The Cuba Partnership Resource Manual
The Alliance with Inter Church Medical Assistance- World Health
Last Updated (Wednesday, 23 February 2011 21:44) Written by John Walter Wednesday, 23 February 2011 21:39
(IMA-WH) in New Windsor, Maryland. We purchase donated OTC medicines from IMA-WH at a
steeply discounted rate. This is possible because Baltimore Presbytery holds a Department of Commerce
Export License for Cuba, and can apply for IMA’s discounted medicines.
To take part in this program you only need to email me (John Walter) at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
I am the institutional contact for the Department of Commerce and can approve any Baltimore Presbytery
church using the Presbytery’s license.
A brief history of the program:
We began this program as a response to my extended stay in Cuba in 2005. During that time I visited
many of El Centro’s and other Presbyterian Churches and deduced through many conversations and
experiences that even our modest help in hand carrying medicines would improve the quality of life
for the Cuban communities. My long term goal was to set up four distribution points in El Centro.
As of this printing we have only two. In 2006 I presented this concept to the Cuba Partners Network
during a Worldwide Ministries Conference in Louisville. Many seemed interested but were unwilling
to apply for the license as it seemed unnecessary; but they were purchasing OTC meds at Walmart and
not below wholesale rates as the case is with IMA-WH.
Update February 23, 2011:
As a consequence of the January 2011 Inter-Presbytery Conference two other Baltimore Presbytery
Churches have committed to joining the partnership. It is hoped that they will do so, and if they
do it will effectively double our number to four churches.
Assuming that we visit twice a year and carry one med-box on each trip, that brings us to a total of
eight boxes / year, a quantity that will allow us to saturate El Centro Presbytery’s churches and local
communities with sufficient vitamins, anti-biotic, aspirin, Tylenol, and other essential OTC meds
for a period of one year.
IMA-WH states that one box is sufficient for 1,000 people for three months. Eight boxes would then
be enough for 2,000 people for a year. We’ll keep working on it; meanwhile remember that Woodbury PC in New Jersey is an partner in this goal; they are taking from three to four boxes annually.