Armenian Medical Fund USA

Preventing TB in Armenia and the Middle East

Armenian Medical Fund, USA (AMF, USA) is a non-for-profit, non-sectarian, philanthropic organization established in New York State in 1953 with the sole purpose of aiding destitute Tuberculosis (TB) institutions in Armenia and the Middle East.

TB is an infectious disease that usually attacks the lungs, but can attack almost any organs of the body. It is spread through the air, from person to person, when infected people cough, laugh, sneeze, sing, or even talk. TB is a major health issue in Armenia due to malnutrition and poor hygiene. Last year, there were 2000 new reported cases.

The government of Armenia has done its utmost to contain and prevent TB infections and with its limited resources maintains hospitals and dispensaries and provides medication to all. AMF has complemented these efforts by providing aid to the TB centers in Armenia and Nogorno Karabagh. Currently, there is one major TB hospital in each of the Marzes (Regions) in Armenia and a total of 70 ambulatory cabinets in the surrounding villages.

Our Mission

To help the efforts of all Armenian institutions, organizations and individuals that treat, suppress, prevent the spread, research and educate the public about Tuberculosis and thoracic diseases.

OUR OBJECTIVES ARE:

  • To raise consciousness in the Armenian Communities in the United States of America and abroad about the seriousness and health hazards of Tuberculosis and other thoracic diseases through ads, publications, lectures and other means.
  • To seek and raise funding through voluntary contributions of money, property, or otherwise for support the efforts of Armenian institutions (hospitals, research centers, dispensaries) in treating patients inflicted with Tuberculosis and other thoracic diseases.
  • To supply medicine, medical equipments and nutrition to all institutions that house and treat Tuberculosis and other thoracic disease patients.
  • To help Armenian hospitals that treat infants and children inflicted with Tuberculosis and other thoracic diseases.
  • To aid needy Armenian patients inflicted with Tuberculosis and other thoracic diseases and attempt to place them in institutions for treatment and cure.
  • To help Armenian health professionals (medical doctors and nurses) to be trained in the United States or any other appropriate professional medical institution for the latest scientific developments in the treatment and combating Tuberculosis and other thoracic diseases.
  • To plan and execute joint ventures with other non-for-profit organizations, institutions and professionals with similar interests.

POLICIES FOR SUPPLYING AID TO ARMENIA

The question as how do we choose a project in Armenia pops up quite often. Obviously a small organization like ours, cannot attend to all the TB-related needs of Armenia. So, a careful study is normally conducted. The first step is to span the country’s TB dispensaries or hospitals, study the population served, find out about the needs, determine what the government has planned to do for the dispensary, the time scale of that, the immediacy of the need. The possibilities of accomplishing the task. A list is compiled of tall the areas, the hospitals and the needs. Then come the scrutiny of prioritizing the need and determining the importance of that specific site to the entire needs of the nation. These issues are discussed with the Ministry of Heath TB-Division and a decision is made. The second part of the program is to have an estimate. Upon deciding on the project to be done, a national open — is announces, where vendors or contractors send in their estimates. The third part is the payment. We normally ask for a schedule of payment based on the phases of accomplishment of the task. Thus the payments are made according to a schedule after our inspectors approve the accomplishment of the task. We can report confidently that all of our projects have been met with 100% success.