It’s World Health Day – the day on which, in 1948, the World Health Organisation was established.
As the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted, disease does not respect national boundaries. Global health is something we must all work together to achieve. More importantly, ongoing debates around the ethics of global vaccine distribution have drawn attention to the huge disparities that continue to exist in access to healthcare around the world.
This year’s World Health Day theme, ‘Building a fairer, healthier world’, seeks to raise awareness about precisely this issue. Sadly, there's still a long way to go in achieving global health goals. Where you are born still largely determines your access to healthcare, with the poorest communities often left behind.
Health is fundamental to so many other aspects of overall well-being, which is why we’ve long included it as one of our core focus areas for The DEAR Foundation’s global projects. Below is a small selection of the many projects we’re proud to have supported over the years:
In Tanzania, we’re working with the Tanzanian Albino Society to import and distribute cryotherapy equipment to medical centres across the country, to facilitate access to timely treatment of melanomas for people with albinism.
In Palestine, we’re supporting the Beita Women’s Development Society, who are disseminating critical information about breast cancer to facilitate early detection and treatment. We’ve also supported the construction of a medical clinic in Kafr al-Labad, whose population of more than 7,000 previously relied on services operating from a small room in their mayor’s office.
In Burkina Faso, we’ve supported the work of Keoogo to provide critical medical and psycho-social care to vulnerable street children in the country’s capital, Ougadougou. We also support the work of AMPO International whose clinic provides broad-ranging medical services to those who cannot afford it, including critical infant and maternal care.
In Liberia, we’re ensuring students at the Liberia Renaissance Education Complex can stay focussed on their lessons by funding access to an on-site school nurse.
In northern Israel, we’ve helped construct a DearMamma breast cancer ward at Ha’Emeq Hospital in Afula to ensure surrounding populations can readily access treatment when they spot the early signs of breast cancer.
And in Ethiopia, we’ve provided funding for an oncology ward at Adama Hospital in the Oromia region, as well as supporting efforts to tackle malnutrition in Gondar.
