The Urban Health Institute, founded by the Premier's son Kevin Brown, is a California-based non-profit organisation aiming to provide direct care, medicine and medical equipment in response to natural and man-made disasters.

According to its website, it enlists pro bono participation from local health care professionals to provide public health education and information about the availability of health-related and special care resources within disadvantaged communities around the globe.

It hosts health education seminars, takes part in quarterly health fairs, buys medical supplies for underserved communities, secures medicines for communities in need, performs complete medical exams and distributes medication.

The website lists its successes as:

• encouraging youth to stay healthy through activities and exercising

• medical missions to Nigeria and Belize to provide medical supplies, medicines and health exams to local villages

• providing medical attention to New Orleans residents evacuated from Hurricane Katrina

• providing health services to tsunami victims in Thailand.