For most of us, access to medicine is as close as our local drugstore or pharmacy.

That’s why it’s hard to understand why so many people in the world lack access to even the most basic medicines. But in many countries, even hospitals have no medicine or basic equipment to treat patients.

Pharmacies, where they exist, often have bare shelves. Doctors in many countries can diagnose patients but have no medicine to treat them. And the toll on people’s lives is devastating:

• Nearly 1.6 million children will die this year for the lack of simple antibiotics that are used to treat acute respiratory infections.
• More than 525,000 children under the age of five will die from diarrhea, easily treated with Oral Rehydration Therapy.
• In Africa alone, one in five children will die needlessly before their fifth birthday from a disease that, in the West, would otherwise be cured with basic medicines.

Where Disease is endemic, we work with partners to restore health by providing basic medicines and health supplies where there is little or no access for those living in poverty.

Where Disaster strikes, we send Disaster Health Kits (DHK), essential medicines and medical products and other critical relief supplies needed to treat injuries and prevent the spread of illness.

And where Despair threatens humanity, we bring reach through our extensive network of partners to support their development efforts where our supply of medicines and health supplies extends their reach and offers hope into the darkest of conditions.

We serve all people, regardless of religion, gender, race, nationality or ethnic background so they might experience life to the fullest.