For a decade, Kimberly-Clark and MedShare International have been forging a partnership to bring critically needed medical supplies to health facilities around the world, and K-C’s support is now committed through 2012.

Every year, thousands of patients in the economically developing world suffer from a lack of healthcare, and, in many areas, healthcare supplies. At the same time, hospitals in the United States discard millions of dollars worth of unused medical supplies. This is where MedShare plays a vital role.

MedShare recovers surplus medical equipment in the U.S. and sends it – via 40 foot shipping containers - to qualified healthcare facilities in emerging countries that have a critical need. The supplies are matched to the specific needs of each individual facility so that every container delivered holds only the supplies and equipment needed.

Kimberly-Clark plays a big role in making sure these critical supplies reach the doctors and patients who need them by funding the shipping costs of the supplies. Since K-C’s original grant to help launch MedShare in 1998, the company has funded the shipment of $6.2 million worth of supplies to more than 25 different hospitals in nine countries.

In October 2008, Kimberly-Clark committed to extend its support of MedShare through 2012, and over the next four years, Kimberly-Clark will donate $576,000 to fund the shipment of additional containers of medical supplies and equipment to K-C communities in Latin America.

K-C’s commitment to MedShare isn’t just financial. Kimberly-Clark employees have worked thousands of volunteer hours to help pack the shipping containers with life-saving equipment, and will continue giving their labor of love to the project.

To learn more about MedShare, please visit www.medshare.org.

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