Over the past seven days, Direct Relief has delivered 597 shipments of requested medical aid to 51 U.S. states and territories and nine countries worldwide.
The shipments contained 25.4 million defined daily doses of medication and supplies, including prenatal vitamins, protective equipment, rare disease therapies, cancer treatments, and chronic disease medications.
Power and Health Summit Convened at Direct Relief
The intersection of climate and health was the focus of a panel discussion and film screening at Direct Relief this week. On Thursday, a screening of the short documentary “The Climate and Us: Invisible Impacts of Wildfires,” a co-production of Direct Relief and BBC’s StoryWorks, was shown in Direct Relief’s Hatch Hall in its Santa Barbara headquarters.
The film explores the aftermath of the 2018 Camp Fire on the Northern California community of Paradise, and how a local health center continues to help the area recover. The short film can be seen below.
The event also featured a panel discussion, featuring Former President of Navajo Nation Jonathan Nez, UCSB Professor of Economics Olivier Deschenes, and Washington Post Climate Reporter Brianna Sacks. The panel was moderated by Direct Relief CEO and President Thomas Tighe, and covered resiliency, climate and disaster planning for who is most at risk during a disaster: those most vulnerable the day before, including young children, older adults, people living with disabilities, those for whom English is a second language, and those with limited transportation options.
More than 100 power resiliency projects in 10 countries, Direct Relief’s Power for Health initiative seeks to bring clean, renewable backup power to community health centers and free clinics to ensure they can deliver critical healthcare services during power outages.
Without power, critical health services can’t be provided – lifesaving medicines go bad, electronic health records can’t be accessed, essential medical equipment can’t be powered, and vital community health facilities serving the most vulnerable shut down. This initiative addresses health equity, the need for renewable energy, and community resiliency.
Learn more about the initiative here.
OPERATIONAL SNAPSHOT
WORLDWIDE
This week, Direct Relief shipped 23.2 million defined daily doses of medication outside the U.S.
Countries that received medical aid over the past week included:
- Palestinian Territories
- Fiji
- Bangladesh
- South Sudan
- Honduras
- Lebanon
- Vanuatu
- Mexico
- Syria
UNITED STATES
Direct Relief delivered 585 shipments containing more than six tons of medications over the past week to organizations, including the following:
- St. Gabriel Eastside Community Health Center, Louisiana
- Lahaina Comprehensive Health Center, Hawaii
- Free Clinic of Rome, Georgia
- Open Arms Health Clinic, Texas
- Eric B. Chandler Health Center, New Jersey
- Community Care Center, North Carolina
- Hope Clinic, North Carolina
- Knox County Health Department, Tennessee
- Jefferson Comprehensive Health Center, Inc., Mississippi
- Findley Foundation Inc, Wisconsin
YEAR-TO-DATE (GLOBAL)
Since January 1, 2023, Direct Relief has delivered 20,100 shipments to 2,461 healthcare providers in 55 U.S. states and territories and 88 countries.
These shipments contained 532.6 million defined daily doses of medication valued at $1.9 billion (wholesale), totaling 6 million lbs.
in the news
Pac Biz Times reports: Direct Relief reaches milestone in aid to U.S. nonprofits – KEYT
Direct Relief shares ways you can give this holiday season – News Channel 9
EMS Agency visits Direct Relief to fight opioid epidemic – KEYT
Walmart Foundation commits $1 million to support humanitarian aid in Gaza – Yahoo Finance
Direct Relief Improves the Health and Lives of People Affected by Poverty or Emergencies – Noozhawk
Direct Relief tallies $2B in aid to U.S. nonprofits – Pacific Coast Business Times
Santa Barbara restaurant collaborates with Direct Relief to help those affected by Maui wildfires – KEYT
