IMPACT Foundation

IMPACT's vision is of a world free from needless disability. We believe that no one should become or remain needlessly disabled through disease, lack of knowledge or shortage of medical services. 15% of the world's population are disabled, 80% live in developing countries. Most were not born disabled and live with a condition which could have been prevented or could be treated. The IMPACT programme, across 11 countries of Africa and Asia, prevents and treats needless disability; improves health; and as a consequence, alleviates poverty. IMPACT's doctors, surgeons, midwives and healthworkers 'take the hospital to the people' through innovative means, such as the Lif... read more IMPACT's vision is of a world free from needless disability. We believe that no one should become or remain needlessly disabled through disease, lack of knowledge or shortage of medical services. 15% of the world's population are disabled, 80% live in developing countries. Most were not born disabled and live with a condition which could have been prevented or could be treated. The IMPACT programme, across 11 countries of Africa and Asia, prevents and treats needless disability; improves health; and as a consequence, alleviates poverty. IMPACT's doctors, surgeons, midwives and healthworkers 'take the hospital to the people' through innovative means, such as the Lifeline Express hospital train in India; the Jibon Tari floating hospital in Bangladesh; a tented operating theatre in Nepal; and a boat clinic in Cambodia. And mobile clinics in Cambodia, India, Kenya, Tanzania and Zanzibar take medical care to people who would otherwise have no place to turn in the event of ill health. Malnutrition, lack of clean water, sanitation and communicable diseases all exact a heavy toll in the developing world. IMPACT addresses this through straightforward schemes such as home gardens to ward off malnutrition; immunisation to protect against disease; medical and antenatal care to safeguard health; education to empower communities with skills and knowledge; and safe water and sanitation projects to avert the spread of illnesses which can cause disability and threaten lives. IMPACT projects are focussed on the following six priority areas: 1. Delivering MEDICAL CARE to impoverished communities via our hospitals, clinics and mobile units. 2. Making SURGERY accessible for people who need operations to restore their sight, hearing or mobility, or to repair cleft lip or obstetric fistula. 3. Safeguarding the health and lives of MOTHERS and BABIES during pregnancy, birth and throughout infanthood 4. HEALTH EDUCATION & TRAINING - Empowering communities to take action to improve their health, including training health workers and widening access to IMMUNISATION to protect against fatal and disabling diseases 5. Combatting MALNUTRITION which causes physical and mental impairment and compromises immunity 6. Improving access to SAFE WATER and SANITATION to stop the spread of disease