Amref Health Africa in Canada is a 1-star rated charity. The charity has persistently high fundraising costs leading to overhead spending outside Charity Intelligence’s reasonable range. For every dollar the charity raised in F2021, it cost Amref Canada $1.15. Before you give, read Charity Intelligence's report.

Founded in 1973, Amref Health Africa in Canada (Amref Canada) is an international aid charity that helps vulnerable communities access quality health care. The charity is the Canadian arm of Amref Health Africa Global, based in Nairobi, Kenya. Alongside government, charity, and community partners, Amref Canada operates projects to address critical health needs of its target communities. The charity prioritizes support for women, children, and adolescents. According to the charity, Africa accounts for 200,000 of the 289,000 women and teenage girls dying yearly of complications related to pregnancy or childbirth. Additionally, Amref Canada reports that every minute, a child dies from preventable waterborne disease.

To address these underlying health issues, Amref Canada and its partner offices implement initiatives to prevent, detect and treat diseases, and improve the overall health of the population.

In F2021, Amref Health Africa in Canada and its partner offices operated 195 projects across Africa. In collaboration with Global Affairs Canada, the charity conducted a covid-19 response program. The charity reports that in the first year of the project, it distributed 14,148 units of soap, 28,900 disposable face masks, and 490 infrared thermometers. Additionally, the charity trained 27,123 health workers in health facilities and local communities. The project reached a total of 1,491,748 people in Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, and Senegal. 

In partnership with Global Affairs Canada, Wateraid Canada, Children Believe, and the Centre for Global Child Health at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), Amref Canada completed its Canada-Africa initiative to address maternal, newborn and child mortality in 2020. The charity reports that it upgraded 44 health facilities, including building new maternity wards and labour rooms. The project reached 3,316,154 in 20 communities in Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, and Tanzania.

Amref Canada is a small charity in terms of donations. The charity received $936k in donations in F2021. It also received $518k from its parent organization Amref Health Africa in F2021. Amref Canada received $2.8m in government funding (64% of revenues) during the year. Administrative costs are 7% of revenues (less investment income), and fundraising costs are 115% of donations, up from 74% in F2019. The charity spent $1.1m on fundraising to raise $936k in donations. The charity does not report why these costs increased so significantly. Amref Canada’s total overhead spending has fallen outside Ci’s reasonable range for the past three years.

Amref Health Africa in Canada has funding reserves of $3.4m, which can cover its annual program costs for eight months.   

As a part of its collaborative partnership agreement with Global Affairs Canada, Amref Canada disbursed $212k to Children Believe in F2021. 

Amref Canada reports that it paid external fundraisers $726k in F2021 to raise $641k in F2021. This means that it cost the charity $1.13 for every $1 raised through external fundraisers. This may be an error in the charity’s T3010 filing with the Charities Directorate.

Charity Intelligence has sent this new charity profile to Amref Health Africa in Canada for review. Changes and edits may be forthcoming.

Updated August 19, 2022 by Ann Lei.