A three year partnership between Emergency UK and the Randal Charitable Foundation is working to save tens of thousands of lives through healthcare projects in Afghanistan, Sierra Leone and Uganda.

The Randal Foundation has committed £500,000 in the first year, with around €1.8 million (£1.56m) pledged over three years. The funding supports medical supplies, equipment and pharmacy costs at Emergency’s hospitals and clinics.

Six months into the partnership, the organisations said they are on track to save 28,000 lives and improve over 65,000 lives in the first year alone.

British Asian philanthropist Dr Nik Kotecha OBE DL, who founded the Randal Foundation, has set a goal of saving one million lives. He will also take on a role promoting Emergency UK’s work.

Dr Kotecha said: “We’re delighted to be working closely with Emergency UK once again, delivering together on our mission to directly save and significantly improve more than a million lives in the UK and globally.” 

In Afghanistan, the funding supports Emergency’s network of facilities including surgical centres in Kabul and Lashkar-Gah, plus maternity, children’s and surgical centres in the Panjshir Valley. The charity also runs first aid posts and primary healthcare centres across the country.

Emergency has worked in Afghanistan since 1999 and more than 95% of its staff there are Afghan. The facilities provide care during what officials call one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.

In Sierra Leone, funding goes to the surgical centre in Goderich, near the capital Freetown. The hospital handles surgery and trauma cases for the whole country and has performed over 70,000 operations since opening in 2001.

The Uganda project supports the Children’s Surgical Hospital in Entebbe, which provides surgery for children from Uganda and neighbouring countries.

Rossella Miccio, president of Emergency UK, said: “We are incredibly grateful to the Randal Foundation, Dr Kotecha and all the trustees for this strategic partnership which is helping to make a significant impact that lasts for the long-term.”

She added that the multi-year funding was crucial for saving lives and building local healthcare capacity.

David Lloyd Webber, managing director of Emergency UK, said the partnership “marks a watershed moment for EMERGENCY UK” and would help reach new audiences across Britain.

The partnership focuses on facilities where care is provided free of charge. In Afghanistan, this includes the Anabah Maternity Centre, which serves a country with some of the world’s highest rates of infant and maternal deaths.