A June 10 report issued by Nepal’s Ministry of Health and Population noted that 375 of the 446 public health facilities and 16 private facilities in Nepal’s hardest hit regions were destroyed, with the highest near-term priority being the resumption of health services, including the provision of logistics to provide drugs and supplies, to care for both injured persons and the general population.

“The Nepal earthquakes delivered a cruel blow, causing more people to need care and destroying the places where they can receive it,” said Thomas Tighe, President and CEO of Direct Relief. “Private resources are keenly needed as part of the collective effort, and we are deeply thankful to the companies that have again stepped up to help in such a substantial way.”

The 21 healthcare companies listed below contributed to today’s airlift, which contains 5,350,173 defined daily doses (DDDs) of medications, trauma and wound care supplies, and thousands of liters of oral rehydration solution (Pedialyte) – acutely needed in a country where cholera is endemic and posing a heightened risk.

The post Earthquake Recovery: 21 Healthcare Companies Making a Difference in Nepal appeared first on Direct Relief.

With the substantial decrease in new Ebola cases in recent weeks, the airlift represents a pivot toward helping local health facilities deal with both the pre-existing health challenges exacerbated by the outbreak as well as the still serious threats that Ebola presents.

Dozens of primary care facilities shuttered during the crisis; malaria and other conditions went untreated; vaccination programs were suspended, prompting a recent measles outbreak; and pregnancy-related complications saw an uptick as more women gave birth at home.

“As the focus shifts to long-term health systems strengthening in West Africa, these items will help restore confidence in health care for both providers and people seeking care,” said Andrew MacCalla, Director of Emergency Response and International Programs at Direct Relief.

Each module contains 36 of the essential supplies needed to operate a functional medical clinic for two months, including items such as surgical gowns, gloves, masks, lanterns, medical disposal bins, and non-contact thermometers. The contents were developed in consultation with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Ministry of Health of Liberia, and Last Mile Health.

The supplies contained in the modules were donated, in part, by the City of Yokohama, 3M, BD, California Nurses Foundation, and One Million Lights. Additional supplies were purchased through a grant from The Paul G. Allen Family Foundation.

Another 17 modules will ship later in the month for a total of 100 modules. In Liberia, 40 modules will be distributed by Last Mile Health. In Sierra Leone, 10 modules will be distributed by Wellbody Alliance and 50 modules will be distributed by Medical Research Centre. Prescription medicines contained on the airlift will also be delivered to all three of these partners, as well as to Africare in Liberia.

The pharmaceutical supplies were made possible by Accord Healthcare, Inc., Actavis Pharma, Inc., Bayer Corporation – USA, Baxter International, Inc., GSK, Hospira, Inc., Mylan Inc., Prestige Brands, and Teva Pharmaceuticals.

Since Direct Relief began responding to the Ebola outbreak last spring, the organization has sent 40 shipments of Ebola relief aid valued at $25 million (wholesale), which have been distributed to more than 1,000 clinics and health centers in West Africa, in coordination with partner agencies.

The post 747 Jets to West Africa as Ebola Response Pivots toward Recovery appeared first on Direct Relief.

Direct Relief is eligible for a $100,000 grant through Hospira’s (Mission: Care)²  program but we need your vote! These funds will support our 1,200 safety net health center and clinic partners in all 50 U.S. states who help people access the medical care they need.

Watch and vote for Direct Relief’s video about the safety net support program.

The organization with the most votes will receive the additional $100,000 grant. You can vote once per electronic device during the voting period, which runs through 11:59 p.m. CST on Friday, Dec. 12.

The post Your Vote Needed: Help People in the U.S. Access Health Care appeared first on Direct Relief.

Haitian First Lady Sophia Martelly and Health Minister Florence Duperval Guillaume were on site today to announce the distribution of treatment kits to centers around the country.

The shipment, designated for Haiti’s 904 Public Health and Population sites and Direct Relief’s other partner hospitals, contains more than 6.1 million Defined Daily Doses of pain relievers, oral rehydration packs, antibiotics, IV solution, malaria tablets, and mosquito spray. This distribution comes in the midst of a rainy season, expected to cause a wave of new cases.

Unlike many other mosquito-borne diseases, no vaccine is available to prevent chikungunya. Common symptoms include fever and joint pain, which is often severe and disabling.

The current outbreak, which began in late 2013, marked the arrival of chikungunya in the Americas. It was first detected in Haiti in May and its spread prompted the Haitian government to formally declare a medical emergency. Health officials anticipate that up to 50 percent of the population may be affected by the outbreak. To date, Haiti has recorded roughly 65,000 cases.

Generic pharmaceutical company Apotex generously donated more than $2.2 million of the $2.6 million (wholesale) in medical aid included in this delivery.

“When a fast-spreading virus like chikungunya impacts people who already struggle to access health care, it is important to provide hospitals and clinics with the supplies they need to meet the growing demand for care,” said Jeff Watson, Apotex’s President, US and Canada (Apotex Corp/Aveva/Apotex Inc.). “Apotex is in a position to help, and we are delighted to work with Direct Relief to fill those gaps.”

Other contributors to this response include Generic Pharmaceutical Association (GPHA) members Amneal, Hospira, and TEVA Pharmaceuticals, along with 3M, Johnson & Johnson, McNeil, McKesson, and Prestige Brands.

Since Haiti’s devastating earthquake in 2010, Direct Relief has worked with the Haitian Ministry of Public Health and Population to deliver more than $120 million in medical aid throughout the country.

Click here to support shipments like these. Your donations enable deliveries of life-saving medical supplies to people in need.

The post Medicine to Treat One Million People Arrives in Haiti appeared first on Direct Relief.

The five tons of medical material, valued at $231,000 (wholesale), will be flown to Indonesia on Tuesday, May 30, for use by Indonesian-based partner organizations and colleague U.S. nongovernmental organizations with medical teams in the region.

The aid shipments contain a disaster module furnished by Johnson & Johnson and other materials including: surgical instruments, sutures, wound dressings, casting material, disinfective agents, antibiotics, oral rehydration solution.

Muhammadiyah, Indonesia’s largest civic organization is among the partner organizations that will receive approximately one-half of the medical material aid, for use in its hospital in Bantul and its eight field clinics being established in Bantul and Klaten (Central Java).

The National Chairman of Muhammadiyah, Dr. H. Sudibyo Markus, today reported that the main facility in Bantul is functioning and providing services, but it is stretched beyond capacity. Two of the delivery rooms have been converted to operating theaters, and orthopedic surgeons have been deployed from the Indonesian government and other Muhammadiyah hospitals to assist with the surge of trauma cases. Post-operative patients are being evacuated to Muhammadiyah schools, although some patients remain in hospital corridors and outside under verandas.

In addition, Direct Relief is furnishing material assistance and cash assistance to partner organization Pusat Kajian dan Perlindungan Anak (PKPA). PKPA is an Indonesian organization focused on children’s rights and health, and Direct Relief is financing three of its health programs in Aceh and Medan in Sumatra as part of the tsunami recovery effort.

PKPA’s executive director, Mr. Ahmad Sofian, is in Yogyakarta conducting a rapid health assessment. Cash support approved today will enable PKPA to send 10 physicians to Yogyakarta to provide medical support, nutrition, and address other urgent needs for affected infants and children.

Persatuan Perawat Nasional (PPNI), another Indonesian partner organization with which Direct Relief has teamed to finance five health clinics in the areas hardest hit by the tsunami, is deploying a team of 20 nurses to Yogyakarta to care for earthquake victims.

Direct Relief has approved $25,000 for this effort, with the funds being managed by CHF International, a U.S.-based nonprofit organization with which Direct Relief has partnered on a large health infrastructure building program in tsunami-affected areas. CHF will also receive and distribute one of the emergency medical shipments through its staff members in Yogyakarta.

Corporate Support:

Direct Relief’s Indonesia material support effort is made possible by contributions from 22 companies:

• Abbott
• Aearo Company
• Alcon Laboratories, Inc.
• Amsino International
• Anda, Inc.
• BD
• Bristol-Myers Squibb Company
• BSN Medical, Inc. – Orthopaedics GBU
• Child Health Foundation
• Ethicon, Inc.
• Fisher Scientific Co.
• GlaxoSmithKline
• Hospira, Inc.
• Invacare Supply Group
• Johnson & Johnson
• Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies
• Kawasumi Laboratories America, Inc.
• McNeil Consumer & Specialty Pharms.
• Microflex
• Miltex Instrument Company
• Vitamin Angel Alliance
• Waldwick Plastics

The post Direct Relief Mobilizes Medical and Financial Assistance for Java Earthquake appeared first on Direct Relief.