Global Update: $75 Million for Health Equity; A New Disaster Response Collaboration; Medical Aid to Sierra Leone

A Kheir Center staff member vaccinates a senior patient. (Photo courtesy of Kheir Center)

By Staff

March 4, 2021

In Summary

• Direct Relief commits an initial $75 million to increase access to health care and other services for racial and ethnic minorities.

• In partnership with Harvard University, Direct Relief launches CrisisReady, a new collaboration that uses data to help decision-making when disaster strikes.

• Direct Relief sent pallets of medical equipment and supplies to support a brand-new clinic serving surrounding villages in Sierra Leone.

• 20 medical-grade refrigerators donated to Jamaica have been placed in facilities across the island.
Top Stories

Direct Relief Establishes Fund for Health Equity with $75 Million in Initial Funding Raised

Free Clinic of Meridian staff member, Desiree Wilson, takes a patient’s vital signs during a regularly scheduled appointment. (Photo By Revere Photography for Direct Relief)

The situation: Historic racism and socioeconomic disparities have long resulted in worse health outcomes for members of racial and ethnic minorities, an injustice that the pandemic has only increased.

The response: With initial contributions from long-term partner AbbVie and philanthropist MacKenzie Scott, Direct Relief is establishing a fund designed to increase access to health care and related services for minority communities.

The impact: Over the next five years, the fund will provide financial support to health centers, clinics, and organizations that focus on addressing these systemic inequities.

CrisisReady, A New Collaboration, Will Use Big Data to Solve Public Health Emergencies

A firefighter works to quell the flames of the El Dorado Fire burning in California’s San Bernardino mountains on Sept. 10, 2020. (Photo courtesy of San Bernardino County Fire Department)

The situation: Climates are more extreme and populations are denser, worsening the potential impacts of disaster around the globe. But at the same time, technology offers the promise of a new, more informed kind of disaster response.

The response: Direct Relief and Harvard University have launched CrisisReady, a new effort to coordinate multiple streams of data to inform disaster-related policy decisions.

The impact: Vast flows of information will be aggregated and analyzed to produce real, actionable information to respond to disasters and promote resiliency.

For A New Sierra Leone Clinic, More than $195,000 in Medications, Equipment Is Shipped

The Robena Health Center under construction. (Photo courtesy of the Robena Health Center)

The situation: The brand-new Robena Health Center will provide care to seven surrounding villages in Sierra Leone that previously lacked nearby health care.

The response: Direct Relief purchased medical equipment, such as walkers, wheelchairs, and an autoclave, for the clinic, and sent four pallets of medical supplies in addition.

The impact: The donation will help the new clinic open its doors and provide care to the surrounding communities.

Direct Relief Supports Chronic, Specialty Care in Jamaica with 20 Medical-Grade Refrigerators

A health worker opens a refrigerator at Kingston Public Hospital. (Courtesy photo)

The situation: Jamaica’s Ministry of Health, a Direct Relief partner, has been working to improve and invest in their cold-chain capacity.

The response: Direct Relief supported the Ministry of Health with 20 medical-grade refrigerators, which have been distributed to all of the island’s major regions.

The impact: The refrigerators will allow for the safe, consistent storage of medicines, including insulin, hemophilia factor, chemotherapy medications, and more.

In Brief

The United States

• Over the past two weeks, Direct Relief has made 944 shipments to 507 United States partners, totaling more than $6.3 million in value.
• During that time, nearly $400,000 in grants have been distributed.
• Direct Relief awarded a $90,000 grant to install solar panels and battery storage in a Puerto Rico firehouse, to ensure a fast, effective response to future disasters.
• A $500,000 grant, along with several smaller individual grants, is aiding Los Angeles safety net providers working on the Covid-19 frontlines.

Around the World

• In the past two weeks, Direct Relief has made 25 shipments to 24 international partners, totaling nearly $4 million in value.
• Nearly $200,000 in grants was distributed over the same two weeks.
• In North Macedonia, Direct Relief has donated over 100,000 pieces of PPE, 20 tons of Covid-19 medicines and supplies, and refrigerators and freezers, as well as funding the training of health workers to administer Covid-19 vaccines.
• Seven of 31 40-foot containers of PPE intended for international partners have been dispatched to partners in Haiti, Somaliland, Mozambique, and Honduras, among other countries.
• As part of Direct Relief’s Rare Disease Program, the first shipment of medication for the first pediatric Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia patient was delivered to a treatment facility in India.
• The organization’s insulin shipments to Lebanon have grown to more than 100,000 vials. Since the August 4 explosion, Direct Relief has shipped more than $37.5 million in medical aid and granted $550,000 in financial support.