More information 
The World Response Medicine Box Program is an initiative to get essential medicines to people who can't afford them. Healthcare for many people means a visit to a small local clinic or pharmacy, or an even more modest facility, where medicines are scarce at best, what is available is most likely out of date and basic supplies like bandages or syringes are often simply non-existent.
The World Response Medicine Box Program was set up to help these resource strapped facilities, by providing them with basic essential supplies.
Working in partnership with local non-profits and international agencies with established local offices, World Response works to distribute essential medicines and supplies on a regular and continuous basis to these challenged facilities and their patients.
Background 
It is shocking to realise that there are billions of people on the planet today who don't have access to any modern healthcare. In those places where some services are available, people often can't afford them and so are forced to go without anyway.
There are thousands of small clinics and community healthcare facilities all over the world, often located in obscure rural locations or forgotten neighbourhoods of sprawling developing cities. |
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Many serve as the primary or sole medical facility for that community. The vast majority have no money or medicines and have little hope of finding either. While local health care providers do what they can, without even the most basic medicines available, there is often nothing they can do to treat the patients in their care.
Simple conditions that we consider an inconvenience rather than a disease, like diarrhoea for example, kills 1,800,000 (1.8 million) people a year, almost 5000 a day, of which 90% are children under five. (source WHO, UNICEF) It's particularly shocking when you realise just how easily these conditions could be treated with basic medicines.
Small and remote healthcare facilities are often the only hope of medical help for millions and millions of people, but sadly most of these facilities are so poorly funded they usually have few, if any supplies.
Getting basic, essential medicines to these facilities and their patients is an absolute priority, and is at the heart of the Medicine Box Program.
Where and how does the program work?
The World Response Medicine Box Program works in partnership with local non-profits and international agencies with established local offices, to distribute medicine boxes on a regular and continuous basis.
Clinics that request help are usually assessed and identified through our local non-profit partners and receive Medicine Boxes through that local no-profit. In return the clinic provides basic patient information to World Response on a regular basis, which in turn enables us to assess the program and share results with our supporters and donors.
Medicine Boxes are paid for by World Response, donors and program supporters. Donations are usually made directly to the dedicated Medicine Box Account at the World Response bank. (please see the donations page for details)
Currently we support clinics in Zambia, Swaziland, Malawi, Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, Burundi and Nepal. Collectively this represents about 24 locations and over 300,000 people a year who rely on medicines we provide. The average clinic treats somewhere between 250 to 400 people, a week, so the intention is to provide at least one box every quarter to every facility we support.
What's in a Medicine Box?
A Medicine Box contains a range of basic medicines and supplies to deal with a high percentage of common conditions, for approximately 1,000 adults and children for about two months.
Each box contains only brand new medicines, selected by pharmacists and doctors in the field, who made their selection based on their own field experience and the World Health Organization's Essential Medicines list.
The New Childrens Medicine Box contains medication in
dosages and solutions specifically manufactured for
children up to the age of 12 years.
Adult Medicine Box contains:
Gauze Compress 10 x 10 cm, 8 Ply Non-Sterile (24x20 Mesh) |
Zinc Oxide Adhesive Tape 2.5cm x 5m. |
W.O.W. Gauze Bandage 7.5cm x 4.5 m (24 x 20 Mesh) |
Neomycin Sulphate 0.5%+Bacitracin 500iu/g ointment
For the treatment of skin infections |
Ibuprofen Tablets 200mg, Sugar Coated
Pain reliever |
Ferrous Sulphate 200mg + Folic Acid 0.25mg.
For the treatment of iron deficiency |
Mulitvitamin BPC formula
Vitamin/mineral supplements |
Amoxycillin 250mg
Antibiotic |
Paracetamol 500mg Tablets
Pain and fever reliever |
Magnesium Trisilicate compound
Dried Aluminimum hydroxide gel bp:120mg , Magnesium Trisilicate bp, Tablets,.
For treatment of upset stomach and heart burn |
Mebendazole 500mg peppermint flavour
For intestinal worm infection |
Co-Trimoxazole 400mg/ 80mg Tablets
Antibacterial |
Doxycycline 100mg Tablets,.
Antibiotic |
Benzyl Benzoate 25% application
For treatment of scabies and lice |
ORS (oral rehydration salts) 20.5g.
Glucose anahydrous cac 1979 13.5g, sodium chloride bp2000 2.6g, trisodium citrate dehydrate bp 2.9g, potassium chloride bp 2000 1.5g
WHO formulation to combat dehydration |
Chlorpheniramine Maleate Tablets 4mg
Anti-histamine |
Metronidazole 250mg Tablets
Anti-infective, anti-protozoal |
Povidone Iodine 10% W/V solution
Antiseptic |
Clotrimazole 1% cream, 20g .
Anti-fungal cream |
Tetracycline Eye Ointment 1%.
For treatment of eye infections |
Children's Medicine Box contains:
Gauze Compress 7.5 x 7.5 cm, 8 Ply Non-Sterile (24 x 20 Mesh) |
Zinc Oxide Adhesive Tape 2.5cm x 45m. |
W.O.W. Gauze Bandage 7.5cm x 4.5 m (24 x 20 Mesh) |
Multivitamin BPC formula
Vitamin/Mineral Supplements |
Oral Rehydration Salts 20.5g
Glucose Anhydrous cac 1979:13.5g
Sodium chloride bp2000:2.6g
Trisodium citrate dehydrate bp:2.9g
Potassium chloride bp2000:1.5g
To combat dehydration |
Mebendazole 100mg peppermint flavoured
Intestinal worm infection |
Co-trimoxazole 240mg/5ml dry suspension/syrup 100ml
Antibacterial |
Benzyl benzoate 25% application
For treatment of scabies and lice |
Paracetamol 100mg
Pain & Fever Relief Relief |
Povidone Iodine 10% solution
Antiseptic |
Amoxycillin 250mg/5ml dry suspension/syrup 100ml
Antibiotic |
Metronidazole 125mg/5ml dry suspension/syrup 100ml
Anti infective, Anti protozoal |
Chloramphenicol 5% eardrops 10 ml
Ear Infections |
How Can I help?
We would love the number of patients we support to grow, but of course the success of the program depends entirely on the support and contributions from people and organisations able to buy Medicine Boxes for us to distribute.
If you would like to help, please click onto the donations page to see how you can contribute towards the purchase a medicine box. One World Response Medicine Box provides essential medicines for approximately 1,000 adults and children for about two months. Each box costs $385/£225/€330*. A children's medicine box costs $297/£152/€230*.
Click here to view our Corporate Sponsors.
* subject to exchange
rate fluctuations |
