Objective: To empower women in low-income countries and relieve the disproportionate burden of disease and suffering that they carry.

Commitment: IMC will continue to efficiently leverage all donated supplies and cash donations that it receives to relieve the disproportionate burden of disease & suffering that women carry in low-income countries.

Background: Women are integral to the health and well-being of children, families, communities and nations. At the same time, women and girls bear a disproportionate burden of disease and suffering in conflict zones and throughout the world’s less developed countries. 80% of the world’s 40 million displaced persons are women and children. Only 58% of all deliveries take place with the assistance of a trained attendant. Every minute, one woman dies in pregnancy or during childbirth – or an estimated 529,000 each year. Of the over 20 million women with HIV/AIDS, 70% are between the ages of 15 and 25 years.

Women and girls account for almost 60% of all HIV/AIDS cases in sub-Saharan Africa. At least one in five of the world's women and girls have been physically or sexually abused at some time in her life. Many, including pregnant women and young girls, are subject to severe, sustained or repeated attacks. Each year, 4 million women and girls are subjected to human trafficking and forced into prostitution, slavery or marriage.

International Medical Corps (IMC) is a global humanitarian non-profit organization dedicated to saving lives and relieving suffering through health care training and relief and development programs. IMC’s mission is to improve the quality of life through health interventions and related activities that build local capacity. Currently, IMC implements community-based activities in 20 low-income countries, all of which target women for training and services, as well as seek to relieve the burdens they carry. In FY2004, contributed medical supplies and services accounted for more than 50% of IMC’s resources for relief and development programs, and every $1 of cash contributions received by IMC leveraged an additional $51 in contracts and grants.

Partnership Opportunity: In addition to the $17 million already raised, IMC projects an additional funding need of $15 million in cash and $15 million in in-kind support by June 2006 to address women’s broad range of women’s health needs, including: recovery of livelihoods; micro-finance; reproductive health in emergency and development settings; prevention of gender-based violence; disease prevention; and supplementary feeding and nutrition programs for women and children.

Update:
December 2005:
Since September 15th, 2005 International Medical Corps has secured funding commitments of more than $7 million as part of its continuing effort to decrease women’s suffering worldwide. IMC has also procured medicines and medical supplies with a value of more than $10 million from private and public partners, further enhancing IMC’s ability to permanently improve the health and quality of life for women.

March 2006:
IMC has been working on over 50 projects throughout Africa, Asian and Eastern Europe. They have focused on reducing maternal mortality worldwide, integrating mental health services at the primary care level, reducing the burden of HIV and infectious diseases on women, addressing the pervasiveness of malnutrition among women, increasing economic opportunities for women and helping to provide clean water to communities. Additionally, IMC has raised $8.1 million in donations to support women’s health programs and $9.1 million in in-kind donations of supplies.