IMA Receives Grant

Rick Santos, IMA World Health President and CEO, has announced that IMA was selected to receive a $750,000 grant from the Dohmen Company Foundation of Milwaukee, WI. This follows a $250,000 grant from the Foundation in the previous fiscal year, bringing Dohmen’s total contributions to $1 million. Dohmen Company CEO, Cynthia (Dohmen) LaConte says her company’s charitable foundation began partnering with IMA World Health (IMA) because of the common vision of both organizations to connect people in need with lifesaving healthcare products and services.

On January 12, Santos was about to step into a meeting in the lobby of Haiti’s Montana Hotel with team members Dr. Sarla Chand, Vice President of International Programs, and Ann Varghese, NTD Program Officer, when the earthquake hit, trapping them under mounds of cement. After 55 hours of being trapped under the rubble, all three were rescued. Despite this dramatic setback, IMA World Health immediately began efforts to provide relief to the people of Haiti after the earthquake. In the days following, IMA provided 140 IMA Medicine Boxes®, typically enough to provide for the basic medical needs of 1,000 people per box. IMA also quickly resumed work on disease control efforts and began exploring with Haiti’s Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education and other organizations how best to expand primary health care delivery following the devastation of January 12th.

LaConte said, “We are proud to be able to assist an organization with such fierce determination and commitment to providing necessary healthcare to those most in need. IMA has been working to eradicate disease amongst the poorest residents of Haiti for years, yet it’s truly remarkable that they were able to find the courage to spring back into action and resume operations so quickly after such a harrowing experience.“

Santos says the Dohmen Foundation gift will be used to strengthen those in need of healthcare in Haiti and beyond. “We are deeply thankful to the Dohmen Foundation and to the people of the Dohmen Companies. We look forward to continuing our work with Dohmen to improve the health of people in need, in Haiti and around the world.”

Founded in 1960, IMA is celebrating its 50th anniversary. Starting as a small, narrowly-focused medicine procurement organization, IMA has become a leading force in advancing health programs and saving lives in the developing world. In addition to providing medicines and medical supplies, IMA programs now include targeted disease control, training health care providers, building the capacity of their partners, and strengthening health systems. IMA has had an office in Haiti since 2000, and leads a USAID-funded major national effort to eliminate two neglected tropical diseases (NTDs).