Annual Report 2010 of action medeor
Two particularly poignant disasters shaped 2010 for action medeor: In January, Haiti experienced the most severe earthquake of the 21st century which saw more than 220,000 people lose their lives. The already poor infrastructure of the island state was almost completely destroyed by the natural catastrophe in the Port-au-Prince region. This considerably hampered rescue efforts and the provision of medical supplies to over 300,000 injured people. Aid packages were being sent to the region from Vorst within just a few hours. More than 100 tonnes of medication and medical supplies have since been sent to the disaster zone.
The second largest natural catastrophe occurred in July and August in Pakistan. More than 14 million people were affected by the extremely heavy monsoon rain and the ensuing floods. Medical facilities were destroyed by the floods and had to be replaced by mobile health stations. medeor sent medical aid weighing a total of 50 tonnes to medical centres, hospitals and local aid organisations.
The generous donations from friends and supporters of action medeor supported the work of the association in both catastrophes. This allowed for a rapid and vital response. For this we would like to sincerely thank you on behalf of those affected and all of our employees. In both Haiti and Pakistan, the effects of the natural disasters are still very much visible and it will take some time until the devastating consequences are diminished or even reduced.
However, aid from Tönisvorst was also urgently required beyond these huge natural disasters. Poverty is steadily increasing in developing countries worldwide despite the economic recovery and overcoming the financial crisis. At the same time, the state of human health is noticeably deteriorating. The increasing cost of food and resulting malnourishment and poor access to clean drinking water and sanitary facilities, mean that disease and poverty are continuing to rise worldwide. The millennium goals set by the global community for 2015, will largely not be achieved.
In light of this, action medeor therefore plays a particularly important role in its endeavour to promote health for all. The association will therefore continue taking great efforts to ensure the sustainable improvement of health care structures in countries in need. In order to achieve this, medeor works closely with its partners on the ground and supports local infrastructures and economies through the transfer of knowledge and technology. This can be seen with the example of Arusha in Tanzania: Here medeor is currently supporting the construction and provisioning of a production plant for HIV/AIDS medication. On the long-term, the new plant should provide 100,000 people with vital medical supplies. The start of production is planned for the end of 2011.
We will continue to demonstrate the uniqueness of action medeor as a medical aid organisation to even more people in future. We would be extremely grateful if you were to continue to guide and support us on this path.
Heinz Gommans (President)
Bernd Pastors (Executive Director)
The Annual Report of the MMI Network member action medeor is available in German, English, French ans Spanish.
