The impact of poor health
Many across the world struggle to access healthcare. In developing countries across the world, Islamic Relief is supporting health and community wellbeing.
In developing or low-income countries, infectious diseases pose the greatest risk to vulnerable populations. They directly affect livelihoods and labour supply to the economy, trapping many in the poverty cycle.
What’s more, a lack of adequate healthcare for children in these regions who need treatment for malnourishment, means that approximately 70 million children are at risk of physical and cognitive development.
Islamic Relief provide screening and treatment centres, mobile health clinics in remote areas, and health and hygiene practices to help stop the spread of infectious diseases.
Healthcare in the developing world
At Islamic Relief, we believe that every human being has the fundamental right to health and medical care. Unfortunately, for 1 in 7 people in developing countries, this is nowhere near a possibility.
Key Facts about healthcare in developing countries:
- In some of the poorest developing countries women have a 1 in 10 chance of dying in childbirth due to inadequate health care.
- Currently, 100 million people around the world are pushed into or trapped in extreme poverty due to health care expenses.
- Tragically, approximately 2.3 million children continue to die each year from vaccine-preventable diseases.
Your healthcare donations help save lives
Good health is about more than just medicine and treatment; it includes all areas of life. That’s why we train communities on diet and health practices and provide school meals to prevent child malnutrition.
Once people have become ill however, what they need is healthcare – and this is often severely lacking in poor countries. That’s why Islamic Relief builds hospitals and clinics, supplies existing centres with life-saving medicines and clinical equipment. We also provide ambulances in conflict zones to reach the most urgent cases of injury and illness.
When a crisis hits a country, Islamic Relief provides humanitarian aid that often includes emergency healthcare and distribution of clean water to prevent illness. Our teams often stay to implement long-term development projects, such as rebuilding destroyed water and sanitation facilities, or constructing new facilities for populations lacking them. Projects like these reduce illness rates and save lives.
Critically, we look at more than just physical health. When people have suffered losses and witnessed scenes of violence and bloodshed due to conflict, we provide psychosocial care in the form of therapy and counselling. This helps traumatised patients live a happier life.
With your continued support, Islamic Relief has been able to provide vital health and medical care to over 2.2 million people in desperate need across 22 countries. We provide dialysis support, emergency medical equipment, paediatric healthcare, , cataract surgery, maternity centres, mobile health clinics and help fight hepatitis.
Frequently asked questions