The Astellas Global Health Foundation Provides $2.6 Million in New Funding to Address Urgent Health Needs in Africa, South America, and the Middle East

Grants to International Medical Corps, PATH, and Plan International
Intend to Improve Access to Healthcare, Community Resilience, and Disaster Preparedness for Vulnerable Communities

NORTHBROOK, Ill., Jan. 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the Astellas Global Health Foundation ("Foundation") announced it has awarded three new grants for a combined $2.6 million to non-profit organizations working to make a sustained impact on improving access to health in Kenya, strengthening community resilience in Yemen, and providing disaster support in Peru.

The selected organizations -- International Medical Corps, PATH, and Plan International -- are expected to use the Foundation grants to impact nearly 750,000 lives combined over the next three years. This latest funding, in addition to active grants in progress with Amref Health Africa and AMPATH Kenya, reinforces the Foundation's objective to help high-need populations within low- and middle-income countries where Astellas does not have a business presence.

New Grants Help Selected Organizations Increase their Impact:

• International Medical Corps: The Foundation has provided a one-year, $345,000 grant to help International Medical Corps address severe humanitarian and healthcare crises in Yemen. Efforts will include strengthening healthcare infrastructure and building resilience in 10 vulnerable and hard-to-reach Yemeni communities (projected impact: more than 60,000 lives). This is the third grant the Foundation has provided to support International Medical Corps' initiatives intending to save lives and reduce suffering through International Medical Corps' healthcare training, relief and development programs. In 2020 and 2021, the Foundation supported the organization's important work fighting COVID-19 in Nigeria and malaria and dengue in Venezuela. Learn more.
  
  
• PATH: The Foundation has awarded a three-year grant of more than $1.6 million to help PATH address HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis (TB) healthcare delivery barriers in Kenya. PATH's comprehensive efforts will strengthen community and primary care approaches to efficiently deliver HIV/AIDS and TB services in areas with urgent treatment access needs with plans to impact a projected 605,000 lives. The grant will also see supply chain strengthening activities to ensure the availability of high-quality commodities and tools for community health units.
  
  
• Plan International: The Foundation has given a $690,000 grant over two years to help Plan address the health impact of ongoing weather emergencies in Peru's northeastern Loreto region. This funding intends to help Plan provide support when disasters occur, reduce the risk of critical illnesses, and improve the lives of children and others in hard-to-reach and vulnerable communities. Among the more than 15,000 community members and others expected to be reached will be the Mestizo people and indigenous groups who have been severely impacted by flooding and other climate change-related weather events.

"This year's grant recipients are an enduring reflection of the Foundation's thoughtful dedication to partnerships that enable a positive and sustainable impact on the health and well-being of people worldwide," said Shingo Iino, Ph.D., President of the Astellas Global Health Foundation. "These grants also build on our commitment to supporting partner-driven efforts that offer meaningful solutions to help improve access to healthcare, build community resilience and strengthen disaster support in underserved communities."

Among highlights, the grant to PATH is the first to focus on HIV/AIDS since the Foundation's inception, and the first one in support of supply chain strengthening, an area the Foundation has particular interest in. "It is critical to address the continued systemic challenges affecting the response to HIV/AIDS and TB in East Africa," said Dr. Edward Karlithi, Director of Programs, Kenya, of PATH. "We are grateful for the new funding from the Astellas Global Health Foundation, which will enable us to make swift and sustained strides in strengthening deeply needed HIV/AIDS and TB service delivery at the community level with subsequent benefit throughout Kenya and East African nations."

Additional Foundation Grants Continue to Support Access to Healthcare Needs:

• Amref Health Africa: The Foundation is in its second year of providing Amref Health Africa with almost $1.7 million over three years to help improve access to health for children in Senegal, specifically in the Kolda and Sédhiou regions where low immunization rates, lack of qualified health care workers and scarcity of food and clean water have combined to cause high infant and child mortality rates. The grant is helping Amref train and deploy skilled health workers and expand access points for child health services in these under-resourced regions of Senegal, impacting an estimated 340,000 children. Learn more.
  
  
• AMPATH Kenya: The Foundation is in the second year of providing $1.07 million over two years in a grant to help AMPATH expand access to mental health and substance abuse services for more than 200,000 people in western Kenya to receive critical medical support and live as valued and respected members of their communities. This funding follows an initial $1.35 million, three-year grant in early 2020 to help AMPATH build and launch the MTRH Nawiri Recovery & Skills Centre, the first recovery home and skills center in Kenya for men and women with severe mental illness. Additionally, the earlier grant supported capacity building and mentorship of healthcare workers in primary care settings and COVID-19 response assistance. Learn more.

Programs that receive Foundation funding are designed and implemented by non-profit organizations and are in alignment with the Foundation's Social Contribution Policy and corporate sustainability focus on improving access to health. Success is defined by each program's ability to make a meaningful impact and actively contribute to the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goal 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.¹

About the Astellas Global Health Foundation
The Astellas Global Health Foundation is a tax-exempt, non-profit corporation that awards grants to support charitable purposes with a focus on improving access to health in underserved global communities, building resilient communities and providing disaster support in order to make a sustainable impact on the health of people around the world, working toward "One World, A Healthier Tomorrow." The Foundation's grants are made to charitable programs outside of Astellas Pharma Inc.'s (Astellas) therapeutic areas, in low- to middle-income countries where Astellas does not have a business presence, and in alignment with Astellas' corporate sustainability focus on Access to Health and consistent commitment to making a sustainable impact on the health of vulnerable populations around the world. To learn more about the Astellas Global Health Foundation please visit www.astellasglobalhealthfoundation.org, LinkedIn, Facebook or X.

About International Medical Corps
International Medical Corps is a global first responder that delivers emergency medical and related services to those affected by conflict, disaster and disease, no matter where they are, no matter the conditions. It also trains people in their communities, providing them with the skills they need to recover, chart their own path to self-reliance and become effective first responders themselves. Established in 1984 by volunteer doctors and nurses, it is a nonprofit with no religious or political affiliation, and now has more than 9,000 staff members around the world, 97% of them locally hired. Since its founding, it has operated in more than 80 countries, and provided more than $4.4 billion in emergency relief and training to communities worldwide. For more information visit: www.InternationalMedicalCorps.org, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn or Medium.

About PATH
PATH is a global non-profit dedicated to achieving health equity. With more than 40 years of experience in forging multisector partnerships, and with expertise in science, economics, technology, advocacy and dozens of other specialties, PATH develops and scales up innovative solutions to the world's most pressing health challenges. Its mission is to advance health equity through innovation and partnerships with three areas of focus: 1) increase health system capacity and resilience, 2) improve lives with science and technology, and 3) prepare for and respond to emerging health threats. PATH advances equity through co-creating projects that challenge social and structural inequities, developing guidance for and incorporating measures of equity into all projects and programs, prioritizing programs designed to improve the health and well-being of populations that have been historically marginalized and underserved by health systems, and investing in an internal culture of learning and improvement.

About Plan International 
Plan International works with children and girls in more than 80 countries to help create a world where we are all equal. To do that, Plan International tackles the root causes of the challenges and inequalities that children and young girls face. Plan International is there for children from birth to adulthood and the organisation enables children to prepare for and respond to crises and adversity. To learn more, visit planusa.org.

About AMPATH
The Academic Model Providing Access to Healthcare (AMPATH) is a partnership among Moi University, Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, a global network of universities led by Indiana University, and the Kenyan Government. Working with the Kenyan Ministry of Health, AMPATH partners created one of Africa's largest, most comprehensive, and effective HIV/AIDS management and treatment models. AMPATH partners have transitioned the successful HIV approach into a comprehensive primary health care system, now serving a population of 24 million people in western Kenya. In addition to providing direct patient care, AMPATH partners train health care leaders in North America, Europe and sub-Saharan Africa, provides supportive services to help communities sustain their own success, and conducts research. To learn more about AMPATH, visit ampathkenya.org.

About Amref Health Africa
Amref Health Africa is the largest Africa-based healthcare nonprofit, serving millions of people every year. Amref Health Africa began on the continent as the Flying Doctors, bringing surgical services to remote communities using light aircraft. Their priorities have since expanded to strengthen health systems and train African health workers to respond to the continent's most critical health challenges. Their approach is community-based and makes the people they reach partners rather than just beneficiaries. Over 97% of their global staff are Africans, so they are always tackling African challenges with African expertise. Amref Health Africa is headquartered in Nairobi Kenya with programs in 35 countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Learn more about their programs at amrefusa.org.

Contacts for inquiries or additional information:

Astellas Global Health Foundation:
Stephan Beschle
TEL: +44 7557 086410
[email protected]

International Medical Corps:
Brian Scheel
TEL: 620-960-3360
[email protected] 

PATH:
Lisa Mueller Scott
TEL: 202-822-0033
[email protected] 

Plan International:
Maria Holsopple
TEL: +1.540.383.3628
[email protected] 

AMPATH Kenya:
Debbie Ungar
TEL: 317-278-0827
[email protected] 

Amref Health Africa:
Emily Correale
TEL: 212-768-2440
[email protected] 

Reference:

¹ United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs website. Accessed on January 17, 2023. Link: https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal3

SOURCE Astellas Global Health Foundation