Health Partners International of Canada (HPIC) packages medication and medical equipment for use in vulnerable communities. The supplies are sent as bulk shipments to foreign-aid groups or packaged into smaller kits for individual aid workers. Aid organizations can customize the contents of bulk shipments to serve their community’s needs. The smaller kits are also customizable, but are more often pre-packaged for general practice, mother and baby, or dental care. Medicine is shipped from Canada rather than being purchased locally to ensure the medicine’s effectiveness and because healthcare providers are familiar with Canadian brands. More than 2 billion people in the world do not have access to medicines. Last year, HPIC reports sending 407 skids of bulk medicine and 614 medical kits, helping 800,000 people.

In F2017, Health Partners International of Canada packaged skids of medical supplies for international aid organizations in 10 countries. HOPE in the Dominican Republic ordered the most skids, followed by Food for the Poor Canada in Jamaica, and Christian Blind Mission Canada in Swaziland. HPIC requests that groups pay $550 per skid of medication and $325 for supplies to cover the cost of maintaining inventory. The aid groups are also expected to pay for shipping.

Canadian healthcare professionals who are travelling on an aid mission can bring an HPIC kit with them. In F2017, HPIC sent 430 primary care kits, containing a mixture of standard medicines to treat approximately 250 people. Maternal care kits have equipment to treat mothers and their babies before, during, and after birth.  HPIC sent 91 of these kits in F2017, each helping up to 50 mothers, 30 babies, and 5 children. There were 69 specialized kits sent which had medicines and surgical equipment as requested by the aid worker. HPIC sent 24 dental kits in F2017, with each kit helping 200 patients including 60 tooth extractions.

Instead of using styrofoam to fill packages during shipping, HPIC fills the remaining space with Izzy Dolls. These small toys are knitted by donors and given to children.

Results and Impact: Dr. Dario Del Rizzo regularly brings primary care kits to the Dominican Republic. He says that the kits save lives – no child in his care has died in the last eight years.

Health Partners International of Canada is a medium-sized charity, with donations of $1.5m in F2017. Goods-in-kind donations represent 93% of revenues, with $22.2m of medical supplies donated in F2017. Administrative costs are 2% of revenues, and fundraising costs are 26% of cash donations. For every $1 donated, 72 cents go to the cause, falling within Ci’s reasonable range. The charity has funding reserves of $172k which could cover program costs for less than 4 months.

This charity report is an update that has been sent to Health Partners International of Canada for review. Changes and edits may be forthcoming.

Updated on June 19, 2018 by Madison Kerr.