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medicine for the world Our mission: To provide medicines and health supplies to those in need around the world so they might experience life to the fullest.

Winter 2022 | Volume 55

Your help means we’ll help even more in

2 22 Let’s bring lifesaving medicines and health supplies to a world in need! As we begin 2022, MAP International has a plan to expand our global reach through critical programs to more countries than ever before. In this newsletter, we highlight several of those key initiatives along with firsthand accounts from health providers and beneficiaries so you may read, in their

INSIDE: Bringing Children Health Program Maternal and Child Health Program Chronic Disease Program

own words, how your generosity touches — and in many cases — saves lives. With your help and God’s grace, this year MAP will bring more health and hope in Jesus’ name to those who would otherwise be forgotten.

Malnutrition and ORS Program Medical Mission Program

FOCUS: BRINGING CHILDREN HEALTH PROGRAM In 2022, MAP is expanding the program to provide more than 115,000 lifesaving pediatric antibiotic treatments to children in 32 African countries.

FOCUS: MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH PROGRAM Many women in the developing world don’t have access to prenatal vitamins or nutritional foods for themselves and their babies. Anemia and malnutrition in pregnancy increase the risks of birth complications for mothers and their children as well as impacting cognitive and physical development for infants.

Roselina and her husband, José, have a 4-month-old little girl, Elaysha, in a rural town in the Dominican Republic. They have limited income as José is selfemployed, and Roselina currently stays home to care for their child. So when Elaysha began running a fever and having discharge from her right ear, her parents traveled the 12 miles to the Order of Malta Clinic, run by Food For The Poor, hoping to find help. After a thorough evaluation, the baby was diagnosed with an ear infection and was prescribed pediatric antibiotics. Ordinarily, this would have caused great financial stress on Roselina and José, but because MAP International had donated the medicines, the parents received Elaysha’s antibiotics free of charge. “May God bless everyone in a special way for everything you do for us,” Roselina said.

With 661 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births, Liberia has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world. Most Liberian women will try to give birth at home, which often results in complications – or death – for too many mothers. For those that survive, malnutrition is yet another barrier to living life to the fullest. MAP International recently partnered with Hope and Care for Children (HCC) to provide prenatal vitamins for expectant and nursing mothers in Liberia. Women are now coming from far away to deliver their babies at the clinic and are beginning to pre-register ahead of time, giving the staff the opportunity to give pregnant women these muchneeded prenatal vitamins before they deliver their babies. The clinic staff recalls a Liberian woman who was in labor but didn’t quite make it to the clinic in time – she ended up giving birth to her baby on the side of the road! When the HCC staff heard, they quickly drove out to her location and brought both mom and baby back to the clinic for care. The mother was given vitamins from MAP and some clothes for her newborn.

FOCUS: CHRONIC DISEASE PROGRAM Chronic diseases — like high blood pressure, diabetes, asthma and cardiovascular disease to name just a few — are some of the leading causes of death and disability worldwide. In 2022, MAP’s Chronic Disease Program will broaden the program’s reach, including expanding to 35 clinics across the United States. When Dr. Susan Beebout took her first MAP medicine box with her on a short-term mission trip to Malawi in 2000, she didn’t know God would use her — and MAP medicines again — to make a difference in the lives of so many in Niger.

common for a patient to spend $30 at a pharmacy just to purchase a single blood pressure medication. Thankfully, thanks to MAP supporters, Aissa is receiving her medicines. “MAP’s medications have heavily contributed to our ability to provide high-quality, low-cost patient care in a sustainable way,” says Dr. Beebout. Now Aissa has a medical “home” where she is cared for by staff that she trusts, and where she has access to the medicines she needs to live and thrive.

Dr. Beebout leads the medical mission team that runs Clinique Olivia in the capital, Niamey. One of the patients that Susan has followed for years is 67-yearold Aissa, who suffers from high blood pressure and diabetes. In a country where the average daily income is less than $2 a day, Aissa was just one of many in Niger who are unable to treat their chronic diseases. Aissa tried getting treatment at several private clinics at first, but the cost of the medicines she needed was too high, and she simply couldn’t afford to take care of herself. Dr. Beebout explains that it is quite

FOCUS: MEDICAL MISSION PROGRAM MAP’s Medical Mission Program works to equip medical students, church teams, hospitals, non-profits, and other health organizations to address medical needs in some of the world’s hardest-to-reach places. In 2022, this program aims to provide more than 1,000 medical mission packs and support medical missions in more than 30 countries.

for the service that she provides, her patients would have to drive nearly 50 miles to reach the nearest hospital, and once they got there, they would be required to pay before getting care. If one were lucky enough to have the money to pay for such care, Dr. Obioha says you can’t always trust that the medicines you would purchase would even be genuine. “Most people don’t take medicines at all,” she says.

Dr. Nkiruka Obioha and her husband both grew up in Nigeria. Now, they live in Maryland, where she works as a physician and he in finance. When Dr. Obioha learned of the growing healthcare needs of Nigerians, she and her husband traveled to her husband’s hometown, Arondizuogu, to offer a yearly health fair and to facilitate sustainable medical care for that community, partnering with some local Nigerian nurses

to offer health screenings. The most common conditions that she treats are high blood pressure, diabetes, and arthritis. For the people living in Arondizuogu, when it comes to healthcare, “this is all they have,” explains Dr. Obioha. If it weren’t

MAP’s high quality medicines are a godsend to her. “The impact is a lot. It does a lot for these people. This is their only source of medication.” She hopes to eventually be able to build a small local health clinic in Arondizuogu, but until then, she will continue to serve her Nigerian brothers and sisters with the support of MAP, says Dr. Obioha.

FOCUS: MALNUTRITION AND ORAL REHYDRATION SOLUTION PROGRAM Malnutrition claims the lives of 3.1 million children each year. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) estimates that hunger and malnutrition contribute to more than half of all global child deaths. In 2022, MAP is focusing on improving health outcomes for vulnerable children by expanding the provision of Oral Rehydration Salts and essential vitamins in 27 countries. Alicia Marseille is just four years old. When she started complaining of stomach pains and losing weight, her mother was alarmed. In rural Haiti, where Alicia lives with her family, medical care is a luxury most cannot afford. But Alicia’s mother was determined to get her help. When she was examined at a clinic run by a MAP partner, Alicia was diagnosed with symptoms of malnutrition. But thanks to MAP donated medicines, the clinic was able to provide Alicia with critically needed supplements to treat her malnutrition, as well as an antibiotic to treat a secondary infection. Her mother is very poor and would have never been able to afford the medication her daughter was given and is thankful that Alicia is doing so well that she will be able to return to school. She wants to thank the kind people who sent this medicine, and she prays for you, and thanks God for you!

4 Ways You Can Help Save More Lives in 2022! As we embark upon the new year, there are still so many sick and suffering people for whom we can provide health and hope. And we also know that many of MAP’s supporters want to help, but may not know where to begin. More and more of our supporters are choosing these financially-conscious gifts to start off the year on a note of generosity and faith:

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Join the MAP 365 Monthly Giving Program. It’s convenient, easy to sign up, and even better, your monthly gift will support MAP’s mission 365 days of the year. Visit map.org/map365 Give the gift of stock. A stock gift helps you save on capital gains and income tax, and has been made simple through this easy online stock giving platform. Visit the ‘Ways to Give’ page at map.org.

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If you are 70.5 or older, donate from your IRA. An IRA gift can potentially reduce your taxable income, and if you must fulfill a Required Minimum Distribution, your donation is a compassionate way to reach your minimum. Visit the ‘Ways to Give’ page at map.org. Give through your will. Planning a gift in your will costs nothing today, and ensures that your legacy will support those who would otherwise be forgotten tomorrow. Visit the ‘Ways to Give’ page at map.org.

Because of you.

Today, smiles are chasing away tears for so many in forgotten places who now have health and hope because of your unwavering generosity. We dedicate our Winter 2022 Newsletter to our faithful supporters who make it possible for MAP International to carry out our calling to provide lifesaving medicines and health supplies for a world in desperate need. We hope you’ve been encouraged by what you’ve read. Please know, a gift in any amount will help ensure we have even more inspiring stories of redemption to share.

Give today!