Blog

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.

This month, our Area Manager Alexander traveled for the first time since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. As with many countries in Africa, COVID-19 restrictions are still in place, meaning that travelling has become more complex, for example with additional testing to cross borders. Nonetheless, these visits are important and very valuable to both parties to enhance our relationships, exchange knowledge and expertise, and visit health (storage) facilities.

On the 25th of September, Dutch organisations, municipalities, the Dutch ministries and embassies together take part in the flag day, an event through which they show their support for the United Nations’ Global Goals / SDGs. More than 850 Global Goals-flags will be raised on this day!

This week, our colleague Rheinhard Hein hosted two training sessions for all IDA employees on Diversity and Inclusion. As we set out our strategic roadmap, IDA prioritised key Sustainable Development Goals that we can make an impact on, including SDG 5 (Gender Equality) and SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth). We asked Rheinhard to provide some key insights to the subject, and why this training is so valuable for a future-proof workforce.

A deteriorating humanitarian situation in Afghanistan means that an estimated 18 million people are currently in need of aid. Working closely with our customers, this week IDA will be shipping another 1000 IEHK (kits) from our warehouse in Tilburg, and over 1500 IEHK from our kitting facility in Dubai have already arrived. Aside from emergency kits, IDA also shipped 120 Pediatric Severe Acute Malnutrition (PED-SAM) kits, containing essential oral- and injectable- medication to treat young children who are suffering from medical complications caused by severe acute malnutrition. The warehouse teams are working 24/7 to make sure these essential supplies are reach Afghanistan - and those in need- as soon as possible.

At IDA Foundation we believe learning lies at the basis of both professional- and personal development. In one of our previous blogs we shared some information on how we address learning and make sure all our colleagues have the opportunity to develop themselves. We mentioned our HR initiative of Social Learning courses, the access our colleagues have to the LinkedIn Learning platform, and how we create a learning environment where we hire and train interns.

Did you know IDA has already been active for almost 50 years? As we move nearer to this special 50th anniversary in 2022, we are reflecting on some key facts and figures. Keep an eye on our blog to see how you could become a part of IDA’s 50 year celebrations and impact.

Today, August 19, is World Humanitarian Day. On this day we honour the people who have dedicated their lives to humanitarian causes and sacrificed their lives for the betterment of humanity. Whether it's supporting refugees fleeing from political conflict, or by providing help to victims of natural disasters, they are in the field to help others.

As an employer, IDA Foundation aims to create an open learning environment for all of our people. We achieve this by stimulating learning on the job. This includes (online) courses and workshops for our employees, to develop their professional knowledge as well as social skills, which help them to develop and grow within the organisation.

IDA Foundation has partnered with Ferring Pharmaceuticals, who have developed heat-stable carbetocin (HSC), a product that can reduce the risk of PPH. HSC is more resistant against higher temperatures and increased humidity compared to oxytocin, making it very suitable for use in low- and middle-income countries. HSC is now being used in clinical practice for the first time in healthcare settings in India - with more LMICs following soon.

On World Hepatitis Day we raise awareness about viral hepatitis, an inflammation of the liver that can have severe consequences. Every thirty seconds a person is dying from hepatitis-related illness, and many who have it are unaware. This is why early diagnosis and effective treatment are essential when it comes to elimination of viral hepatitis. The tools to eliminate viral hepatitis exist, but without an urgent upscaling of needed services, the opportunity to eliminate viral hepatitis by 2030 will be lost.

Last week, IDA Foundation supplied 228 pallets of kits to Afghanistan for WHO. The kits, which contain medical supplies and essential medicines, were loaded on two charter flights from our warehouse in Dubai. The WHO is working closely together with the Ministry of Public Health to distribute these supplies to health care facilities across the country.

Earlier this year, IDA Foundation was invited to participate in the video series ‘Phases of the Global Goals’ created by the UN Global Compact Netherlands. IDA is a participant of UN Global Compact since 2018 and since then we have been redefining and shaping our strategy and short- and long-term goals to better align with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).