivered more than…

Tuberculosis Treatment PARTNERS IN HEALTH: Continues to Improve Lives, Well-Being in Lesotho

Itumeleng Nkhabu, a 48-year-old widow, contracted tuberculosis (TB) in 2003. Then again in 2011. That was not the last time she got sick. In 2018, she was diagnosed with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB), a severe form of the respiratory disease. She soon began standard TB treatment, which typically includes up to two years of daily injections with a long list of side effects including acute psychosis and permanent deafness. The treatment is costly and often ineffective. But there was more effective treatment on the horizon. A few days later Nkhabu was admitted to Partners In Health (PIH)-supported Botšabelo Hospital in Maseru, Lesotho—the country’s only hospital for people with MDR-TB. About three weeks later, she enrolled in the endTB study. The goal of Expanding New Drug Market for Tuberculosis (endTB) is to improve treatment for patients with the deadly disease. UNITAID funds the collaborative effort, which is a partnership among PIH, Médecins…

MAP INTERNATIONAL: Benjamin

In Africa, treatable medical tragedies disrupt millions of families every year. Parents are often unable to work because they are caring for a sick child, or they have health problems themselves that prevent them from providing for their family. With little to no access to affordable, quality healthcare, many Africans have no other option but to try to just endure the suffering and somehow survive. Ghana Make A Difference (GMAD), a nonprofit organization that primarily serves children in Ghana, has partnered with several other charities, including MAP International, to begin meeting the medical needs of Ghanaian families. GMAD has been able to put hundreds of families on the path to self-reliance by providing them access to medical and surgical providers that they so desperately need. MAP International often provides medications, sutures, and other medical supplies to support the mission teams when they travel to Ghana. Nine-year-old Benjamin is one example…

IOCC: A Strong Start in Lebanon

Sabri’s family fled Syria as refugees seeking safety in Lebanon (name changed). Even though he was eating, Sabri wasn’t gaining weight. By the age of nine months, he weighed far less than he should. Sabri was referred to a clinic supported by IOCC. He was diagnosed with severe malnutrition and began treatment, including regular checkups. At one point, the team sent him to a hospital where he was treated first for bronchitis and then given emergency care when he went into cardiac arrest. Thanks to donor support, Sabri received the treatment he needed and could begin the long road to recovery. After six difficult months, Sabri is now thriving; his weight is normal for his age. “If it wasn’t for IOCC,” his mother said, “I wouldn’t have been able to do anything for my child, and I could have lost him.” All around the world, IOCC is providing access to…