As the war continues, Direct Relief is approaching the response along two parallel tracks – support for those experiencing the conflict in Ukraine, and for those fleeing Ukraine to neighboring countries.

Financial Summary

The information included in this report by necessity includes unaudited figures because the organization’s formal audit coincides with its fiscal year, which is from July 1 to June 30. Audited figures for this period will be included when that audit and report are completed.

Numbers are as of May 24, 2022

Who donated to the response?

In response to the crisis, Direct Relief received 117,611 Ukraine-designated financial contributions from 91,822 donors totaling $79,624,504 from individuals, foundations, businesses, and organizations located in 79 countries (including Ukraine, the Russian Federation, and Belarus as well as all U.S. states and territories).

Note that the number of donors is vastly under-reported, as donations were aggregated by several sources and given in one lump sum (e.g. millions of individuals who play Fortnite contributed to these efforts through in-game purchases and subscriptions, and these were aggregated and donated to Direct Relief by Epic Games).
 

Of the total amount of Ukraine-designated contributions —

• $34,028,384 was contributed by 91,335 individuals,
• $40,720,976 was contributed by 239 businesses,
• $4,484,114 was contributed by 155 foundations, and
• $391,030 was contributed by 93 other organizations.

How were the funds used?

Of the total Ukraine-designated cash contributions received to date, Direct Relief has expended or committed $21.1 million to improve the health and lives of people affected by the war.

This includes:

• $2.4 million on transportation (paid and pending)
• $14.7 million on financial assistance to organizations supporting Ukrainians and Ukrainian refugees
• $2.4 million on procurement of oxygen concentrators, emergency medic packs, and other supplies
• $1.6 million on emergency personnel costs and other organizational response management expenses

Consistent with Direct Relief’s Donation Policy, 100 percent of funds received for specific emergency events are devoted entirely to those events and none of the funds donated for Ukraine have been used for fundraising.

(As explained here, all Direct Relief's fundraising expenses are paid by the Direct Relief Foundation, which uses earnings on previously received bequests to the organization for this purpose and other nonprogrammatic costs.)

MEDICAL MATERIAL ASSISTANCE

Direct Relief’s main objective in any large-scale disaster response is to safely and securely deliver emergency medical resources – that are requested, approved by the responsible government authority, and appropriate for the circumstances – where they are most needed, as fast and efficiently as possible.

Direct Relief’s support in response to the crisis in Ukraine can be divided into three categories: medical material assistance, direct financial assistance and information assistance.

In the immediate aftermath of the invasion, Direct Relief began to work with the Ukrainian Ministry of Health and its long-term local organizations to determine real-time needs across the country’s health system and to determine and coordinate logistics in order to meet as many needs as possible.

In direct response to the expressed needs of the MOH, Direct Relief’s initial emergency shipment consisted of 360 field medic backpacks for first responders dealing with injuries, infections, and other acute medical needs.

That donation was immediately followed by a shipment containing specifically requested Combat Application tourniquets, critical care medicines intended for ICU settings, IV fluids, antibiotics, and other urgently needed goods. Subsequent shipments also focused on chronic care and disease-specific medications and supplies that are often forgotten when people leave their homes in haste.

Direct Relief has since mobilized and delivered an ongoing series of emergency shipments to healthcare partners in Ukraine with more on the way. The medical product donations originated in locations in the U.S. and Europe as well as within Ukraine itself and are a result of working in partnership with leading pharmaceutical and medical supply manufacturers and distributors that stepped up in a historic manner to assist the besieged country.

This generosity, as well as in-kind donations from logistics and transportation companies, such as FedEx, enabled Direct Relief to avert what would have been significant costs (and expenditure of donor funds).

Over the past three months, Direct Relief’s close relationships with Ukrainian healthcare facilities and agencies, its strong partnership with corporate donors, and its ability to securely deliver large quantities of medical goods – including temperature-sensitive products that require the use of cold-chain supplies and technologies – have resulted in the organization becoming the main channel for the delivery of medical goods to benefit the people of Ukraine.

As of May 31, 2022, Direct Relief’s Ukraine crisis response efforts have resulted in the delivery of over 650 tons of emergency medical goods, with a wholesale value of more than $315 million.

This humanitarian assistance was furnished through 76 specific donations to recipient facilities and organizations in three countries for which Direct Relief arranged for and managed the logistics, transport, and physical delivery to where they were most needed throughout the affected regions.

In Ukraine

Healthcare facilities and organizations in Ukraine that have received medical goods include:

• Ukrainian Ministry of Health
• Charity Fund Modern Village and Town
• Kharkiv City Council
• Odessa Ministry of Health/City Center
• Kyiv Renal and Nephrology Center
• Fondation Humanitaire International
• Chernivtsi City Charitable Fund
• Ukrainian Diabetes Federation
• Charity Fund "TAPS"
• Dobrobut Medical Network
• Razom for Ukraine
• Ukraine Association for Pediatric Endocrinologists
• Kyiv Charity Foundation
• Reach Out Worldwide
• Project Joint Guardian

Supporting Ukrainian Refugees

In the months since Russia invaded Ukraine, 6.4 million of the country’s 44 million residents have fled the country seeking safety and assistance. The rate and scale of this exodus are unprecedented in recent history and have created a refugee crisis in neighboring countries.

Direct Relief quickly established contact with the Ministries of Health of Moldova, Poland, Romania, Hungary, and Slovakia, as well as nonprofits in these countries, in order to provide support for the health-related needs of refugee populations.

An initial eight-ton shipment of medical aid was delivered to Moldova’s capital city for distribution to healthcare facilities and shelters, and a shipment of emergency medical kits and family hygiene packs was delivered to the Polish Red Cross.

Healthcare facilities and organizations located in surrounding countries that have received emergency shipments of medical material resources to assist Ukrainian refugees include:

Moldova, Ministry of Health, Republic of Moldova

Poland, Polski Czerwony Krzyz (Polish Red Cross)

Medical products provided to healthcare facilities, organizations, and agencies included:

Antibiotics – 538,266 bottles and vials

Insulin – 61,148 vials and pens

Diabetes medications – 78,976 bottles

Hypothyroid agents – 347,234 bottles

Asthma inhalers – 61,493

Mental Health medications – 72,034 bottles

Oncology agents – 60,067 bottles and vials

Prenatal Vitamins – 16,200 bottles

Chemical Warfare antidote – 289,336 vials

COVID-19 tests – 99,000

COVID treatment –250,271 courses

Field Medic Backpacks – 682

Field Hospital Content Kits - 7

Wound care bandages and dressings – 3,749,094

Oxygen concentrators – 987

PPE items – 4,524,994 (masks, shields, goggles, gloves)

The number of Defined Daily Doses of medicine contained in the shipments totals 101 million.

Direct Financial Assistance

Thanks to the outpouring of financial support from donors, Direct Relief is providing cash assistance to help facilities and organizations effectively respond to the huge surge of patients at a time when many healthcare facilities have been damaged.

Consistent with Direct Relief’s focus on supporting persons who are most vulnerable, financial assistance was directed to groups including the Ukrainian Diabetes Foundation and the Society of Critical Care Medicine.

To date, Direct Relief has identified, vetted, and awarded emergency financial support totaling $14.7 million to the following facilities and organizations to help sustain and bolster the provision of health care in Ukraine and to support healthcare services for Ukrainian refugees in Poland and Moldova.

Financial Assistance for Groups in Ukraine

Financial Assistance for Groups Outside of Ukraine

Information Assistance

In addition to the provision of medical material and financial aid in response to the crisis, Direct Relief has been a critical supplier of information. Working with software company partners, academic institutions, and medical centers, Direct Relief has used crowdsourced data, geospatial analysis, and other data collection and analytics instruments to help understand key issues in the war.

Within Ukraine, Direct Relief has focused mainly on assisting with crowdsource data collection on the needs of internally displaced persons, including their origins and destinations, access to key services and goods including health care, food, water, shelter, and livelihoods, and their sentiment in terms of subjective concerns.

At the same time, Direct Relief has also collected data on the needs and goods availability of over 950 private pharmacies throughout Ukraine over the past 2.5 months, including many located in areas of significant conflict. The pharmacy data has been incorporated into the cross-validation of MOH needs lists. Important insights were shared with first responders, healthcare partners, and Ukrainian health officials, as well as with United Nations agencies and international assistance organizations to help them determine how to best prioritize and deploy their respective resources.

Supporting Ukrainian Refugees

Direct Relief’s principal role in providing information assistance for the refugee crisis in the European Union and Moldova comes through the analysis of human mobility data. Analysis of this data allows for an improved understanding of refugee movements at granular time and space scales for the sake of resource planning and allocation across several different sectors of activity. This analysis has been performed through Direct Relief’s CrisisReady partnership with Harvard University School of Public Health and shared broadly with a range of agencies who have requested specific types and locations of analysis.

Key analysis sharing partners include the World Bank, UNICEF, UNHCR, IOM, the Health Cluster, Mercy Corps, and others. In partnership with Meta, Direct Relief is in the process of assembling an EU-based research network that is capable of supporting municipal level analyses, with the immediate focal point of that effort being support for a collaboration between UNHCR and the city government of Budapest which aims to understand changes in refugee clustering throughout the city for the sake of housing retrofits for long-term refugees.

Corporate Support

Direct Relief’s ability to furnish a large portion of the extensive medical material support without the expenditure of donor funds was due to the in-kind donations from healthcare manufacturers and distributors, many of which Direct Relief works with on an ongoing basis.

Healthcare company donors responded expansively to requests for their participation. Included among them are 3M, Abbott, AbbVie, Accord Healthcare, Ajanta Pharma, Alvogen, Amgen, Apotex, AstraZeneca, Baxter International, Bayer, Becton Dickerson, Boehringer Ingelheim Cares, Covidien, Eli Lilly & Company, GSK, Hikma, ICU Medical, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, LifeScan, McKesson Medical-Surgical, Medtronic, Merck & Co., Merck KGaA, MSD, Novo Nordisk, Pfizer, Sanofi, Takeda Pharmaceuticals, Teva Pharmaceuticals, Unilever, and Viatris.

In addition, the State of California Office of Emergency Services (CalOES) donated seven Field Hospital Content Kits. Each kit contains the equipment needed to set up a 50-bed field hospital, and the hospitals have been deployed to high conflict areas.

Looking Forward

Direct Relief will maintain its commitment to bolster and sustain existing healthcare organizations and systems in Ukraine as well as support the healthcare workers that run them, by ensuring the flow of medical materials, funding, and information.

Direct Relief was able to provide the assistance detailed in this report as a result of its existing strong relationships with the Ukrainian Ministry of Health and non-governmental organizations that were already receiving Direct Relief medical product shipments, ongoing work with clinical experts in the field to guide distribution and procurement decisions, existing partnerships and contracts in place to quickly request and receive high-quality medications from pharmaceutical manufacturers and distributors, and strong track record of shipping large volumes of product, including those requiring cold chain packaging and storage, to difficult-to-access places to reach the most vulnerable patients.

Direct Relief will continue to provide assistance to the Ukrainian people, both those who remain in Ukraine as well as those who have fled the country and may be unable to return for years to come.

The post Three Months Into Ukraine Crisis, More Than 650 Tons of Medical Aid and $14.7 Million in Direct Financial Assistance Provided appeared first on Direct Relief.

A Growing threat

When Covid-19 initially hit India, the country appeared to be withstanding the pandemic relatively well. A lockdown was initiated, and the virus seemed to be largely controlled, peaking in mid-September of 2020. But then, in February 2021, after massive crowds had attended political rallies, religious festivals, and large-scale weddings, a second wave began with case numbers quickly tracking upwards. Both urban and rural areas were hit hard as the life-threatening disease spread outwards from the north to the south and east and from cities to more isolated and remote areas and communities.

By April, many hospitals had run out of bed spaces, particularly in urban communities in the north. Intensive care units were filled, and the lack of beds, combined with inadequate oxygen access – the demand for which had tripled due to the increase and severity of cases – led to many patients being turned away and family members racing against time to find or fill oxygen cylinders on their own. India’s daily Covid-19 death toll hit a number of record highs in May, with the World Health Organization stating that the country accounted for half of the total reported cases globally and 30 percent of global deaths.

Direct Relief had already been supporting facilities in India as part of its extensive Covid-19 global response efforts, but additional international assistance with the provision of personal protective equipment (PPE), medical material resources including oxygen devices and intensive care mediations, and financial assistance was clearly needed to protect healthcare providers and effectively treat patients. With support from generous donors, Direct Relief significantly augmented its assistance efforts to help address the enormous increase in cases, hospitalizations, and demand for oxygen.

Supporting the response

With the situation drastically deteriorating in India, Direct Relief prepared a number of large emergency donations and, since April 2021, has delivered 750 tons of aid with a total wholesale value of $601.6 million through the provision of 334 shipments containing:

• 6,665 oxygen concentration units
• 29.6 million defined daily doses (DDDs) of Covid-19 ancillary medications such as antibiotics, vasopressors, sedatives, immune suppressants, and albuterol inhalers
• 7,610,788 million units of PPE including masks, gowns, gloves, goggles, and face shields

In addition, Direct Relief provided cash grants designed to increase the capacity of medical institutions to safely and effectively treat patients with Covid-19, as well as to strengthen their resilience so that they are better prepared to manage infectious disease outbreaks in the future.

Emergency shipments containing oxygen concentrators, medical products, and PPE were packed at Direct Relief’s warehouse in California, transported by air freight, and delivered to health facilities caring for Covid-19 patients throughout the country.

The emergency shipments were transported with the support of FedEx, which provided three entire 777 aircraft to deliver the bulk of the goods. Direct Relief also mobilized multiple commercial deliveries of oxygen devices, medicines, consumable and durable supplies, PPE, and other medical aid to India.

In order to combat the national spread of Covid-19, PPE and medical goods had to be provided to healthcare facilities in urban centers as well as distributed throughout affected states and regions to ensure aid was getting to the places it needed to reach. The medical goods contained in these emergency shipments were delivered to 29 partners – hospitals, local health departments, state ministries of health, and other healthcare organizations. A number of these partners further distributed a portion of the donated goods to additional facilities throughout the country that were caring for Covid-affected populations and communities.

To view additional details on Direct Relief’s India response, view the Interactive Map.

In addition to displaying information about Direct Relief’s emergency shipments, details can be seen on the redistribution of the medical products received by partner Tata Memorial Centre facilities in Mumbai and Delhi and the delivery of oxygen concentrators via ACT Grants. Tata Memorial Centre is a hospital and cancer research institute in Mumbai that served as consignee and distributor of the Covid-19-related PPE, medications, ventilators, and oxygen concentrators contained in each of the three FedEx humanitarian flights coming from the U.S. These products, including 3,426 oxygen concentrators and more than 250,000 N95 masks, were distributed to a total of 60 healthcare partners.

Direct Relief also supported ACT Grants to facilitate the purchase and transport of oxygen concentrators which, once in India, were distributed to 2,444 health facilities, organizations, and agencies. Using epidemiological and predictive analytics data, the concentrators reached hotspots including many rural districts that have far less infrastructure, resources, and visibility than urban centers. Recipient locations included India’s remote Andaman and Nicobar Islands, located in the Bay of Bengal, where Direct Relief had rebuilt local health centers following the 2004 South Asian tsunami. To date, ACT Grants has distributed 28,929 oxygen concentrators throughout India. (Direct Relief received financial contributions from US-based donors on behalf of ACT Grants to ensure compliance with Indian fiscal regulations.)

Financial Assistance

In addition to ongoing medical material support, Direct Relief has awarded grant funds to India-based partners and key projects to bolster health facilities as they continue to offer health services to Covid-19 patients and impacted communities and prepare for any future waves.

Given the critical need and shortage of oxygen during the crisis, one chief area of focus involves ensuring sustainable oxygen access through the provision of devices and the building, or rehabilitation, of oxygen generation plants. Effectively responding to the acute oxygen crisis now by augmenting capacity will simultaneously address chronic oxygen requirements and improve sustainable healthcare infrastructure that will enable the treatment of a range of respiratory illnesses.

Grants Awarded

 To date, Direct Relief has identified, vetted, and supported the following facilities and organizations with $4.1 million in cash grants to enable them to respond to and recover from the Covid-19 crisis as well as to maintain ongoing healthcare services to vulnerable populations during the crisis.

Direct Relief will direct additional grant funding towards:

• Safely and effectively caring for patients with Covid-19
• Conducting Covid-19 educational outreach services
• Improving medical grade oxygen access
• Increasing partners’ capacity to handle temperature sensitive Covid-19 therapies and vaccines
• Administering Covid-19 vaccinations and vaccination campaigns
• Supporting the provision of essential healthcare services to at-risk communities made more vulnerable by long term lockdowns, shortages of food, socioeconomic hardship

Direct Relief also supported Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital, a 1000-bed, multi-specialty hospital located in the city of Pune. Founded in 2001, it is one of the largest hospitals in the area, with over 800 beds, 12 operation theaters, an ICU, blood bank, digital radiology and kidney transplant units, and many state-of-the-art diagnostic, therapeutic, and intensive care services. Patients who cannot afford to pay for care on a sliding scale or at no cost.

Direct Relief has been partnering with DMH since its inception in 2001. The city of Pune was hit particularly hard by Covid-19 and since March 2020, DMH has treated more than 33,000 patients with coronavirus, which is the highest number of cases managed by any private hospital in India. Of the total cases, 19,897 were treated on an out-patient basis while 13,431 were admitted for care. The hospital has also managed many cases of post-covid complications, including serious bacterial and fungal infections.

In an effort to improve the lifesaving Covid-19 treatment delivered at the facility, Direct Relief awarded grant funding to DMH to:

• Build an oxygen concentration plant inside the hospital to provide uninterrupted high-flow medical grade oxygen to the facility.
• Purchase specialized equipment to enable the rapid and accurate identification of bacteria, mycobacteria and certain fungal pathogens in the clinical microbiology laboratory.
• Establish and equip a Covid Center for Microbiology & Infectious Diseases to improve diagnostic and therapeutic practices for Covid-19 and other serious diseases.

The hospital has also led in providing Covid-19 vaccinations, with 175,000 people vaccinated to date.

Looking Ahead

The number of Covid-19 cases in India has significantly decreased over the past months, but variants remain a concern and there is still a possibility of a third wave hitting the country. However, thousands of Indian healthcare facilities are now much better prepared to handle another influx of cases due to the assistance received in the areas of oxygen access, availability of newer therapies and vaccinations, and additional stores of PPE and other needed supplies and equipment.

The post Covid-19 Support to India Tops 29 Million Defined Daily Doses of Medication and Millions in Financial Assistance appeared first on Direct Relief.

Governor Gavin Newsom, who has declared a state of emergency, stated that California has been facing extreme weather conditions which have led to “experiencing fires, the likes of which we have never seen in many, many years.” Northern California that has been extremely hard hit with some of the biggest blazes including:

• Creek Fire (Fresno, Madera counties)
• North Complex Fire, includes Bear and Claremont Fires (Plumas, Lassen, Butte & Yuba)
• August Complex Fire (Glenn, Mendocino, Lake, Tehama and Trinity counties)
• LNU Lightning Complex Fire (Napa, Sonoma, Solano, Lake & Yolo counties)
• SCU Lightning Complex Fire (Santa Clara, Alameda, Contra Costa, San Joaquin & Stanislaus counties)
• CZU Lightning Complex Fire (Santa Cruz and San Mateo counties)

Direct Relief’s Research and Analysis team has been tracking the wildfires with an eye toward analyzing the populations most at-risk during wildfires, which can seriously exacerbate pre-existing conditions, as well as the health centers and free clinics that serve the most vulnerable patients. Analysis by Direct Relief of coastal communities to the west of the fire perimeters, north of San Francisco – which are in areas of heavy smoke inundation – show 43 Federally Qualified Health Centers. These centers serve 94,000 patients, of which 40,000 live at 200% or more below the poverty line and 2,130 are experiencing homelessness. Thousands of these patients suffer from chronic conditions such as asthma, diabetes, hypertension, depression, and PTSD. Covid-19 has added another layer of complication to response efforts, increasing dangers for those with co-morbidities as well as creating issues regarding the number of evacuees allowed to shelter in enclosed spaces.

Southern California is also contending with large wildfires including the Lake Fire and the Ranch 2 fires burning in Los Angeles County, the Dome Fire burning in the Mojave National Preserve in San Bernardino County, and the Apple Fire burning in Riverside County.

Positioned to Respond

As a California-based disaster relief and medical assistance organization, Direct Relief has responded to wildfires in California, and throughout the U.S., for decades. The organization is a long-time partner of the State of California through its Office of Emergency Services, or CalOES, and always coordinates its response to wildfires with state officials. Direct Relief also partners with the State of California Emergency Management Agency, CalEMA, and serves as one of its key Business and Utilities Operations Center, or BUOC, partners to optimize coordination during times of emergencies.

Direct Relief’s 155,000-square-foot medical distribution center, equipment, trained staff, and various other capacities are registered with the State of California and available for public health or emergency purposes. Direct Relief created a Wildfire Kit last year, which contains medicines and supplies that have been most requested by healthcare providers in this type of disaster. The kits are designed to enable the treatment of about 250 people for 3 to 5 days.

Direct Relief’s Response

Direct Relief has been responding to communities impacted by these devastating wildfires, reaching out to dozens of healthcare partners in affected areas to offer assistance, and shipping Wildfire Kits and Emergency Medical Backpacks, as well as additional N95 masks and other personal protective equipment, pharmaceuticals including antibiotics, respiratory drugs, dermatology supplies, IV solutions, first aid supplies, and diagnostic equipment to public health agencies, healthcare facilities, and evacuation centers.

To date, a total of 19 emergency shipments have been delivered with additional donations being packed. Recipient agencies and healthcare facilities include:

• Sonoma County Department of Emergency Management
• Santa Rosa Community Health Centers
• San Mateo County Health Services Agency
• Marin County Department of Health and Human Services
• Contra Costa Health Services
• Salud Para La Gente in Watsonville
• Big Sur Health Center

Direct Relief will continue to support California Wildfires Response efforts, as well as expanding outreach to other states experiencing severe wildfires, including Oregon and Washington.

The post Emergency Shipments Continue as California Fires Rage On appeared first on Direct Relief.

Wildfires occur every summer in Australia (typically peaking in February), but the scale of these seasonal fires were unprecedented. A severe drought, which led into the hottest and driest year on record, combined with sustained high temperatures and windy conditions, created an exceedingly dangerous fire situation across many areas of the country. Hard-hit areas included New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, and South Australia.

Beyond the threat from high temperatures and burn-related injuries, wildfires can exacerbate chronic health issues such as asthma, bronchitis and other respiratory problems. For those with such conditions, fires deal a harsh combination of smoke, ash, dust, and other particulates in the air. Smoke from the wildfires inundated southern Australia – in December, the smoke in Sydney was recorded at 11 times over the hazardous limit – and was reported to have reached New Zealand. Hospital admissions dramatically increased in the smoke-affected areas, with some patients suffering from asthma for the first time in their lives. People were encouraged to stay inside and advised to wear masks to filter out unhealthy particulates when outside.

Direct Relief’s Response

Australia, an industrialized country with a universal healthcare system, had an adequate in-country supply of the medical goods needed to care for people affected by the fires at local hospitals and clinics. As a result, requests for emergency assistance with health-related products mainly focused on protective equipment, particularly N95 masks needed to support frontline workers and communities being inundated with smoke. A need for first aid and basic diagnostic products for use in conducting outreach services was also identified.

Neighbors Helping Neighbors in Fire-Ravaged New South Wales

Direct Relief delivered eight emergency medical shipments in response to the fires, all of which were transported on a charitable basis by Qantas Airlines. These shipments went to the Australian Red Cross, Rotary Club Melbourne, Victoria State Emergency Services, Convoy of Hope Australia, Team Rubicon Australia, and Qantas Airways.

A total of 430,000 N95 respirator masks were provided in the emergency shipments. The masks were then distributed by partner facilities and organizations to:

• National and state health authorities
• State emergency management agencies
• First responders including fire fighters, police, and ambulance crews
• Healthcare facilities and providers
• Schools and community groups

In addition to protecting people from heavy smoke during the fires, the masks were also used to protect public health workers and residents when returning to affected communities after the fires were extinguished. People were not only at risk of injury by falling branches and from sharp or smoldering objects hidden in rubble, but asbestos, fire-damaged septic systems, and chemically treated wood were identified for having negative respiratory health impacts.

Asbestos, Heavy Metals, Lead. Long After a Wildfire, Toxic Substances Linger.

After the fires were contained, a number of the N95 masks were provided to the Department of Health and Human Services, midwifery clinics located across the country, and first responders fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.

Also included in the relief shipments were 12 Direct Relief Emergency Medical Packs. These portable ruggedized backpacks are filled with medical products to help address community health needs in an emergency. Each pack contains supplies and equipment designed to meet a variety of prevalent disaster-related medical issues, including infection control, diagnostics, trauma care, and personal protection.

Two of the backpacks were sent to the Australian Red Cross and 10 went to Team Rubicon Australia for use when conducting medical outreach services in remote and hard-to-reach areas. Outreach services were conducted in New South Wales and on Kangaroo Island – known for its incredible biodiversity and wildlife sanctuaries – where fires scorched over 800 square miles.

Financial Assistance through Grant Awards

Due to the fight against COVID-19, Direct Relief’s awarding of cash grants to assist with wildfire recovery efforts has been delayed. However, with COVID-19 cases decreasing in Australia, Direct Relief is planning to move forward with a number of cash grant awards.

For One Australian School, Repairing Classrooms Came First. Then Mental Health.

The financial assistance will be mainly focused on psychosocial support, particularly targeting youth and pre-school kids who have experienced, or are at-risk of experiencing, emotional distress related to the wildfires. Broader community health projects will also be considered for recovery grants.

The post Six Months After Australia’s Wildfires, Recovery Continues appeared first on Direct Relief.

Its prevalence, concentrated in the developing world, signals deep-seated inequities in health systems and little access to timely emergency obstetric services.

And its consequences are tragic.

Take Gajara, a 35-year-old woman living outside of Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh. After three days of obstructed labor, Gajara gave birth to a stillborn baby. She developed a fistula in the process that left her incontinent.

That was 12 years ago.

Gajara endured her debilitating birth injury for more than a decade before learning that she could access life-restoring surgery, free-of-charge, at the nearby HOPE Hospital.

Doctors at the hospital told Gajara that her case was particularly complex due to the large size of the fistula as well as the fact that she had developed bladder stones. She underwent four operations to fix the extensive damage to her bladder and urinary system. Her treatment was ultimately successful. She got her life back. Every so often, she calls the hospital to express her gratitude.

Fistula also occurs where social norms related to child marriage and female genital mutilation exist, as was the case with Siyan.

At 13, Siyan underwent what is referred to locally as “traditional initiation” or female genital mutilation. Before the wound had healed, she was married to a 25-year-old man and became pregnant.

Siyan went into labor at home. Two days passed before a birth attendant arrived to assist. She gave birth to a healthy baby but suffered a vaginal tear that didn’t heal and left her incontinent.

A short time later, her husband left. Siyan moved back with her mother where she lived for more than a year before a local hospital referred her to the Gynocare Fistula Hospital in Eldoret, Kenya. There she underwent successful surgery to repair her rectovaginal fistula. After her recovery, Siyan was able to go back to school. After her surgery, Siyan said she hopes to study medicine in college. She wants to be a fistula surgeon.

The Fistula Repair Module

These stories are representative of thousands of women in the developing world who are living with obstetric fistula. To help ensure they can access care as Gajara and Siyan were able to, Direct Relief developed the Fistula Repair Module.

The module, endorsed by the Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics, contains 55 surgical and medical items, including highly specialized sutures generously donated by Ethicon (part of Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices Companies), to perform 50 surgeries.

By the end of this fiscal year, Direct Relief will have shipped 100 Fistula Repair Modules to 17 countries — enough surgical supplies to enable 5,000 surgeries.

Partnering to End Fistula

While surgery and surgical tools are essential to ending fistula, they comprise only part of the equation.

That’s why Direct Relief is privileged to partner with dozens of healthcare facilities and advocacy groups around the world that work tirelessly to not only address obstetric fistula as a physical injury but as psycho-social trauma, helping women overcome the associated stigma and successfully reintegrate into their families and communities.

For a comprehensive list of organizations working to end obstetric fistula, visit the “Find a Fistula Repair Center” application.

Editor’s note: Names were changed to protect patient privacy.

The post Equipping Surgeons to End Obstetric Fistula appeared first on Direct Relief.

First, the Carr Fire erupted in Shasta and Trinity counties with a fire tornado that clocked winds as high as 143 miles per hour. More than 1,000 homes were destroyed and eight people were killed.

The Mendocino Complex Fire followed, burning more than 459,000 acres and becoming the largest complex fire in the state’s history.

Then, on November 8, the Camp Fire exploded in Butte County. It burned 153,000 acres, destroyed nearly 19,000 structures, 14,000 of which were homes, and claimed 85 lives.

While the Camp Fire was still raging, the Woolsey and Hill Fires charred over 105,000 acres in Ventura and Los Angeles Counties, consuming homes and businesses throughout the region, and killing at least three people.

Risks Beyond the Flames

The effect of wildfires extends far beyond their burn perimeter. Not only do fires result in burns and other injuries sustained from heat, but they can seriously exacerbate respiratory issues such as asthma as they generate a harsh combination of smoke, dust, and other particulates.

Because many are forced to flee, the evacuation itself can become a crisis when people suffering from chronic illnesses, such as diabetes and hypertension, leave home without their medications. People in such situations can quickly find themselves in a medical crisis.

If shelters become overcrowded, people are more vulnerable to contracting contagious illnesses. Norovirus, for example, is a gastrointestinal illness that can spread rapidly, and also discourage others from using shelters – even if it means camping outdoors in extreme weather or living in vehicles. The virus became a problem when Camp Fire evacuees overwhelmed local accommodations.

After Flames, Toxic Ash

The Camp Fire burned so intensely and moved so quickly that the town of Paradise was reduced to little more than ash. Much of the burn area was subsequently declared to be a public health emergency due to the potentially dangerous mix of toxins left behind.

As a result, many residents remain displaced and will not be allowed to return or start rebuilding until the hazardous debris is removed.

Most of the shelters have closed and hundreds of people and families who lost their homes have been struggling to find short-term housing. There are a limited number of donated trailers, FEMA temporary housing units, and hotel rooms available, leaving many to live in tents and vehicles despite the cold and rainy winter.

Ready to Respond

As a California-based disaster relief and medical assistance organization, Direct Relief has responded to wildfires in California, and throughout the U.S., for decades.

The organization is also a long-time partner of the State of California through its Office of Emergency Services and the State of California Emergency Management Agency, and serves as a member of the state’s Business Operations Center (BOC).

As a result, Direct Relief was quickly able to extend assistance to its extensive network of health centers and clinics throughout California and around the wildfire perimeters.

Direct Relief’s Response

With each wildfire, Direct Relief worked with government authorities as well as medical facilities in the affected region, where people suffered from burns, and smoke inhalation. The organization also responded in neighboring areas affected by dense smoke.

Through April 30, 2019, Direct Relief has delivered 139 shipments, totaling 76,790 pounds and $1.2 million wholesale, to 35 healthcare providers, first responders, public agencies and evacuation centers.

Shipments included more than a dozen of Direct Relief’s specialized Emergency Medical Packs which contain the medical products needed to address disaster-related health concerns, as well as essential personal protective supplies and equipment.

Direct Relief initially developed its Emergency Medical Packs 10 years ago for the Medical Reserve Corps. The packs have since been formally adopted as the State of California standard by for Medical Reserve Corps members.

A total of 50 product manufacturers and distributors contributed medical, nutritional, patient care, and personal protection products to the relief and recovery effort. Emergency shipments contained:

• N-95 masks to filter out smoke and dangerous particulates harmful to the respiratory system.
• Respiratory medications, inhalers, nebulizers, and oxygen concentrators to assist people who suffer from lung diseases such as asthma.
• Insulin, oral diabetes medication, and diabetes injection supplies to manage care for people with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes.
• Epinephrine injections to provide emergency treatment of severe allergic reactions.
• Tetanus vaccines to protect people who sustained burns or puncture wounds from developing lockjaw – a bacterial disease which can become severe if not properly treated.
• Anti-infective agents to address a wide range of bacterial infections.
• Cardiovascular drugs to treat high blood pressure and symptoms of congestive heart failure.
• Gastrointestinal agents for vomiting and diarrhea associated with the norovirus outbreak.
• Ophthalmic agents to treat eye irritations and infections.
• First aid supplies to treat wounds and orthopedic injuries.
• Diagnostic equipment such as blood pressure kits, otoscopes, pulse oximeters, and blood glucose meters and test strips.
• Mental health medications to address disorders including depression, anxiety and bipolar disorder.
• Water purification equipment to ensure that people had clean drinking water.

Financial Assistance

In addition to the provision of needed medical goods and personal care products, Direct Relief has provided emergency funding support to healthcare facilities and agencies in affected communities to cover losses or emergency expenditures; to support medical, behavioral, and social service needs; and to assist with the repair and re-equipping of damaged facilities.

Through April 30, 2019, Direct Relief provided $456,546 in emergency grants to eight health facilities and organizations in California to support their wildfire-related relief and recovery work.

Direct Relief has also provided $668,100 in financial support to city and county fire departments for the procurement of off-road trucks, utility terrain vehicles, fire-fighting and search and rescue tools and gear, and communications devices, to increase and enhance city and county fire department capacity in affected areas.

Long-Term Commitment

While the road to recovery will be long, Direct Relief remains committed to those who are struggling to deal with the aftermath of these tragic events and will continue supporting wildfire-affected communities with financial and medical assistance as they recover.

The post Six Months After the Deadliest Wildfires in California History, Recovery Efforts Continue appeared first on Direct Relief.

Sustained winds as high as 185 mph caused catastrophic damage to numerous island nations as the storm continued toward the U.S. mainland.

The winds lasted 37 hours, making Irma the longest-lived storm of such intensity anywhere around the globe for at least the past 50 years.

Irma’s Aftermath

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that over 90 percent of structures on hard-hit islands were damaged or destroyed.

Hurricane Irma’s death toll reached 129 across the Caribbean and the southeastern U.S., according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center, with 44 fatalities directly caused strong winds and heavy rains and 85 fatalities linked indirectly to the storm.

The most severely affected islands included Anguilla, Barbuda, British Virgin Islands, Saint Martin, Saint Barthelemy, and Turks and Caicos.

Hurricane Irma made landfall in Florida on Cudjoe Key on September 10, 2017. Damage was extensive throughout the region and completely cut the Florida Keys off from the mainland. Electrical services were down and took days or weeks to be restored in many areas.

Once the storm moved north, it hammered some of Florida’s urban centers, causing record setting flooding that resulted from the combination of torrential rains, overflowing rivers, and storm surge.

Damage to homes, buildings, and infrastructure were extensive, millions of people throughout the region were without power, and shortages of essential supplies including food, clean water, and medical goods, created major challenges.

Mapping Social Vulnerability

While the storm’s path was still uncertain, Direct Relief produced several social vulnerability maps to help identify the most at-risk populations and communities.

Looking at a range of vulnerability measures, including socioeconomic status, language skills, household composition, transportation options, and environmental factors, the maps helped identify geographic areas and populations that were more susceptible to the storm’s potential effects.

Who’s Most Vulnerable to Hurricane Irma? Those Vulnerable the Day Before

The data that drives Direct Relief’s social vulnerability application is based on the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s social vulnerability index model and uses census data to examine the challenges facing disaster-affected communities.

Direct Relief employs this information in its efforts to target the resources that align with and are tailored to the needs of impacted communities.

Direct Relief’s Response

Direct Relief has been active in emergency storm and flood-related responses in the U.S. and around the world for decades.

The populations that Direct Relief supports on an ongoing basis are especially vulnerable in natural disasters, as low-income and under-served communities often lack the financial means to escape an approaching hurricane or other emergency. And when people do flee their homes, they often are not able to bring their medications with them, which is particularly dangerous if they suffer from chronic medical conditions such as diabetes, asthma, or heart disease.

Following the destruction in the Caribbean, Direct Relief worked closely with health officials and local partners to navigate persistent power outages and transportation challenges and ship specifically requested medical aid and supplies to affected areas.

Within days of Hurricane Irma’s landfall, Direct Relief had dispatched needed medical aid to healthcare providers in Florida, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Caribbean nations of Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, the British Virgin Islands, Dominica, the Dutch Antilles, Haiti, and Turks and Caicos.

Hurricane Irma Response Spans Florida, Caribbean, in Far-Reaching Effort

A Direct Relief team was on the ground in Florida before Irma made landfall, directing the movement and use of pre-positioned Hurricane Preparedness Packs in the areas where they were needed most in the immediate aftermath of the storm.

In the year since, Direct Relief has delivered 449,028 pounds of medical aid, totaling $39.6 million (wholesale), via 289 shipments to 63 partner healthcare facilities located throughout the Caribbean and southeastern U.S. to support the health needs of communities directly affected by Hurricane Irma.

Other efforts include:

• Direct Relief’s prepositioning of Hurricane Preparedness Modules in a number of countries in the Caribbean as well as Hurricane Preparedness Packs at medical clinics and health centers in vulnerable areas throughout Florida – many of which were used by local health providers to care for people affected by the storm and its aftermath – enabled its donations to be put to immediate use.
• Direct Relief emergency team members were able to quickly assess needs and deliver emergency health kits to partner clinics and hospitals caring for families and communities affected by the storm.
• Ongoing discussions were conducted with the Florida Association of Community Health Centers, the National Association of Free & Charitable Clinics, the National Association of Community Health Centers and Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster to help determine priority needs.
• On September 11, 2017, nearly 8,000 pounds of medications and supplies including IV solutions, antibiotics, water purification systems, hygiene kits, and durable medical tents, arrived in the Dutch Antilles on a free charter flight and was safely transported to the St. Maarten Medical Center.
• Direct Relief coordinated with the Pan American Health Organization on shipments to Anguilla and Tortola.
• In addition to the prepositioned Hurricane Preparedness Packs, 15 pallets of emergency medical products were shipped to partner facilities in the affected regions of the Dominican Republic.
• A Hurricane Preparedness Pack was relocated to the northern part of Haiti before Hurricane Irma hit the island, an emergency shipment already en route for ongoing assistance to a Haitian partner was repurposed to use for hurricane relief, and additional shipments were sent.
• Direct Relief worked with University of Miami’s Jackson Memorial Hospital to deploy three mobile units with 40 pre-vetted doctors and nurses. Medical products included in Direct Relief’s Preparedness Pack initially stocked the units while additional shipments were prepared and sent.
• More than $11 million worth of critical aid was airlifted to Miami, in partnership with FedEx, the Miami HEAT, the Golden State Warriors, and Heart to Heart International.

Long-Term Rehabilitation Support for Affected Communities

In addition to providing critical medical material aid and supplies, as well as emergency operating grants to partners in Florida, Direct Relief extended its collaboration with the National Association of Community Health Centers, National Association of Free & Charitable Clinics, the Florida Association of Community Health Centers, and other associations to provide cash funding through the establishment of the Hurricane Community Health Fund. The fund was set up in the aftermath of the Hurricanes Irma and Harvey to be used solely for the benefit of hurricane-affected communities and people – particularly those who have low incomes, lack insurance, and are among the region’s most vulnerable residents.

Hurricane Response Update: Medicines Distributed Throughout Puerto Rico, Caribbean

To date, Direct Relief has awarded $5.2 million in cash grants aimed at helping close to 30 partners in Florida and the Caribbean with near, intermediate, and long term expenses to help rebuild and stabilize operations to ensure the sustainability of critically important, community-based sources of care. Projects include support for emergency operations, generators, mobile units, refrigerators, communication and technology equipment, assorted medical equipment, and funding for staff and emergency training.

On September 15, 2017, a FedEx MD-10 plane was loaded in Memphis, Tennessee, with more than $11 million’s worth of medicines and supplies to assist people and communities affected by Hurricane Irma in Florida, Anguilla, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the British Virgin Islands. The cargo jet also carried more than 4,000 hygiene kits for Heart to Heart International, employee relief supplies, and generators. After the relief supplies were unloaded in Miami, more than 150 dogs and cats from Miami-area shelters were loaded onto the jet. The animals were flown to Oakland, California, under the auspices of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, where they were brought to no-kill shelters at the Marin Humane Society in California and the Humane Society for Southwest Washington (Washington State) for eventual adoption.

FedEx, Direct Relief, Heart to Heart International, Miami HEAT and Golden State Warriors Team Up For Hurricane Irma Critical Relief

Looking Ahead

The extensive and widespread effects of Hurricane Irma will be felt for a long time to come, and communities that may not fully recover for years. In response to the historic devastation caused by the storm, over the past year, Direct Relief has worked alongside healthcare providers rooted in affected communities to bring proven approaches to emergency response to an unprecedented scale, adapt to the evolving needs on the ground, and enhance the effectiveness of preparedness efforts in the Caribbean and along the U.S. Gulf Coast to ensure even more effective responses to future storms.

It is thanks to the generous support of individuals, corporations, foundations, and healthcare companies that Direct Relief has been able to deliver critically needed medical products and financial support to medical providers caring for thousands of people affected by Hurricane Irma.

The post Hurricane Irma: One Year Later appeared first on Direct Relief.

The storm stalled over southern Texas dumping huge amounts of rain – over five feet in some locations – resulting in extreme and treacherous flooding.

Houston, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the country, was particularly hard hit by storm-related flooding. According to the National Hurricane Center, the amount of rain that fell on the city of 6.6 million people reached record breaking levels – two feet of rain fell in the first 24 hours and by September 1, one-third of the city was underwater.

Thousands of high water rescues were undertaken by public authorities and private citizens using a wide range of vehicles from rafts to trucks to helicopters. The flooding ultimately forced more than 40,000 people in Texas out of their homes and into both official and unofficial evacuation centers, with mega-shelters housing thousands of evacuees established in convention centers in both Houston and Dallas. As many as 450,000 people in Texas would eventually need assistance.

As Harvey Floodwaters Rose, Health Workers Needed a Rescue of Their Own

With regard to cost, the National Hurricane Center estimates the damage caused by Harvey at between $90 billion and $160 billion with a midpoint of $125 billion, placing it second in U.S. history behind Hurricane Katrina.

Direct Relief’s Response

Direct Relief has been active in emergency storm and flood-related responses around the world for decades. The populations that Direct Relief supports on an ongoing basis are especially vulnerable in natural disasters, as low-income and underserved families often lack the financial means to escape an approaching hurricane or other emergency. And when people do flee their homes, they often are not able to bring their medications with them, particularly dangerous if they suffer from chronic medical conditions such as diabetes, asthma, or heart disease.

Approach

Direct Relief’s approach to dealing with hurricanes and other destructive storms is sequential, and includes preparedness, immediate and short-term response, recovery, and long-term rehabilitation activities. Throughout these emergency preparedness and response stages, Direct Relief works with local partners best situated to assess need, provide or support the provision of medical services, as well as to prepare and implement necessary long-term recovery and future preparedness efforts. Each emergency has specific characteristics that are dependent upon local facts and circumstances. Direct Relief coordinates with all local and national responders to avoid the duplication of effort, the wasting of resources, and logistics bottlenecks.

Hurricane Preparedness – Ensuring Access to Essential Medical Goods

Poverty and other social vulnerabilities increase the chances that people will be seriously affected by a severe storm or other disaster, as low-income populations are less likely to prepare for hazards, less likely to respond to warnings, and more likely to die and suffer injuries. This population often obtains care at Direct Relief’s partner healthcare facilities and organizations that treat all patients regardless of their ability to pay. However, these medical institutions and agencies are typically under-equipped to handle the large influx of patients that need help after a hurricane or other major storm. Prepositioning medical goods before a disaster strikes helps eliminates delivery delays and equips medical professionals with the materials needed to treat injured or ill patients.

As it has for more than a decade, Direct Relief had already pre-positioned Hurricane Preparedness Packs, containing enough medicines and supplies to treat 100 patients for three-to-five days, at facilities located in hurricane-prone areas and on evacuation routes along the Gulf and Atlantic coasts in anticipation of the 2017 hurricane season. Direct Relief’s Hurricane Preparedness Program, launched in 2007, is an initiative designed to supply healthcare facilities and organizations located in areas at high risk for hurricanes with the resources they would need to offer an effective, rapid response in the event of a major storm. A total of 50 packs were distributed in anticipation of the 2017 Hurricane Season. These packs proved invaluable when Hurricane Harvey hit, with ten of the packs that had been prepositioned in Texas were used during or within days of the storm’s landfall. Many of the partners that have received the preparedness packs had worked with Direct Relief for more than 10 years.

Mapping Social Vulnerability

As the hurricane approached and the storm path became more clear, Direct Relief created several social vulnerability maps to help identify the most at-risk populations and communities. Looking at a range of vulnerabilities including socioeconomic status, racial make-up, language skills, house-hold composition, transportation options, and environmental factors, the maps helped to pin point geographic areas and groups of people that would be more susceptible to the effects of the storm.

The data which drives Direct Relief’s social vulnerability application is based on the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Social Vulnerability Index model, which uses census data to understand relationships between different ways that disaster-affected communities may experience significant challenges in response and recovery in order to tailor resources, communications and planning to their needs.

Immediate and Short-Term Response

Recognizing the potential for catastrophic damage before Hurricane Harvey even made landfall, Direct Relief sent staff into the greater Houston area and had been in touch with over 60 of its local partner health facilities whose populations were most likely to be affected by the storm. These health centers, free and charitable clinics, and public health departments care for vulnerable members of the community, are part of Direct Relief’s extensive network of 1,300 safety net facilities and their 4,000 clinical delivery sites that receive regular donations of prescription pharmaceuticals and other medical goods to assist and disadvantaged patients.

With Communities Still Underwater, More Medicine Shipped Out to Texas Communities

As these partner health centers and clinics reopened their doors, staff immediately began to see a surge in patients in need of care. As soon as they had a chance to assess the status of their physical structures, medical equipment, and pharmaceutical and supply inventories, requests to Direct Relief for assistance began to stream in. Due to the scope and extent of the devastation, as well as the need for thousands of people to evacuate their homes, medical services and products were needed quickly and in sizeable quantities. Emergency medical shipments, some of which were packed in rugged and easily transportable containers for use in outreach and shelter situations, were quickly dispatched.

Direct Relief’s immediate response included commitments of more than $808,000 in operational grants and opening its entire medical inventory to support relief efforts. Direct Relief staff in Texas also made emergency deliveries to multiple sites, bringing essential items ranging from refrigerators for vaccine and insulin storage to basic hygiene items for evacuees.

Direct Relief Sends Next Wave of Vaccines and Other Cold-Chain Medicine to Texas

On August 29, six shipments went out to Community Health Centers of South Central Texas, assisting communities dealing with rising floodwaters and damage from the storm. By August 30, 10 more Direct Relief shipments were bound for clinics in Houston, Dallas, Katy, Beaumont, and other impacted communities. Medical supplies also arrived that day at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, where a shelter was established as a temporary space for more than 10,000 people, double its capacity. By August 31, 2017, Direct Relief had sent 60 emergency deliveries to hurricane-affected areas. This included more than $900,000 in material aid requested by 18 health centers, clinics, public health departments, and the Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston.

Galveston County

Galveston was one of the first counties along the southern coast of Texas to be affected by Harvey. Strong winds, heavy rains, and dangerous storm surge hit the area causing severe flooding, widespread power outages, and damage to homes, businesses, and infrastructure. Emergency teams in Galveston County reported making non-stop high-water rescues as well as helping hundreds of people to relocate to shelters and evacuation centers. All sea ports were closed, and flooding and downed trees made many roads, including section of the interstate, impassable.

As evidenced in past emergencies, when people are forced to flee their homes, they often are not able to bring their medications with them. With no pharmacies or doctor’s offices open, the Galveston County Health Department decided to use their mobile van to bring a team of healthcare providers directly to emergency evacuation shelters.

Dr. Philip Keiser, a professor of medicine at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston who serves as the Galveston County Local Health Authority, reported that the Hurricane Preparedness Pack that Direct Relief had prepositioned with the County Health Department, along with an Emergency Health Kit sent overnight on the day the hurricane made landfall, enabled medical providers to effectively care for people suffering from both acute and chronic medical conditions.

Over the first two months following Harvey’s landfall, Direct Relief delivered 355 emergency shipments to 44 partner facilities caring for people affected by the storm and its aftermath. These shipments contained more than 70,000 pounds of critically needed medicines, insulin, tetanus vaccines, first aid and general clinic supplies, diagnostic medical equipment, antiseptics and disinfectants, and personal hygiene products with a total wholesale value of $10.4 million.

Medium to Long-term Recovery

As the disaster response moved into the recovery phase, Direct Relief continued to work closely with the Texas Association of Community Health Centers and longstanding partners the National Association for Community Health Centers (NACHC) and the National Association of Free Clinics (NAFC) to address priority medical needs. Direct Relief’s focus with partners is always on the people and organizations who not only step up in the immediate event, but those that will also be a significant part of the healthcare safety net in the months and years ahead. These partners directly provide care to the vulnerable people and communities affected by the storm, and out the critically needed medical products that Direct Relief delivers to use.

In total, since Hurricane Harvey made landfall nearly a year ago, Direct Relief has delivered 981 emergency shipments to 76 partner facilities in hurricane-affected communities in Texas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma. These relief and recovery shipments, valued at $21 million wholesale, consisted of more than 200,000 pounds of critically needed medications, insulin, tetanus vaccines, first aid and general clinic supplies, diagnostic medical equipment, antiseptics and disinfectants, and personal hygiene products. The donated products contained a total of 9.1 million defined daily doses or the assumed average maintenance dose per day for a drug used for its main indication in adults.

Summary of Hurricane Harvey Emergency Product Donations

Since Hurricane Harvey made landfall, Direct Relief has shipped $21,019,000 worth of donated medical products to 76 partner healthcare facilities.

Emergency shipments contained critically needed medications, nutritional products, medical and hygiene supplies, and medical equipment including:

• Analgesics
• Antibiotics
• Asthma Medications
• Antiseptics
• Cardiovascular Drugs
• Dermatological Products
• EpiPens
• Gastrointestinal Products
• Insulin and Oral Diabetes Medications
• Nutritional Products
• Ophthalmic Agents
• Tetanus, Diphtheria, and Pertussis Vaccines
• First Aid and Wound Care Products
• Medical and Surgical Instruments
• Blood Pressure Kits
• Blood Glucose Meters and Test Strips
• Water Purification Supplies and Equipment
• Personal Care and Hygiene Supplies

Long-Term Rehabilitation Support for Affected Communities

In addition to providing critical medical material aid and supplies, as well as emergency operating grants, Direct Relief extended its collaboration with NACHC, NAFC, TACHC and other associations to provide cash funding through the establishment of the Hurricane Community Health Fund. The fund was set up in the aftermath of the hurricane to be used solely for the benefit of hurricane-affected communities and people – particularly those who have low incomes, lack insurance, and are among the region’s most vulnerable residents.

To date, Direct Relief has awarded $4.9 million in cash grants aimed at helping partners in Texas with near, intermediate, and long term purchases including mobile medical units, generators for backup power, and backup refrigeration for temperature-sensitive medicine that must be kept cold, as well as fund repair or replacement of storm-damaged roofs, floors and equipment, helping them become more resilient for the upcoming hurricane season. Another round of funding will be distributed by the end of 2018.

Cash grants ranging from $33,000 to nearly $650,000 were awarded to 25 community health centers and free and charitable clinics in Texas:

• Amistad Community Health Center – Corpus Christi
• Asian American HOPE Clinic – Houston
• Casa El Buen Samaritano – Houston
• Christ Clinic – Katy
• Bee Busy Wellness Center – Houston
• Coastal Health & Wellness, Galveston, La Marque
• Community Health Centers of South Central Texas – Gonzales
• El Centro de Corazon – Houston
• Fort Bend Family Health Center – Richmond
• Gulf Coast Health Center – Port Arthur
• Health for All – Bryan
• Health Opportunities for the People of East Texas – Center
• Ibe Sina Foundation – Houston
• Matagorad Episcopal Health Outreach Program – Bay City
• Pasadena Health Center – Pasadena
• PediPlace – Lewisville
• San José Clinic – Houston
• Spring Branch Community Health Center – Houston
• Stephen F. Austin Community Health Center – Alvin
• The Texas International Institute of Health Professions (TIIHP) – Houston
• TOMAGWA HealthCare Ministries – Tomball
• Triangle Area Network – Beaumont
• Ubi Caritas Health Ministries – Beaumont
• United Health Partners – Houston
• Vecino Health Centers – Houston

Improving Resiliency

During the response to Hurricane Harvey, significant challenges arose in terms of understanding changing circumstances, communicating emerging needs, tracking available resources, and coordinating response activity. The Harvey response further demonstrated an increasing urgency for strong preparedness activity before disaster events, not only in terms of health programs and logistics, but also in the areas of communications, analysis and coordination. Since the hurricane struck, a number of new communication and mapping tools have emerged to address or strengthen preparedness and response efforts. For example, Facebook developed a suite of new social media tools tailored specifically to crisis response with the potential to improve emergency communications in dramatic ways for individuals and organizations alike. In addition, crisis mapping has continued to mature through improved integration of new services and social media data, as well as easier deployment of geographic information systems (GIS).

Post-Harvey Workshops

Effective use of innovative tools requires not only access to technology and data, but also skills, practice, procedures and preparation developed prior to disasters. As a result, Direct Relief, in collaboration with Texas healthcare safety net partners, the Texas Association of Community Health Centers (TACHC), and others in the technology and analytics communities, held a post-Harvey workshop on social media, crisis mapping, and public health emergency response called Innovations in Crisis Response.

The workshop, which took place in Houston in May, provided training on how to use new social media and crisis mapping, offering health centers across Texas an opportunity to learn and engage in the development of communications and crisis mapping plans in advance of the 2018 hurricane season. Attendees learned how first responders use new forms of social media and crisis mapping to connect, understand, and work in more efficient ways. The workshop also allowed safety net healthcare professionals to share effective disaster communications and analysis strategies, and to provide feedback designed to make the tools more responsive to the needs of emergency response professionals. The meeting was covered by the Associated Press and appeared in dozens of outlets across the country.

At the request of TACHC, Direct Relief will also be sponsoring an Emergency Preparedness and Response workshop at the association’s annual conference in October 2018. The workshop will consist of a full day of pre-conference training on emergency preparedness topics that were identified by community health centers affected by Harvey.

Looking Ahead

The extensive and widespread effects of Hurricane Harvey will be felt for many years to come. Both the unfathomable destruction, and the beauty of people coming together to help and support each other in their time of need, will not be easily forgotten. In response to the historic devastation caused by the storm, over the past year, Direct Relief has worked alongside healthcare providers rooted in affected communities to bring proven approaches to emergency response to an unprecedented scale, adapt to the evolving needs on the ground, and enhance the effectiveness of preparedness efforts along the U.S. Gulf Coast to ensure even more effective responses to future storms.

It is thanks to the generous support of individuals, corporations, foundations, and healthcare companies that Direct Relief has been able to deliver critically needed medical products and financial support to medical providers caring for thousands of people affected by Hurricane Harvey.

The post Hurricane Harvey: One Year Later appeared first on Direct Relief.

More than 800 people have been killed as a result of the flooding across three countries, including Nepal. Over 1 million people are estimated to be displaced in Nepal, India and Bangladesh. Search and rescue operations continue in Nepal, but access is challenging to more remote and isolated communities, since communication is limited. Flood waters not only damaged and destroyed homes, schools, hospitals, and roads, but also swept away livestock and swamped key agricultural areas, including recently planted rice fields. Specific relief concerns include the lack of potable water, the risk of disease outbreaks, and a shortage of food staples.

Health facilities in the hardest-hit areas are overwhelmed with patients and are running out of essential medications and consumable supplies.

The Nepali government, in close coordination with local district disaster relief committees in more than 35 districts, has requested assistance from national and international non-governmental organizations. Direct Relief has a strong history of providing aid to the people of Nepal, both through the ongoing provision of medical products to partner healthcare facilities and programs, and by responding to emergency situations including the devastating earthquake of April 25, 2015.

Direct Relief Emergency Response team members are currently coordinating with ministry of health and population authorities in Nepal, including the director of the department of health services logistics management division, who forwarded a list of specific needs, and confirmed a willingness to fast-track Direct Relief donations through customs, as well as assist with their secure storage and distribution.

There is an urgent need for anti-infective and anti-parasitic agents, oral rehydration solutions, analgesics, prenatal vitamins, antiseptics, water purification products, IV sets, and surgical masks and gloves. Direct Relief is preparing the requested items that are currently available in inventory for shipment, and is requesting additional items from healthcare company donors.

Direct Relief is also supporting the urgent medical requirements of people affected by the severe flooding in the country’s Terai region by providing an emergency response grant to the nonprofit Mountain Heart Nepal. Founded by young medical professionals in response to the 2015 earthquake, MHN is now conducting emergency medical and surgical outreach camps for flood-affected people, and will be helping to distribute needed medications and supplies to national healthcare system clinics in hard-hit areas.

The post Direct Relief Partners with Nepal’s Ministry of Health in Response to Deadly Flooding appeared first on Direct Relief.

Despite the dire circumstances that many people in Nepal continue to face, there remains hope and optimism. Many humanitarian groups from around the world provided assistance to Nepal following the earthquake, and this report details aid that Direct Relief delivered to improve the health and quality of life for survivors.

Direct Relief’s Response

As soon as the massive earthquake struck, it became clear that Nepal would not be able to address the enormous spike in demand for medical services, as the already limited capacity of the existing health infrastructure had been severely diminished. In Nepal’s 14 most-affected districts, the earthquake and aftershocks damaged or destroyed more than 1,200 health facilities and affected access to healthcare services for an estimated 5 million people.

Direct Relief’s main objective in any large-scale emergency response is to deliver essential emergency medical resources – that are requested, approved by the responsible government authority, and appropriate for the circumstances – where they are most needed, as fast and efficiently as possible. Direct Relief immediately started working with its in-country partners to assess needs for medical aid and to rapidly mobilize and distribute medical resources to experienced emergency medical teams and to Nepali-based organizations and health facilities. In addition to making its entire inventory of medical resources available – valued at over $100 million – Direct Relief worked to acquire additional medical material resources via product contributions from healthcare companies, as well as purchased essential medications, supplies, and equipment items from local and regional manufacturers and distributors for immediate delivery and use.

The outpouring of support from those around the world enabled Direct Relief to deliver 170 tons of medicines and supplies, worth more than $50 million, to agencies and healthcare facilities caring for earthquake survivors in Nepal over the last two years. In addition, this support has allowed for more than $3 million in cash grants to be provided to locally run organizations to help with recovery and reconstruction efforts. Direct Relief’s ongoing response will continue to support needed medical services while helping to rebuild local health systems and strengthen resiliency.

As of April 2017, Direct Relief’s Nepal earthquake response efforts have resulted in the delivery of 339,207 pounds of specifically requested medical goods with a wholesale value of $50,250,158. This humanitarian material assistance was furnished through 69 individual donations to 31 partner facilities and organizations, for which Direct Relief arranged for and managed all logistics, transport and physical delivery throughout the affected regions.

Direct Relief was able to avoid significant costs (and expenditures of donor funds) related to the first two airlift charters of 60 tons of humanitarian medical essentials from the U.S. to Nepal. That’s because FedEx donated its aircraft, flight crews and tremendous logistics backbone and team for two full-plane charters.

As always occurs in large-scale natural disasters, there were many emergency medical needs in addition to the lack of material resources. Thanks to the outpouring of financial support from donors, Direct Relief has been able to provide cash grants to help healthcare facilities and organizations reach and treat earthquake survivors. Consistent with Direct Relief’s focus on supporting the most vulnerable, grants were directed to groups such the Hospital and Rehabilitation Center for Disabled Children and the Spinal Injury Rehabilitation Centre, which treat people with long-term disabling injuries, One Heart World-Wide which provides services for pregnant women and young children, and other long-term partners of Direct Relief.

To date, Direct Relief has identified, vetted, and supported with cash grants the following locally run organizations to help strengthen and rebuild the healthcare system.

Regaining Sight After the Earthquake: One Patient’s Story

Lal Kaji Tamang, an 89-year-old man from Sertung village, located in the district of Dhading, had been blind in both eyes for over three years. His loss of vision, due to bilateral cataracts, made it impossible for him to continue weaving baskets which had allowed him to support himself and to contribute toward family expenses.

To make matters worse, Lal’s home was severely damaged in the earthquake, and he was forced to move into a small hut by himself. Without the ability to see, Lal had to request assistance to move around outside and rarely left home as a result.

Lal heard about the B.P. Eye Foundation medical outreach camp from community volunteers who were helping to spread the word about the upcoming availability of eye, ear, and general medical services.

Lal’s daughter-in-law carried him on her back to the camp location, where he underwent cataract surgery on both of his eyes over a two-day period. When the bandages were removed, Lal’s face was immediately full of joy and he started to dance. He was incredibly happy that his vision was restored and that he could work and take care of himself again.

Lal repeatedly thanked all of the surgeons, other healthcare providers, and camp organizers. And when the follow-up team returned a week later to check on their ophthalmic and other patients, Lal invited them to his home for dinner.

Looking Forward

The effects of disasters of this magnitude are long term, and significant humanitarian needs will remain for years. Direct Relief is committed to working with healthcare facilities and public health agencies in Nepal to address the intermediate, ongoing, and long-term healthcare needs of earthquake-affected families and communities. All remaining Nepal Earthquake-designated funds that Direct Relief received from supporters will be used to continue to improve the health of people in Nepal through supplying medical material resources, funding recovery, rehabilitation, and healthcare system strengthening activities, as well as enacting disaster preparedness and resiliency programs.

The post After Nepal Earthquake, Road to Recovery Continues. So Does Direct Relief’s Commitment. appeared first on Direct Relief.

An incredible advancement in the fight against RDS was the development of surfactant replacement therapy. The treatment has decreased mortality rates dramatically – in some cases, from nearly 100 percent for babies with RDS to less than 10 percent.

Still, a large percentage of the world’s population lacks access to this life-saving medication.

Thanks to an in-kind donation from AbbVie of Survanta — a surfactant replacement therapy — Direct Relief provided 500 vials of the medicine to one of its partners in India, the Meenakshi Mission Hospital and Research Centre (MMHRC).

MMHRC’s Pediatrics and Neonatology Department contains a fully equipped, 25-bed neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) ,which admits an average of 65 preterm and sick babies each month.

Since receiving the shipment earlier this year, the hospital reports that Survanta has already helped to save over 400 infants and preterm babies:

Since we were provided with Survanta, babies whose families cannot afford this essential medication can now receive this therapy. The babies are getting better quickly and being discharged in stable condition. With this surfactant therapy, all the babies recovered from respiratory distress have survived without neurological deficits.” – Arulmony Thangaswamy, Director, Research & Development, MMHRC

Meenakshi Mission Hospital and Research Centre

MMHRC is an 800-bed nonprofit multispecialty hospital and medical research facility that serves the regions of Madurai and greater southern Tamil Nadu.

The facility opened the first charitable AIDS ward in the area, provides heart surgery free-of-charge for children with congenital heart diseases, and operates a pediatric oncology unit that treats thousands of young patients facing a variety of cancers and blood disorders. In addition to the activities of the main hospital, MMHRC runs a number of community sub-centers that provide villagers with primary and secondary medical care and operates a telemedicine unit – funded by Direct Relief – that enables specialists at the hospital to provide diagnosis and treatment recommendations to patients in distant or remote areas.

The hospital has also been involved in providing medical services in response to emergency situations that occur throughout the region. Direct Relief worked extensively with MMHRC to respond to medical needs following the South Asian tsunami, several destructive cyclones, and widespread dengue fever outbreaks.

The post 400 Infants & Preterm Babies Survive Respiratory Distress Syndrome appeared first on Direct Relief.

Shanti struggled with her health for years until she found an antiretroviral drug regimen that works for her. Shanti, age 35, now helps other HIV positive women and children through Shakti Samuha, the nonprofit organization where she works.

While someone who’s overcome such hardship should get to live happily ever after, Shanti is facing yet another challenge to her health.

The earthquake and a border blockade with India have dramatically reduced the flow of medications into Nepal, including drug therapies for HIV. Throughout the country, people with HIV/AIDS and other serious chronic conditions are facing the terrifying possibility of a medical stock out.

On a visit to the doctor in August, Shanti was told that the hospital was out of her HIV medication.

“In this time I am not feeling good but am not losing my hope,” she wrote in a text message to friends.

A few days later, she sent another text.

“I have already visited many hospitals and had many meetings with doctors but couldn’t find any solution of my problem, so dear friends, please pray for me.”

Her friends did more than that.

They circulated her messages until they reached Nepal’s Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP) and the National Centre for AIDS and STD Control (NCASC). In turn, the MoHP reached out to Direct Relief with a request for the antiretroviral drugs that Shanti and other patients living with HIV/AIDS desperately need.

Shanti’s medicine is one of the critically needed drugs included in the Direct Relief air freight shipment currently en route to Nepal. Direct Relief also coordinated with Indian-partner organization Doctors for You to ensure that Shanti, and other patients, have enough medicine to last until the shipment arrives.

“I would like to express my thanks to Direct Relief for supporting me with medicine for my critical health condition,” Shanti said in a recent email.

“It was my darkest day when the doctor told me that Nepal didn’t have my medicine anymore, but now you are coming like light to take me out from the dark. I don’t know how to thank you but from inside my heart.”

People living with HIV can live long, fulfilling lives, but only if they have access to medicine. For now, in Nepal, Shanti and others do.

The post Nepal’s Critical Drug Shortage: HIV Meds Shouldn’t Be This Hard To Get appeared first on Direct Relief.

Direct Relief’s collaboration with the Issa Trust Foundation began in 2015 with the delivery of essential respiratory medications, including 792 inhalers, oral corticosteroids, and sodium chloride for use with nebulizers. Diagnostic and respiratory supplies and equipment, such as infant and neonate blood pressure cuffs, a pulse oximeter, and a nebulizer compressor, were also included.

The supplies supported a medical mission team that, together with USAid and the Department of Education, treated 1,400 children with asthma.

The Issa Trust Foundation also works to reduce infant mortality by improving the capacity of the public health infrastructure to care for premature, low-weight, and very sick infants. In 2012, the Foundation selected St. Ann’s Bay Regional Hospital, located in northeastern Jamaica, as the first facility to support. Their comprehensive neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) upgrade program focuses on:

• providing and installing ventilators and other intensive care equipment
• hands-on training for medical providers including physicians, nurses, and midwives
• biomedical technical training for engineers and technicians to ensure proper maintenance and repair of equipment

Since the NICU program began at St. Ann Bay, perinatal mortality in the North East Regional Health Authority has fallen by approximately 30 percent. The success of the program has led to requests from the Ministry of Health, and hospitals across the island, to expand it to additional regions.

The Foundation also has relationships with hospitals across the country, many of which experience chronic shortages of medications and supplies. Direct Relief will continue to work with the Issa Foundation to help these facilities get the medical resources their patients need.

The post Shipment Arrival: Issa Trust Foundation, Jamaica appeared first on Direct Relief.

Direct Relief is working with Hope Through Health (HTH) to increase access to maternal and child healthcare services for resource-poor communities in northern Togo. The joint project helps to identify, educate, and support pregnant women through health care worker training and outreach activities. It also aims to improve the capacity of public health clinics by addressing chronic shortages of essential medical commodities for maternal, newborn, and child health.

As part of the project, HTH has trained 25 female community health workers (CHWs) on motherhood and delivery-related health care/treatment requirements and services. The CHWs will serve approximately 4,000 women of reproductive age, identifying pregnant women and referring them to community medical clinics for prenatal care. CHWs will also educate women on the importance of delivering in a health facility and will work with them to create safe birth plans. After delivery, CHWs will follow up with new mothers to ensure that they are receiving proper postnatal care.

Direct Relief is supporting the program with the provision of its ICM–endorsed Midwife Kits. Twenty of these comprehensive kits arrived in Togo on August 12, 2015. They are already being used by medical clinics in the four targeted communities of Adabawere, Djamde, Kpindi, and Sarakawa to support safe pregnancies and deliveries.

The Adabawere health clinic serves a population of almost 7,000 people in a neighborhood of Kara, the third largest city in Togo. With a 77 percent utilization rate, the clinic is often bustling with women and children but suffered severe shortages of the medical resources needed to care for the region’s nearly 2,000 women of childbearing age.

The clinics in Djamde, Kpindi, and Sarakawa each serve rural communities with a combined population of approximately 13,000. These facilities have very low utilization rates – roughly 10% – and desperately need the right medical resources.

HTH anticipates a considerable increase in the use of medical clinics now that the facilities are better equipped.

HTH has worked closely with key stakeholders on program design and buy-in for this critical intervention. HTH, health authorities, CHWs, and local communities have all expressed their appreciation for the Direct Relief Midwife Kits and the opportunity to improve the health of women and families.

The post Hope Through Maternal Health: Togo appeared first on Direct Relief.

Established in Santiago, Chile in 2002, the Foundation for Educational, Social and Economic Development (FEDES – Fundación Educativa de Desarrollo Economico y Social) was created to build stronger communities through social and economic development, and to improve the lives of disadvantaged and disabled Chileans.

The foundation’s principal development programs focus on long-term solutions to poverty and unemployment, but FEDES also responds to the immediate and on-going medical needs of at-risk and vulnerable children, adults, families, and communities through disaster response activities and support for struggling public healthcare facilities.

FEDES initially developed their disaster relief program in response to devastating floods that hit central and southern Chile in 2002. The program was utilized again in the aftermath of the 8.8 earthquake that struck off the coast of central Chile five years ago, on February 27, 2010.

In addition to the earthquake-related loss of life, injuries, and damage to homes and infrastructure, the massive quake also created a tsunami that devastated coastal towns in the south-central part of the country.

It was in response to this natural disaster that Direct Relief began to work with FEDES, providing multiple emergency shipments and a cash grant that assisted with the rebuilding of damaged medical clinics.

Like many other partnerships initially established to respond to an emergency situation, the collaboration between Direct Relief and FEDES continued after relief and recovery efforts were completed.

Direct Relief then began providing ongoing shipments of medical and nutritional products to FEDES for distribution to public hospitals and clinics that care for the most disadvantaged and marginalized populations in the country.

“Infinite thanks for all Direct Relief does to change lives, you have made a big difference in the lives of many poor people in Chile, God bless you, FEDES could never thank you enough.” – Steven Colon, Founder of FEDES.

A portion of the Direct Relief shipments provided to FEDES are distributed to primary and secondary health care clinics in urban districts with high indicators of poverty and vulnerability. Working closely with the Chilean Ministry of Health and local authorities, FEDES administers a special community development program in the Santiago municipalities of Lo Espejo and San Bernardo.

Improving housing conditions, opening vocational schools, training public school teachers, increasing employment opportunities, supplying local healthcare facilities with needed medical and nutritional products, and building volunteer networks to assist people with disabilities are some of the many ways that FEDES is working to improve the lives of people in need.

In 2014, Direct Relief shipped three containers of medical supplies and nutritional products to FEDES for distribution to hospitals and clinics facing severe product shortages. Donated items included oral electrolyte solutions, nutritional supplements, first aid and surgical items, respiratory and urinary supplies, autoclaves, IV stands, and mobility aids such as canes, crutches, and walkers.

The post FEDES Partnership Continues Five Years After Chile Quake appeared first on Direct Relief.

This delivery was the first donation shipped as part of the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) Commitment to Action “Mobilizing Medical Supplies for Pakistan“ announced by Heartfile Health Financing (HHF) – a Pakistani organization dedicated to expanding health care to the nation’s underserved people.

Some wounded in the shooting were likely treated with the donated items, which included critical medicines as well as a range of disposable hospital supplies such as gloves, syringes, wound pads, bandages, and dressings, and medical equipment, including: two specifically requested pediatric gastroscopes, 30 hospital beds, 25 autoclaves, 40 wheelchairs, and 28 IV stands.

While the massive tragedy that would affect Lady Reading Hospital (LRH) was unpredictable, the hospital’s ongoing need for medical supplies was certain.

LRH’s wards are often filled to capacity. Its busy out-patient clinic sees more than 2,500 patients per day, and its Accident & Emergency Unit typically sees 1,500 – 1,800 patients per day, including many victims of violence.

The needs at Pakistani health facilities like Lady Reading Hospital as well as the numerous barriers to accessing health care services in Pakistan are among the reasons why Heartfile announced the CGI commitment in an effort to address the lack of access to quality public health care services in Pakistan.

According to The Lancet, more than 78 percent of people in Pakistan pay out-of-pocket to access health care services even though more than 60 percent of the country’s population lives on less than the equivalent of $2 USD a day. As a result, burdensome spending on urgent medical care needs and impoverishing healthcare-related debt are common.

Over the next five years, Heartfile aims to strengthen the public healthcare system in Pakistan by distributing medical products adequate to treat a minimum of 2,500 patients in need. Direct Relief has committed to providing $5 million worth of medical goods to Heartfile over the program period.

This commitment is conducted in partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO) Pakistan office and Pakistani nonprofit Sulaimaniyah Trust. Direct Relief medical donations are shipped to Heartfile, which then distributes them to an approved network of public sector hospitals based on their specific needs.

The post CGI Commitment Saves Lives in Peshawar, Pakistan appeared first on Direct Relief.

Obstetric fistula is a hole in the birth canal that is caused by prolonged and obstructed labor. If untreated, a woman with obstetric fistula will experience constant and uncontrollable leakage of urine and/or feces. In addition to physical injuries, many women with fistula suffer humiliation, isolation, and stigma as a result of the smell and constant leakage.

However, obstetric fistula can be treated with repair surgery. To ensure health providers have access to the essential medicines and surgical supplies needed for the specialized surgery and post-operative care, Direct Relief developed Fistula Repair Modules containing everything needed for fistula treatment. Each contains enough supplies for an estimated 50 surgeries. These are provided at no cost to facilities providing obstetric fistula repair surgery worldwide.

Addressing Fistula Through Collaboration

Saint Luc became a recipient of the Direct Relief Fistula Repair Modules though a collaboration with the Solidarity Fund African Women International (SOLFA). The organization was established in 2006 by a small group of Belgian physicians and professors associated with K.U. Leuven, Belgium’s oldest and largest university.

They founded SOLFA to address obstetric fistula by providing free fistula repair surgery in addition to creating employment and income-generating opportunities for young girls and women in Central Africa living with fistula. After a number of assessment trips to different countries where fistula is an issue, SOLFA decided to focus its efforts in the DRC, choosing Hôpital St. Luc as the location for its activities.

Saint Luc Hospital provides the space and personnel for the facility’s fistula program, while SOLFA pays for other medical costs including admission and hospital stay, surgical procedure, and outpatient visits. The organization also provides some medications and medical/surgical products, but the items provided are typically donated by Belgian hospitals and the supply is often unpredictable and limited.

Because of a need for more uniform and consistent donations of medical material, they reached out to Direct Relief to help assist with ensuring better quality and standardization of fistula surgery and post-operative care.

A Message of Thanks

A few months after receiving their initial shipment of fistula modules, Dr. Dirk De Ridder, Professor of Urology at SOLFA, wrote:

     “The supplies allowed us to operate the women in a safer environment with trustworthy materials. Antibiotics were very useful, since they are difficult to get in DR Congo. Also the catheters and wound dressings were very useful. Sutures were excellent.

     A few women that were operated a year ago came to visit. Their fistulas were closed and they were continent. Before they were abandoned by their husbands. Now they all were happy to tell us that their husbands had returned and that they were living a normal family life again!

     Direct Relief is an important aid in the struggle against obstetric fistula. Receiving good quality material is a major advantage in treating these patients in a safe and professional way. Thanks in the name of all the patients that benefit from your donations.”

Direct Relief is looking forward to a continued and productive partnership with SOLFA and Hôpital St. Luc, and to helping more Congolese women receive life-restoring fistula repair. Many thanks to all of you who make this program possible. Support more shipments like these when you donate here.

The post Repairing Fistula, Restoring Lives in the Democratic Republic of Congo appeared first on Direct Relief.

As is often the case in emergency situations, the poorest and most vulnerable groups suffered the greatest from the lack of access to quality medical services, as well as the loss of land, shelter, and employment opportunities.

Thanks to a strong partner network in the region, as well as an incredibly generous outpouring of support from donors, Direct Relief was able to provide almost $60 million in medical humanitarian aid to in response to the massive disaster. In order to most effectively utilize the unprecedented financial and in-kind resources received in response to the tsunami, Direct Relief developed a comprehensive strategy that allocated resources per country as well as per specific relief, recovery, and rehabilitation activity.

Please see Direct Relief’s aid distribution map for a detailed view of where resources have been delivered.

The Response

Response efforts focused on a number of health-related areas of need: emergency and on-going medical services; disease prevention; health facility construction and rehabilitation; emergency transport; medical and technical equipment assistance; psycho-social services; water and sanitation; shelter; and the restoration of livelihoods. These varied but interconnected activities enabled the support of immediate and long-term healthcare services, as well as helped to realize the important goal of “building back better”.

In total, more than $13.5 million in targeted cash grants and $45.4 million in medicines, nutritional products, supplies, and equipment were deployed for tsunami relief and recovery to nearly 90 local partners in the hardest hit countries of Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, and Thailand.

Working with in-country organizations that had the greatest stake in the success of response and recovery efforts, Direct Relief supported projects that improved the overall quality and availability of both urgent and on-going healthcare services such as the building of community healthcare centers in isolated or underserved areas that previously had little or no access to medical services; the reconstruction of physically stronger, more disaster-resistant, and larger medical clinics (often adding accommodations for a trained healthcare provider); the purchase of ambulances including a specialized vehicle for the care of neonates; the purchase of medical equipment including emergency, intensive care, and diagnostic items; the design and building of customized mobile telemedicine units that can use the expertise of physicians in tertiary care facilities to diagnose and treat people in more remote areas; the cleaning and rebuilding of proper wells, toilets, and septic tanks; and the training of local healthcare providers.

The Recovery

Over the years, many of the activities that proved particularly effective have been expanded or duplicated in other areas of high need, permanently strengthening and improving access to healthcare services for millions of people.

It is still difficult to comprehend the extent of loss and destruction suffered by the individuals, families, and communities affected by the South Asian tsunami. But the strength, resilience, and steadfastness of survivors determined to rebuild their lives over the past 10 years has been, and will remain, an inspiration for Direct Relief and the world.

The post Ten Years Later: 2004 South Asian Earthquake and Tsunami appeared first on Direct Relief.

After attending the United Nations General Assembly Meeting in New York, Guyana’s President Donald Ramotar and his wife, Deolatchmee Ramotar, stopped in Los Angeles to attend a special dinner hosted by Direct Relief partner organization, Guyana Medical Relief (GMR).

During the dinner, held Sunday at the Luxe City Center Hotel, President Ramotar  recognized Direct Relief’s long-term medical assistance efforts and partnership with GMR.

He thanked Direct Relief for three decades of support, and credited its provision of more than $10 million of medical products to Guyanese healthcare facilities with significantly strengthening the capacity of the country’s health care system.

President Ramotar and the First Lady also spoke about the numerous health care obstacles that make it difficult for many of Guyana’s residents to access quality medical services.

These include widespread poverty, inequity, and disparities among ethnic and geographic groups; a high burden of infectious diseases, non-communicable diseases, and injuries; a lack of roads and bridges affecting patient transport; and medical professional brain drain.

Despite these challenges, the President said that the slow but steady economic growth in Guyana over the past few years is gradually improving the efficiency and quality of public hospital services throughout the country.

Direct Relief’s most recent medical donation to Guyana was a 38-pallet shipment which was distributed by GMR to four district hospitals in late July. The shipment contained medications adequate to address both acute and chronic conditions for a six month period.

The post Direct Relief Honored by President of Guyana at Los Angeles Dinner appeared first on Direct Relief.