Blog

IDA Foundation has recently joined the UN Women's Empowerment Principles (WEPs), strengthening our commitment and progress to gender equality. The WEPs are a shared initiative of UN Global Compact (of which IDA Foundation has been a participant since 2018) and UN Women.

Today is World Hepatitis Day! On this day we raise awareness about the impact and long-term effects of viral hepatitis. Besides causing acute inflammation and illness, chronic hepatitis infection increases the risk of developing liver cancer. Cancer-causing infections, such as hepatitis and human papillomavirus (HPV) account for approximately 30% of cancer cases in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Lifestyle appears to be a risk factor for developing liver cancer and as alcohol-induced hepatitis is on the rise in LMICs, it is important to emphasise a healthy and balanced lifestyle (WHO, 2022).

This year marks IDA’s 50th anniversary. Counting down to November 21 we are looking back at some of our key activities and achievements. As part of our 50 years IDA story campaign, we would like to share a brief IDA timeline with you. Watch the below video and learn about some of our milestones from the past five decades!

Last year we added heat-stable carbetocin (HSC) to our Reproductive-, Maternal-, Newborn-, and Child-Health (RMNCH) portfolio. HSC is a uterotonic, that is more stable in warm and humid climates than its alternative oxytocin and is therefore better able to prevent post-partum haemorrhage (PPH) caused by post-partum uterine atony.

The past years we have been expanding our Reproductive-, Maternal-, Newborn-, and Child-Health (RMNCH) portfolio. The latest additions to the portfolio are related to breastfeeding and are meant to support and assist mothers when their children have difficulty with latching on to the nipple or have other problems related to feeding.

This past month IDA Foundation has joined forces with i+solutions and other parties to ensure swift emergency shipments to Ukraine. Since the beginning of the Russian invasion in Ukraine four months ago, we have supported several initiatives to send emergency goods and medical relief products to Ukraine and neighbouring countries.

This year marks IDA’s 50th anniversary. Counting down to November 2022 we are looking back at some of our key activities. This includes emergency response, which has been an important part of our work for more than 25 years.

On World Blood Donor Day we raise awareness of the need for safe blood and blood products. Worldwide, blood donors are very much needed and thus we thank voluntary, unpaid blood donors for their live-saving gifts of blood. In addition we support the availability of quality-assured products derived from blood.

Strengthened local capacity is one of IDA’s long-term strategic goals. This goal is worked on through our ambition to source more products from manufacturers in low- and middle-income countries, where the demand for IDA’s essential health products is greatest.

On World Bicycle Day we raise awareness of the (health) benefits of cycling. As the bicycle is a very popular mode of transport in the Netherlands, we motivate our employees to choose the bicycle for commuting. We are happy to see it pays off as many  of our staff members choose the bicycle to get to our office in Amsterdam.

Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are a group of infections that are extremely rare or occur in areas of extreme poverty where people have little protection from the insects or animals that carry disease. Treatment for these conditions (e.g., worm infections) are often overlooked by commercial pharmaceutical companies and as a result, treatment availability can be limited. 

On May 23 we raise awareness of obstetric fistula and its disastrous consequences. Obstetric fistula is one of the most serious injuries that can occur during childbirth, where an opening forms between the birth canal and bladder and/or rectum. Obstetric fistula is caused by prolonged, obstructed labour without access to high-quality and timely medical treatment. It leaves women with incontinence problems, and often leads to chronic medical problems, social isolation, and depression. Obstetric fistula is a preventable complication with the right medical assistance, and it can be cured with surgery.

The past few months, the impact of both the war in Ukraine and the effects of new COVID lockdowns in China have become more apparent. In this update we give you an insight into the current situation and its effects on the global freight market.

Quality Assurance (QA) is at the core of IDA's mission and integrated into IDA's values and a key driver of ensuring we achieve our three strategic long-term goals.

We believe that everyone in the world has the right to access quality medication and health care. Our international and diverse teams in Amsterdam and Mumbai are working hard towards achieving Universal Health Coverage, which is one of our long-term goals supporting our mission of Bridging the Gap in Access to Medicines.

Every year on the 25th of May, we recognise global efforts to fight malaria. Globally, over 3 billion people in 106 countries are at risk of malaria. Malaria is a preventable and treatable disease that continues to have a devastating impact on the health and livelihood of people around the world. In 2020, there were an estimated 241 million new cases of malaria and 627.000 malaria-related deaths in 85 countries. Still, more than 2/3 of deaths were among children under the age of five living in the WHO African Region (WHO, 2022). This year’s World Malaria Day campaign is marked under the theme ‘Harness innovation to reduce malaria disease burden and save lives.’

Despite the ongoing hostilities, IDA Foundation is able to provide transport solutions into Ukraine together with its freight partners. Air & sea solutions continue to be impossible, but solutions by road are available upon request. Available solutions are dependent on the ever-changing local situation, we would advise our clients to keep in close contact with their sales representative in case of any questions.

Each year, on the 22nd of April, more than a billion people celebrate Earth Day and aim to protect our planet from pollution and deforestation. The environment has a big impact on our health, that’s why IDA Foundation held their own Earth Day campaign among staff members to raise awareness about the importance of sustainability and to share habits that are environment-friendly.

The Russian invasion has had a devastating impact on Ukraine’s health infrastructure; many hospitals are destroyed or severely damaged, depriving people from the essential medical care. Aside from emergency healthcare, regular care has also come under pressure due to lack of access to and/or shortages of basic medicines and medical supplies. This poses a major threat to the continuation of care for the people in country.

On behalf of Stop TB Partnership’s Global Drug Facility (GDF), IDA Foundation (IDA), the GDF’s contracted procurement agent, invites all eligible suppliers to submit bids for ITB-IDA/GDF-MED/2022/1, for the supply of antituberculosis (TB) medicines.

Every year on the 7th of April, World Health Day, we celebrate the founding of the World Health Organization. World Health Day 2022’s theme is ‘Our planet, our health’, highlighting the impact of the environment on our health.

In today’s world, medical supplies are crucial to safe and effective prevention, diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment of disease or illness, as well as for patient rehabilitation and palliation. These medical supplies must be safe, of good quality, and appropriate to the settings in which they are used. Recognising the important role of medical supplies toward universal health coverage, we continue our 50th anniversary story campaign with an insight into the role of IDA’s suppliers of medical supplies and their contribution to making quality assured health care products available for all. Two of these suppliers are Poly Medicure (Polymed) and Jiangsu Allwell Medical Products (Allwell), who have been collaborating with IDA Foundation for many years.

Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the world’s most common and life threatening diseases, with over 95% of TB deaths occurring in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs). In 2019, an estimated 10 million people were diagnosed with TB worldwide and there are estimates that indicate that one third of the world’s population is infected with TB.

Around the world, many women lack access to essential nutrition during pregnancy from their diets only. The right nutrition during pregnancy is essential as the mother’s health is better safeguarded, and her child is more likely to have a good start in life. In line with our mission, and with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3, IDA Foundation supports reproductive, maternal and child health, by supplying a broad range of products related to family planning, healthy pregnancies and safe births.

On this International Women’s Day we are happy to announce a new partnership with Aakar Innovations. Aakar is an Indian social enterprise that developed Anandi pads which are the first patented and certified compostable sanitary pads available in the country.

The devastating impact of the Russian invasion of Ukraine has become increasingly clear, and many of our customers (NGOs / humanitarian organisations) are responding to support the people both in Ukraine and those fleeing Ukraine to the surrounding countries with essential medical goods.

All regular transport to and from Ukraine has come to a stop because of the Russian invasion into Ukraine. This means that (regular) air, sea, and road transport has come to a standstill and borders to Ukraine are mostly closed for normal traffic, with only Ukrainian drivers being allowed to cross the border.

On International Wheelchair Day wheelchair users around the world celebrate the positive impact a wheelchair has on their lives. Access to wheelchairs can give people with mobility impairments the opportunity to live healthy, productive and independent lives. IDA Foundation recognises the need for assistive technologies such as wheelchairs, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) where resources are low and there is often no access to these essential health products.

To celebrate our 50th anniversary, we share monthly stories from our global stakeholder network, ranging from customers and suppliers to agents & distributors and employees. This time we would like to give you an insight in what it’s like to be part of the IDA Foundation team.

International Childhood Cancer Day is a global collaborative campaign aimed to raise awareness about childhood cancer, and to express support for children and adolescents suffering from cancer, the survivors of childhood cancer and their families. IDA Foundation wants to bridge gaps in access to essential medicines. We believe that regardless of where children live in the world, they should have access to cancer treatment, care and support.

Our 50th anniversary Stories campaign continues with an insight into the role of IDA’s (pharmaceutical) suppliers. Our quality-assured products are available to our customers thanks to the strong, long-time relationships we have with suppliers who share our commitment to quality.

Cancer treatment and palliative care remain out of reach for many people in low- and middle-income countries, while 70% of cancer-related deaths occur in these countries. IDA Foundation has been expanding and building its oncology range in the past decades, making sure to bridge the gap in access to these essential treatments. 

Every year IDA publishes the Product Indicator – a booklet providing an overview of the products we supply, ranging from essential medicines for noncommunicable and infectious diseases, to medical supplies and emergency response goods. The medicines listed in the Product Indicator are grouped according to the WHO classification of Essential Medicines (EML). All medicines on the EML satisfy the minimum requirements for priority healthcare needs of the population, and are selected according to public health relevance, evidence of efficacy and safety and comparative cost-effectiveness.

IDA Foundation and Momentum Wheels for Humanity, with the generous support of the United States Agency for International Development, are collaborating to provide equitable access to quality wheelchairs so that people with mobility impairments in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) have the opportunity to live healthy, productive and independent lives. 

This week, our colleague Alexander has visited one of our agents and some other local health partners in Madagascar. After a long period of not being able to travel dus to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are happy that these important visits to local health partners worldwide are possible again. We recognise the added value of personal visits and we believe this improves relationships and helps us to keep bridging the gap in access to medicines.

IDA Pacific has been a partner of IDA Foundation for fifteen years now, and by keeping their own stock of IDA products, they ensure that the people living in the Pacific region have access to quality medical supplies and essential medicines. Their remote location makes their experiences very different from other regions due to their remote location. They shared some insights as part of IDA's 50th Anniversary Stories campaign.

As part of our strategic goal of Strengthened Local Capacity, IDA Foundation works closely with agents and distributors in low- and middle-income countries. One of the latest members of IDA’s local distribution network is Health Pharmaceutical Company (HPC) in Douala, Cameroon.

With just a few days of 2021 left, I would like to take a moment to reflect on what was another challenging and inspiring year, which fortunately also brought new opportunities, insights, and highlights.

We wish our entire network a happy and healthy new year!

One month ago, IDA celebrated its 49th anniversary, meaning we are currently in our 50th anniversary year! For this occasion, we are launching our Stories Campaign, where we highlight stories from partners in our global network. Looking at the future of health in the coming 50 years, the theme of our anniversary campaign is ‘Building healthy futures’, in line with our vision, mission and dedication to global health.

IDA Foundation and Macro-Eyes today announced a partnership to increase supply chain efficiency using data insights generated by STRIATA: Macro-Eyes software for precision matching supply to demand. The global health sector has been impacted heavily by the COVID-19 pandemic, and getting the most essential medicines and health supplies to low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) has become even more challenging. Globally, lead times have increased significantly since the onset of the pandemic.

This World Aids Day (1 December) marks forty years after the first five cases of AIDS were first identified in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), in June 1981. Today, 38 million people are living with HIV.

This month, our QA Director Michiel de Goeje retired after 34 years of service at IDA Foundation. Bart van Osch, IDA’s new QA Director, has been working alongside Michiel for the past year, to ensure a thorough handover of responsibilities.

21 November 2021 marks 49 years of bridging the gap in access to medicines. This means that our 50th year of operations has started, and in one year, we will be celebrating IDA Foundation's 50th anniversary!

This week marks the beginning of the annual World Antimicrobial Awareness Week (WAAW), aiming to create awareness around the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). AMR occurs when bacteria, fungi, viruses, and parasites that cause disease stop responding to existing medicines.

According to WHO, despite significant advances in driving down child mortality rates in recent decades, almost 5.2 million children under five still die every year from preventable and treatable diseases, most of whom are in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Leading causes are (pre-term) birth complications as well as preventable and/or treatable health issues such as malaria and measles.

We have some catching up to do! The pandemic has limited our ability to travel to IDA’s partners around the world. Fortunately, online meetings and contacts are efficient and allow us to work effectively as well. Nonetheless, we recognise the added value that local face-to-face meetings have, and current visits to our African agents. distributors and other partners were long overdue.

On World Values Day, we take some time to look at what we value most in life. IDA Foundation's five values shape our unique culture and unite our people in achieving our goals. We believe our values help us in achieving our mission of bridging the gap in access to medicines and our values facilitate the achievement of our long-term goals of Universal Health Coverage, Strengthened Local Capacity and Sustainable Value Chains.

Today is Global Handwashing Day. On this day the Global Handwashing Partnership raises awareness on the importance of hand hygiene. At IDA Foundation we underline the importance of practicing hand hygiene, to prevent sickness and the spread of infectious diseases.

The World Health Organization published the latest edition of its Model Lists of Essential Medicines (EML) and Essential Medicines for Children last week, which include new treatments for various cancers, insulin analogues and new oral medicines for diabetes, new medicines to assist people who want to stop smoking, and new antimicrobials to treat serious bacterial and fungal infections.