WHAT
DRIVES US
WHAT DRIVES US.
Learning to care for a stoma can be a big adjustment, requiring access to quality ostomy supplies and medical care to ensure it stays healthy. In developing or war-torn countries, this challenge can quickly escalate to become an overwhelming hurdle due to a lack of, or unreliable access to, care and supplies. This can leave ostomates home-bound or shunned by family and community or resorting to haphazard solutions like tin cans or garbage bags.
MAKING AN IMPACT:
BY THE NUMBERS.
20,167
kgs of supplies delivered
$2.3 M
in donated ostomy supplies
5
countries received supplies
*5 year totals as of December 31st, 2023
GLOBAL PARTNERSHIPS.
Our ostomy supplies get into the hands of those who need it most thanks in large part to our strategic partnerships in three key countries: Ukraine, Iran, and Kenya. Collaborating hand-in-hand with these ostomy associations, we ensure that appropriate supplies are delivered to each location as part of the care each ostomate relies on up.
KENYA.
The Kenya Ostomy Association (KOA) currently serves about 280 members and provides critical support to at least ten ostomates daily. These ostomates live throughout Kenya, though most come to Nairobi for surgeries and/or access to specialists (when available). KOA also supports a limited number of ostomates throughout East Africa. The support the team can offer is extensive: beyond providing essential supplies, they offer psychosocial counseling, training, regular consultations, and peer support. Like partners around the world, they face challenges such as limited personnel and resources, making their work crucial for ostomates who otherwise lack access to affordable supplies and support.
IRAN.
The Iran Ostomy Association (IOA) currently is a team of about 19, including three well-trained ostomy nurses. They currently serve over 9,000 ostomates across the country but hope in time to expand their services so they can reach many more ostomates throughout Iran. IOA provides crucial support, training, wound healing assistance, and free supplies to ostomates nationwide, including Afghan refugees. Without IOA’s support, many ostomates would struggle to access affordable supplies, resorting to makeshift solutions like plastic bags. Their biggest challenges include bureaucratic hurdles and concerns about supply continuity, with poverty on the rise among the ostomate community due to economic volatility.
UKRAINE.
The Astom-Ilko Ostomy Association is a team of 5 who have over 20 years of experience in communicating with and supporting stoma patients. They work to provide several hundred members with humanitarian aid, consultations, and training on stoma care and supplies, and moral and psychological support. Since Russia’s invasion, access to supplies has become an even greater challenge and the ability to connect to ostomates has become extremely difficult, with ostomates being forced to move between cities or flee for safety. In such circumstances, Astom-Ilko’s work becomes more important than ever.
