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Direct Relief's Luis David Rodriguez, alongside installing company engineer, Moises Acosta from Pura Energía, assisted in a final walkthrough at health center COSSMA in Yabucoa, Puerto Rico, for the ninth solar and battery backup project completed and funded by Direct Relief. (Direct Relief photo)
Over the past seven days, Direct Relief has delivered 541 shipments of requested medical aid to 41 U.S. states and territories and 16 countries worldwide.
The shipments contained 3.4 million defined daily doses of medication, including antibiotics, vaccines, nutritional products, and more.
The organization is tracking multiple responses across the globe and will continue to respond.
Cholera outbreak
Direct Relief is responding to cholera outbreaks in multiple parts of the world, including Haiti, Syria, and Lebanon.
This week, a shipment was prepared weighing more than seven tons for Haiti. At least 16 people have died and hundreds have been hospitalized due to a cholera outbreak in the country, exacerbated by gang violence, civil unrest, and food insecurity. A shipment was prepared this week that includes IV fluids, oral rehydration salts, water purification tablets, and cots.
The organization also shipped nearly three tons of medical aid to Syria, including 2 million defined daily doses of medication of oral rehydration salts, vitamins, and cardiovascular medicines. More than 13,000 cases of cholera have been reported in Syria, resulting in at least 60 deaths. Several cholera cases have been reported in Lebanon, and Direct Relief is preparing several shipments, including water purification tablets and oral rehydration salts for that region as well.
Shipments of emergency medical supplies for countries including Ukraine and Haiti are staged in Direct Relief’s warehouse on October 17, 2022. (Maeve O’Connor/Direct Relief)
Hurricane Fiona recovery
Direct Relief staff in Puerto Rico participated in a community health fair in Yabucoa, on the southeastern part of the island, alongside local health center COSSMA. Yabucoa was among the most affected areas after Hurricane María. During Hurricane Fiona, several communities suffered flooding with many of its residents being elderly and lacking access to healthcare services.
Direct Relief staff at a community health fair in Yabucoa, Puerto Rico on October 14, 2022. (Direct Relief photo)
COSSMA’s medical mobile unit, donated by Direct Relief, served as an on-site clinic where more than 30 patients received primary and mental healthcare services. Additionally, the team visited a family with multiple structural, physical, and mental health needs identified by COSSMA’s social worker. Another two families have been identified which the team will be visiting in the upcoming weeks.
In Yabucoa, Direct Relief staff also distributed hygiene kits that were donated by kindergarten and pre-k students of the Baldwin School of Puerto Rico. The students, alongside their teachers, wanted to contribute to Fiona’s relief efforts by preparing the kits with personalized notes.
Additionally, Direct Relief staff assisted in a final walkthrough at COSSMA health center in Yabucoa for the ninth solar and battery backup project completed and funded by Direct Relief. The system is providing energy for the fridges in the clinic’s pharmacy and IT areas, dental wing, AC units to cover those designated areas, as well as all the lighting in and around the building.
emergency preparedness
This week, Direct Relief staff met with representatives from Cedars-Sinai, Community Clinic Association of Los Angeles County (CCALAC), Saban Community Clinic, and others to launch the distribution of Direct Relief Emergency Medical Packs to CCALAC members and to discuss emergency preparedness and response in Los Angeles County.
Direct Relief staff meets with representatives from Cedars-Sinai, Community Clinic Association of Los Angeles County (CCALAC), Saban Community Clinic, and others to launch the distribution of Direct Relief Emergency Medical Packs to CCALAC members and to discuss emergency preparedness and response in Los Angeles County on October 19, 2022. (Maeve O’Connor/Direct Relief)
“One of the grounding philosophies of Direct Relief is to support and equip community health centers on the ground for disasters and emergency response,” said Leighton Jones, Direct Relief’s Director of Emergency Response & New Initiatives, during the visit.
Ukraine
Since February 24, Direct Relief has provided medical aid to Ukraine weighing more than 1.9 million pounds, or 950 tons, with more on the way.
This week, Direct Relief has provided 36 emergency medical backpacks and twelve pallets worth of critical medications and supplies to Ukraine.
Shipments of emergency medical supplies for countries including Ukraine and Haiti are staged in Direct Relief’s warehouse on October 17, 2022. (Maeve O’Connor/Direct Relief)
OPERATIONAL SNAPSHOT
WORLDWIDE
This week, Direct Relief shipped more than 1.5 million defined daily doses of medication outside the U.S.
Countries that received medical aid over the past week included:
Ukraine
Nigeria
India
Tanzania
Syria
Dominican Republic
Honduras
Guatemala
UNITED STATES
Direct Relief delivered 519 shipments containing 1.9 million doses of medications over the past week to organizations including the following:
Welvista, South Carolina
NC MedAssist, North Carolina
Society of St. Vincent de Paul dba St. Vincent de Paul Pharmacy, Texas
CommunityHealth, Illinois
Martin Luther King Health Center, Louisiana
Good News Clinics, Georgia
Hands of Grace Medical Clinic, Georgia
Jefferson Comprehensive Health Center, Inc., Mississippi
Samaritans Touch Care Center, Inc, Florida
YEAR-TO-DATE (GLOBAL)
Since January 1, 2022, Direct Relief has delivered 16.1K shipments to 2,122 healthcare providers in 53 U.S. states and territories and 87 countries.
These shipments contained 471.1 million defined daily doses of medication valued at $1.4 billion (wholesale), totaling 10.4 million lbs.
