Mission Statements

and related background information

for

Health Aid UK and Health Aid Romania




Health Aid UK

Mission statement:
Health Aid UK supports disadvantaged children with timely practical assistance to the children themselves and transfer of know-how and aid to the adults responsible for their care, particularly nursing and medical staff.

Background
Established in 1986, Health Aid UK originally focussed on helping children and the adults who care for them in countries ravaged by famine sickness and war. Projects were carried out in Ethiopia, Kurdistan, Uganda and Rwanda.

Health Aid UK first started working in Romania in 1990, responding to an urgent need for international assistance to help the institutionalised children. This was originally intended to be a short-term project (five years), to provide timely practical assistance for the children and to transfer know-how and aid to the adults responsible for their care. It was during this five years that the tragic and unique circumstances of the Romanian children came to light...

More than half of all the European
children who are HIV positive are from Romania.


Most of these children were born between 1987 and 1991. Many of the children had been abandoned or institutionalised. It was at this point that Health Aid UK took the decision to help to establish a permanent Romanian sister organisation, with the aim of improving the quality of life of these children.

In response to this unique situation, Health Aid UK developed a totally new concept of caring for children - TLC (tender loving care) in small family-type homes. This concept - and Health Aid now runs six homes of this type in Romania - has became a model of care abandoned children and has been evaluated and appreciated by UNICEF, the Romanian Government, The Council of Europe and other national and international bodies as a very successful method of integration.

The Romanian projects are continuing, in collaboration with our sister organisation, Health Aid Romania.



Health Aid Romania

Mission statement:
Tender loving care for all disadvantaged children - particularly children with HIV and AIDS.

Background
Established in 1996, Health Aid Romania is continuing the Health Aid UK's programmes in Romania and develops its own projects to benefit the HIV+ abandoned children.

Health Aid Romania is a member of the Romanian Forum for HIV/AIDS infected persons and has a continuous collaboration with national and international bodies, both governmental and non-governmental.

The main services provided by Health Air Romania are: Health Aid Romania also campaigns for legislative changes to meet the needs and interests of vulnerable children