HEALTHYKIDS INTERNATIONAL (HKI), an initiative of The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), is an investment in the future health of children around the world. It is steeped in the belief that children need home-grown medical practitioners who understand their countries’ social and cultural contexts. Its vision: Healthier Children. A Better World™. It is well known that in many developing countries, basic healthcare needs are not being met. Additionally, many conditions and diseases that are being addressed in industrial nations are impossible to treat in these same countries, due to lack of infrastructure. When the most basic of health care cannot be provided, advanced medical knowledge required to treat more complex diseases or disorders is often a secondary consideration. As a result, the health status of all individuals becomes compromised, but perhaps most affected are children.

To achieve our vision, HealthyKids International has developed programs to address the global shortage of trained pediatric medical personnel. Our aim is to build long-term strategic partnerships, create comprehensive training systems, develop educational models and encourage global knowledge sharing.

FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM
The Fellowship Program offers training to leading pediatricians from developing countries, comprising of an intensive medical and leadership program at Toronto’s world-renowned Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), and four years of support when they return home. Since June 2008, the program has welcomed five Indian Fellows, and one from both Guyana and Rwanda. This year, we are expecting three additional Fellows from Rwanda, Kenya and Sudan. Leaders in health care in their own countries, these doctors are gaining more in-depth understanding about disease, the skills to work with modern technologies and new expertise in diagnostics, research techniques and patient management. The Fellows will then take these proficiencies back and use them to develop sustainable healthcare strategies in their home communities.

GLOBAL CHILD HEALTH PROGRAM (GCHP)
Lead by the Office of International Affairs at SickKids, the GCHP is a collection of international outreach activities that will give the selected countries the support to implement systemic changes in their healthcare delivery models. The GCHP aims to improve the pediatric care delivered in these countries by focusing on developing and training key healthcare workers, improving opportunities for health leaders and institutions to share knowledge and creating healthcare delivery systems that reach out to some of the most underserved communities worldwide.

The Children’s Aid Foundation is a national organization committed to improving the lives of abused, neglected and at-risk children and youth through prevention, enrichment and education programs. Over the last thirty years, the Children’s Aid Foundation has raised over $100 million and touched the lives of more than a million children and youth. But their work isn’t finished. There are more than 300,000 children and youth abused and neglected each year in Canada. The Foundation works with child welfare organizations across the country to deliver innovative programs that support three critical areas: prevention, enrichment & education.

Prevention programs help to break the cycle of abuse and neglect by providing support to high-risk families before the cycle can be replicated.

Enrichment programs provide recreational and cultural opportunities so that disadvantaged children and youth can experience healthy development.

Education programs give children a chance to pursue their dreams and get on track to build productive and successful lives for themselves.

Founded in 1982 by Xiomara Menendez and Oscar de la Renta, Casa del Niño (Hogar del Niño) was created to help the impoverished children of La Romana in the Dominican Republic and its surrounding communities. Today the organization cares for over 1,500 children, from newborns to young adults.

Each day at Casa del Niño, not only is every child fed and cared for, but full dental and medical care is given, in addition to school and vocational training for the age appropriate - all in hope of a better tomorrow for the youth of the community.

As the most complete project of child assistance in the Dominican Republic, Casa del Niño is considered to be a model in efficiency and quality care.