Just over three years ago, Ukraine sent an urgent call for help to the world. War had broken out, and overnight, families were being torn apart. Residential, school, healthcare, and energy infrastructure were crumbling, and supply chains were vanishing. The need for aid, including medicines and medical supplies, had suddenly become perilously critical.   

Health Partners International Canada (HPIC) heard the call and stepped up to the plate, as did its partners. 

Urgent requests to the pharmaceutical community for medicine were immediately answered, and over a dozen local community groups galvanized fundraising efforts to help ship medicine to Ukraine. HPIC’s first shipment of medical humanitarian aid was in the air one month later, delivered by Canadian Medical Assistance Teams (CMAT).

Our initial goal to send $1 million in donated medicines was quickly surpassed.

Three years later, HPIC-coordinated efforts stand at over $30 million worth of life-saving medicines and medical supplies shipped to overseas partners for local distribution to the people of Ukraine. 

Despite this unprecedented emergency response, the situation today remains dire in this country. A prolonged war has driven the need for medical and healthcare aid to crisis proportions.

The United Nations reports that nearly 13 million people in Ukraine urgently need humanitarian aid as displacement, psychological trauma, and the destruction of essential services continue to take a devastating toll. Existing critical aid programmes are at risk of being scaled back, potentially leaving millions without food, healthcare, or shelter.

It’s heartbreaking to hear about the suffering, but it’s also heartening to see the resilience and hope that persists. The commitment of HPIC and our partners to continue to support the people of Ukraine is a beacon of hope in these challenging times. It’s a reminder that every bit of help counts and can make a significant difference in someone’s life.