Over the past seven days, Direct Relief has delivered 684 shipments of requested medical aid to 47 U.S. states and territories and 12 countries worldwide.
The shipments contained 11.4 million defined daily doses of medication, including first aid kits, vitamins, PPE, antibiotics, and more.
Solar Power and Battery Installed at Planned Parenthood in Ventura, CA
Direct Relief recently donated the battery component of Planned Parenthood – Ventura Health Center’s resilient power system. Planned Parenthood also partnered with Santa Barbara’s Community Environmental Council, which provided the solar array on the building. Adding a battery to the solar array provides Planned Parenthood with its own microgrid and adds energy resiliency via battery storage, enabling the building to stay powered and operational during emergencies and power outages.
Direct Relief’s Power for Health initiative has several projects that provide grant funding for battery storage only, in part as a result of the State of California’s Self-Generation Incentive Program run by the California Public Utilities Commission, which incentivizes a variety of energy systems via rebates.
The new system at Planned Parenthood in Ventura is estimated to save the facility approximately $100,000 in electricity bills over the next 30 years, allows the facility to use 100% renewable energy to power the building, and supports new EV charging stations. Direct Relief is also currently completing design work for a resilient power system for Planned Parenthood’s Santa Barbara clinic location, including a full microgrid system (solar + battery storage). This system’s capability is estimated to provide a minimum of 10 hours of clean backup power independent of the utility.
Click here to learn more about Direct Relief’s Power for Health initiative.
Thousands of Dental Hygiene Kits Packed for Santa Barbara County
On Monday, at Direct Relief headquarters in Santa Barbara, a group of local volunteers packed 3,000 dental kits. These kits contain toothbrushes, toothpaste, and floss items and will be sent to health centers, schools, and social service agencies in Santa Barbara County, California.
Fistula Repair Modules Arrive in Nigeria
Six Fistula Repair Modules from Direct Relief recently arrived at Evangel Vesico Vaginal Fistula Center in Jos, Nigeria. The Center anticipates being able to complete 300 surgical repairs with the products in the modules, which contain a standardized pack of high-quality medicines and surgical supplies necessary for fistula repair surgery and post-operative care. The comprehensive module was created in close consultation with leading surgical experts and is endorsed by the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO).
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 or feces. In addition to physical injuries, many women with fistula experience isolation and stigma, and in most cases of obstructed labor in which a fistula develops, the baby is stillborn.
To learn more about Direct Relief’s work to help end obstetric fistula, click here.
OPERATIONAL SNAPSHOT
WORLDWIDE
This week, Direct Relief shipped 7.8 million defined daily doses of medication outside the U.S.
Countries that received medical aid over the past week included:
- Malawi
- Ukraine
- Tanzania
- Iraq
- Egypt
- Tunisia
- Ghana
- Honduras
- Tajikistan
- Sudan
UNITED STATES
Direct Relief delivered 662 shipments containing more than 15.9 tons of medications over the past week to organizations, including the following:
- Flagler County Free Clinic, Florida
- Tarzana Treatment Center, California
- LaSante Health Center, New York
- PanCare of Florida, Inc. Malone, Florida
- Hardeman County, Tennessee
- Highlands Health Laurel Highlands Free & Charitable Clinic, Pennsylvania
- Amistad Community Health Center Robstown, Texas
- Victoria Community Health, Texas
- Oasis Free Clinics, Maine
- Health Partners Free Clinic, Ohio
YEAR-TO-DATE (GLOBAL)
Since Jan. 1, 2023, Direct Relief has delivered 11,400 shipments to 2,012 healthcare providers in 55 U.S. states and territories and 77 countries.
These shipments contained 315.2 million defined daily doses of medication valued at $1.1 billion (wholesale), totaling 3.7 million lbs.
