The Federal Association of the Order of Malta Honored by Medicines for Humanity for Efforts to Combat Child Mortality

On September 11, 2008, the Federal Association received the Humanitarian Organization of the Year Award from Medicines for Humanity (MFH). MFH is a Massachusetts-based nonprofit organization dedicated to saving the lives of children in impoverished communities worldwide. They selected the Federal Association for this award in recognition of its support of the Project Lifeline Village Pharmacy -- a project that is improving community access to healthcare and life-saving basic medicines for the people of Esquipulas, Guatemala.

The Project Lifeline Village Pharmacy Program was established in 2005 as a joint effort between Medicines for Humanity and Father Anselmo Buezo, a Benedictine priest born and raised outside of Esquipulas. The Federal Association has been a partner, providing annual financial support since 2006.

• Basic medicines are distributed to the estimated 20,000 residents of Esquipulas through home-based small pharmacies run by community volunteers.
  
• Prior to the program’s inception, residents would travel more than four hours one-way to seek access to common medicines and healthcare needs.
  
• Today, more than 22 small pharmacies are fully operational thanks to Father Anselmo’s tireless efforts and the donations and steadfast support of the Federal Association.

In addition to the Village Pharmacy in Esquipulas, the Federal Association has teamed up with MFH and is supporting two other Project Lifeline centers – one in Port au Prince, Haiti, and the other in Consuelo, Dominican Republic. All three of the MFH / Order of Malta Project Lifeline centers are described briefly, below:

Project Lifeline - Cite Soleil, Haiti
Cite Soleil has been labeled the most impoverished and needy area in this hemisphere. The presence of a committed and courageous partner, the Daughters of Charity, and the tremendous health needs of an estimated 300,000 people, make Cite Soleil a compelling place for us to work. Project objectives are to:

• Provide treatment to more than 35,000 people annually
  
• Provide medicines valued at more than $280,000 annually
  
• Provide much needed vitamin A treatments
  
• Support the work of the Daughters of Charity in their mission to save the lives of the most vulnerable children in the Western Hemisphere

Project Lifeline – Esquipulas, Guatemala
MFH and the Order of Malta selected this site originally because approximately 22,000 people in the extremely poor and rural villages of Esquipulas, had no access to essential medicines. One leader in this area, Padre Anselmo Buezo, OSB, grew up in such a village. His younger sister died because of this problem, and he made a compelling case for our assistance. Project goals are to:

• Maintain 25 village pharmacies with a continuous supply of basic medicines to provide access to the populations of now more than 25,000 people
  
• Thoroughly train 40 pharmacy aides to operate village pharmacies
  
• Support the Parochial Commission of Esquipulas to organize pharmacy aides, health promoters, and pastoral health agents and be committed to the sustainability of the program
  
• Distribute anti-parasite medication and vitamin A, valued at more than $100,000 to 12,000 children

Project Lifeline – Consuelo, Dominican Republic
Communities of Haitian workers live in improvised housing in the sugar cane fields of the Dominican Republic around the town of Consuelo. These “batey communities” provide a fertile setting for this project. The Order of Malta and MFH have teamed up with the Grey Sisters to provide mobile health services to the “forgotten” Haitian children living in these bateyes. Project objectives are to:

• Provide medical attention and medicines for more than 6,000 patient visits from children and mothers annually
  
• Provide medicines valued at $100,000 each year
  
• Provide basic healthcare and health education to 20 of the most impoverished communities in the Dominican Republic

Founded in 1997, Medicines for Humanity works with healthcare partners in developing countries to provide the basic healthcare and medicines needed to combat illnesses that take the lives of over 20,000 children each day. The organization helps in-country healthcare partners implement effective and sustainable health initiatives for children. Last year MFH and its in-country partners provided life-saving medicines to more than 300,000 children. The organization’s scope of work expands across eleven countries and seventeen of the world’s most impoverished communities. For more information regarding Medicines for Humanity and its work visit www.medicinesforhumanity.org.