To leverage the medical aid we provide, Direct Relief International engages in strategic alliances with trusted and established nonprofit organizations working in resource-poor areas and that share Direct Relief’s mission. Direct Relief supplies their programs with material and cash support, depending on need.
African Medical and Research Foundation (AMREF)
Focus: Health Systems Strengthening
Based in Nairobi and founded in 1957 as the Flying Doctors Service of East Africa, African Medical and Research Foundation (AMREF) operates sustainable, collaborative programs that bring quality healthcare to people who need it most. In fighting disease, including tuberculosis and malaria, AMREF works to prevent poor health and educates the public about disease prevention. It focuses on treating HIV-positive patients, preventing transmission by encouraging those who are at risk to get tested and removing the stigma surrounding HIV.
Direct Relief and AMREF are working to strengthen the health systems in Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya, and Southern Sudan. In Southern Sudan, where there are less than 100 trained doctors to serve a population of approximately 10 million, AMREF has established a clinical officer training program at the National Health Training Institute in Maridi. Clinical officers have 60 to 80 percent of a doctor’s capabilities, but are trained for one-tenth of the cost and in half the time.
In 2008, Direct Relief began funding the three-year training for 30 clinical officers, and delivered medical aid including supplies, pharmaceuticals, analgesics, antimicrobial drugs, IV fluids, antiseptics, and equipment to the Maridi County Hospital, where many of the students train and work. The students finished their formal training in November 2010 and graduate in November 2011, when they complete their internships at facilities throughout the country.
Direct Relief and AMREF are working together to provide quality emergency obstetric care. At the Princess Diana Medical Centre in Soroti District, Uganda, and Maridi County Hospital in Southern Sudan, Direct Relief has outfitted surgical suite swith all the equipment necessary to provide life-saving interventions during complicated deliveries, including cesarean section. Plans are to expand emergency obstetric care to additional facilities.
Marie Stopes International
Focus: Maternal and Child Health
With a strong emphasis on the improving the health of women and children around the world, Direct Relief formed a natural alliance with Marie Stopes International (MSI) in 2005.
A London-based nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting reproductive and sexual health, MSI operates health facilities in more than 40 countries around the world, providing quality services, education, and family planning through static clinics, mobile clinics, rural outreach teams, peer education programs, community based-activities, and camps for refugees and internally displaced people. In 2008 alone, MSI provided more than 6 million people with high-quality health services, including family planning; maternal and child care, including safe delivery and obstetrics; diagnosis and treatment of sexually transmitted infections; and HIV/AIDS prevention.
Direct Relief supports MSI’s clinics in 15 countries throughout the world, especially in Africa and Asia, where the mother and child mortality rates are particularly high. Direct Relief provides MSI’s facilities with needed medicines, supplies, and equipment to care for their patients.
During emergencies, MSI clinics have increased their primary-care capacity, especially in Myanmar following Cyclone Nargis. As trusted, established partners working in-country, MSI has proven to be an effective partner to fulfill Direct Relief’s mission of supporting care for the most vulnerable populations, especially women and children.
Support for Hospices in Africa
Focus: Disease Prevention, Treatment, and Eradication
An estimated 22 million people in sub-Saharan Africa live with HIV/AIDS, and for many of them, access to the long-term care necessary to combat the virus’ effects is lacking. For these people, hospice and palliative care groups are key providers of care. Hospice groups are a main point of contact for distribution of antiretroviral drugs and provision of palliative care to HIV/AIDS patients. They focus on traditional end-of-life care and on treatment to extend the length and improve the quality of patients’ lives. Their patients typically have no income and are very poor, while hospice groups themselves lack financial and basic material resources needed to expand their services.
Direct Relief has forged partnerships with the Foundation for Hospices in Sub-Saharan Africa, the African Palliative Care Association, and the Hospice Palliative Care Association of South Africa to help alleviate these resource constraints. Through these groups, Direct Relief helps hospice patients in Kenya, South Africa, Uganda, and Zimbabwe.
Hospice groups provide care for patients as well as family members watching over a patient; services include placement and care for orphaned children. Often relying on trained community volunteers to reach all their patients, these organizations have a great need for medical supplies and medicines to treat their patients. Direct Relief is honored to support their work.