Direct Relief has delivered 498 shipments of requested medical aid to 48 U.S. states and territories and 17 countries worldwide over the past seven days.
The shipments contained 7 million defined daily doses of medication and supplies, including cancer treatments, diabetes medications, trauma care essentials, and more.
Increasing Access to Cancer Treatment in Mongolia
A significant oncology drug donation by Direct Relief arrived in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia this month, marking the organization’s first-ever direct donation to a healthcare provider partner in the country. Ulaanbaatar, the nation’s capital, is home to 1.7 million people.
This donation was facilitated alongside Direct Relief partner organization, the Onom Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to advancing healthcare, research, and democracy building in Mongolia. The medication has been distributed to two medical complexes in Ulaanbaatar providing care to cancer patients, The First National Hospital, and the Maternal and Children’s Hospital.
Mongolia has the world’s highest rate of cancer mortality per capita, and more than one in five deaths in Mongolia is caused by cancer, mainly of liver and stomach, according to the International Agency for Research on Cancer. The agency also reported that Mongolia has the highest incident rate of liver cancer in the world, with an age-standardized rate per 100,000 patients of 78.1, while 75% of all liver cancer cases occur in Asia. Additionally, according to the National Institutes of Health, almost three-quarters of cancers in Mongolia are diagnosed at a late stage, resulting in a low survival rate and a high fatality rate.
Field Medic Packs Depart for Brazil After Floods
This week, 100 field medic packs departed Direct Relief’s Santa Barbara warehouse requested by the Pan American Health Organization for healthcare providers responding to the devastating flood that impacted Brazil in May. These packs include supplies and equipment to meet a variety of prevalent disaster-related medical issues, including infection control, diagnostics, trauma care, and personal protection tools.
Operational Snapshot
WORLDWIDE
Over the last week, Direct Relief shipped more than 4 million defined daily doses of medication outside the U.S.
Countries that received medical aid over the past week included:
- Uganda
- Liberia
- Tunisia
- Tanzania
- Ukraine
- Dominican Republic
- Honduras
- Brazil
- Sierra Leone
- India
UNITED STATES
Direct Relief recently donated two pharmaceutical-grade refrigeration systems to MLK Health Center and Pharmacy in Louisiana. The refrigerators will be used to increase the clinic’s insulin storage capabilities. One system will be used at the clinic’s emergency shelter in preparation for this year’s upcoming hurricane season.
Direct Relief delivered 477 shipments containing eight tons of medications during the past seven days to organizations, including the following:
- The Agape Clinic, Texas
- Centro de Salud de Lares, Inc, Puerto Rico
- Samaritans Touch Care Center, Inc., Florida
- Delta Health Center, Mississippi
- Community Volunteers in Medicine, Pennsylvania
- Welvista, South Carolina
- NEW Community Clinic, Wisconsin
- C. W. Williams Community Health Center Pharmacy, North Carolina
- Community Care Resources Inc., Florida
- GAIN, Inc, Arkansas
YEAR TO DATE
Since January 1, 2024, Direct Relief has delivered 10.1K shipments to 1,762 partner organizations in 54 U.S. states and territories and 73 countries.
These shipments contained 181.8 million defined daily doses of medication totaling 2.9 million lbs.
