Our Stories
Even though there have been some notable economic improvements in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Ukraine, they are still facing high inflation and frequent increases in costs for basic products and services. Social polarization reflects a highly uneven distribution of economic growth. Based on the World Bank’s statistics, over half of population in these countries is living under poverty level.
The respective Ministries of Health are implementing health reforms, but they are struggling to provide quality medicines, supplies, and laboratory equipment to keep up basic medical services in many rural hospitals and small health facilities. There is especially a serious need for pharmaceuticals, medical equipment, and supplies among refugees, internally displaced persons, returnees, and other vulnerable groups in the region.
Since 1999, IRD has delivered over $178 million of in-kind commodities to countries of the South Caucasus and Ukraine reaching over 3.2 million people in all four countries, receiving assistance from IRD partner medical institutions, government institutions and local NGOs. In 2007 alone, the total value of IRD distributed medicines, medical and non-medical supplies was over $17 million in all four countries. In addition to the regular distribution activities, IRD renovated and repaired boarding schools, retirement homes, orphanages, health posts, and hospitals as well as improved water supply systems in rural communities. From 2002-2005, IRD also provided clean potable water to 25,000 formerly displaced persons, ethnic minorities, and other vulnerable people in the Crimea region of Ukraine.
In Azerbaijan in particular, IRD has been successfully implementing U.S. Department of State programs for nine years. To date, IRD has distributed close to $57 million in medical and non-medical commodities to over 1 million beneficiaries, trained almost 3,000 doctors and 1,500 nurses, and rehabilitated both a home for the elderly and a children's department in the Khanlar District Hospital.
