Canadian Health, Immunization and Learning Development Foundation

The Canadian Health, Immunization and Learning Development Foundation (CHILD Foundation), registered under the business number 833807803RR0001, is a Canadian nonprofit organization dedicated to improving health outcomes for underprivileged women and children, primarily in rural India. Operating out of Calgary, Alberta, the foundation focuses on reducing mortality rates through health care services, immunization, and education.

Mission and Activities

The foundation’s core mission is to reduce the mortality rate among underprivileged women and children in rural India by providing accessible basic health care and health education in a professional, effective, and culturally sensitive manner. It achieves this by operating a charitable hospital and organizing health-related community initiatives.

CHILD Foundation operates a 20-bed charitable hospital located in Sarurpur Kalan, a remote village in northern India’s Uttar Pradesh state, about 50 km north of New Delhi. The hospital was established to address critical gaps in health services in the region, where previously women faced extremely high risks during childbirth, and child mortality rates were alarmingly high. Before the hospital's opening in 2011, women in the community were forty times more likely to die in childbirth than women in Canada, and one in eleven children died before the age of five.

Annual fundraising events, such as the “Maya’s Dream” campaign, provide the financial support necessary to operate the hospital and sustain its health programs. The foundation is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors who oversee its strategic and operational decisions[1][2].

Historical Background

The foundation’s hospital project was inspired by Mrs. Maya Devi, a resident of Sarurpur Kalan, who envisioned a local health care facility to alleviate the long, difficult, and costly journeys that women had to undertake to receive medical care. The establishment of the Maya Devi hospital fulfilled this vision, significantly improving health care access and outcomes for the local population[2].

Governance

Decisions and governance of the organization are managed by a volunteer Board of Directors, emphasizing community involvement and transparency in its charitable mandate[2].

Context in Canadian Immunization and Health Education

While CHILD Foundation’s primary activities are focused internationally, its emphasis on immunization and health education aligns with broader Canadian public health strategies that emphasize vaccine access, education, and equity. Canada’s public health infrastructure supports immunization through comprehensive guidelines and professional education, which underpin global efforts to reduce preventable disease mortality[3][4][5].

This foundation represents a model of Canadian charitable engagement addressing global health disparities by combining medical service delivery with community education and empowerment, strongly embodying principles of professional and culturally sensitive health care development.