History

CLAN (Caring & Living As Neighbours) is an Australian-based, non-governmental, charitable organisation, dedicated to the dream that all children living with chronic medical conditions in resource-poor countries of the world will enjoy a quality of life on par with that of their neighbours’ children in wealthier countries.

Whilst the United Nations' Convention on the Rights of the Child (articles 4, 6, 23 and 24) clearly states that all children with special health requirements have a right to the care needed to enable them to live the healthiest and most fulfilling life possible, the sad reality is that in resource-poor countries any child with any chronic medical condition (that is, a health condition which lasts more than 6 months) is immediately susceptible to entirely preventable suffering, disability and death.
Founded in 2004, CLAN's work began by helping children living with Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia (CAH) in Vietnam through a simple framework for action:

1. Affordable access to medication
2. Education (of individuals, families, communities, health professionals, policy makers and the international community)
3. Optimisation of medical management (including primary prevention, screening, early diagnosis, secondary and tertiary prevention)
4. Encouragement of family support networks
5. Reducing financial burdens on families that result in poverty, helping people to become financially independent so that they can provide the necessary health care for their children longer-term.

Early successes in Vietnam led to requests for assistance from health professionals and families to help children with CAH in the Philippines (2005), Indonesia (2006) and later Pakistan (2007). CLAN’s five pillars have also now been successfully transferred to help children living with Diabetes and Autism, with requests to consider Down syndrome and Chronic Kidney Disease in the future.

Message from President

CLAN identifies groups of children who are living with the same chronic medical conditions as belonging to the same community. Identification of these non-geographically based communities enables CLAN and other partners to work together with individuals and families living day-to-day with chronic medical conditions, to determine the most appropriate action for change. CLAN is committed to the principles of community development and comprehensive primary health care. Long-term, sustainable solutions can only be achieved through collaborative, multi-sectoral efforts to effect change for the children. Partnerships with like-minded organisations and individuals are therefore essential.

CLAN recognises the necessity of healthy public policy and involvement of health ministers and other government departments in determining the most appropriate ways to help children and their families, so that essential health needs and the broader social determinants of health are met. Working together, it is possible to effect change on a global scale for children with chronic medical conditions. And it is vital that we all strive for this, because the children and families themselves are virtually powerless to effect change without the help of their friends and neighbours.

It is an absolute honour and privilege for CLAN to collaborate with the Atfaal Welfare Society. Through personal introductions and communications, CLAN came to hear about the extraordinarily difficult situations facing children living with CAH and Diabetes in Pakistan, and we were very keen to collaborate with the wonderful staff of NICH to effect change. Sincere thanks must go to Prof Jamal Raza, Dr Yasir Khan and the Atfaal Welfare Society for allowing CLAN to work in partnership with them to help the children.

Members

Accomplishments

We welcome people to visit CLAN’s web-site (www.whatisclan.org), and read through our Annual Reports and other formal documents.

The main point to note is that CLAN achieves nothing in isolation. Each and every positive outcome for the children is a direct result of our partnerships with others, and we will likewise experience no achievements in Pakistan except through the amazing efforts of Prof Raza, Dr Yasir, the families and amazing partners working alongside them.

Thank-you to everyone who cares enough for the children to move beyond interest to commitment.

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