Direct Relief has donated enough Covid-19 vaccines to reach more than 19 million people, along with enough innovative therapies to treat more than 350,000 patients with mild to moderate Covid infections and treat more than 80,000 patients hospitalized with severe Covid infections. The products primarily benefited people in low- and middle-income countries in all regions of the world, as well as Native American communities within the USA.

The Covid-19 products provided had Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and/or the European Union’s European Medicines Agency (EMA). Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, Direct Relief had never donated Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) medicines or vaccines. Because these medicines hadn’t yet received standard regulatory approval, Direct Relief needed to secure special humanitarian import authorization from the government of each recipient country.

• Direct Relief’s humanitarian provision of critical Covid-19 products under Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) includes:
• Covid-19 vaccines made by Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson, and AstraZeneca and provided by Direct Relief in coordination with the U.S., Mexican, and other overseas governments and partners
• Cold-chain monoclonal antibodies from Eli Lilly and Company administered via infusion for high-risk patients with mild to moderate Covid-19 infections to reduce progression to hospitalization
• Oral therapies from Lilly for hospitalized patients requiring supplemental oxygen with severe Covid-19 infections
• Covid-19 therapies from Merck & Co. and Pfizer that reduce progression to hospitalization for those with mild to moderate Covid-19 infections

According to the WHO Coronavirus (Covid-19) Dashboard, globally since early 2020, there have been over 657 million confirmed Covid-19 cases that have resulted in the death of over 6.6 million individuals. A significant percentage of deaths have taken place in the developing world, where it is assumed given the lack of Covid-19 test diagnostics, that not all cases were confirmed and or deaths attributed to Covid-19. Direct Relief has focused the majority of its Covid-19 Rx support outside of the U.S. and Europe, instead focusing on countries that lacked access to vaccines and therapies to address Covid-19.

“Egypt’s Ministry of Health welcomed Direct Relief’s donations of the combination monoclonal antibodies bamlanivimab + etesevimab and the orally administered antiviral drug molnupiravir which were utilized to help treat Egyptians with mild to moderate Covid-19 infections, as well as the baricitinib used to treat our Covid-19 hospitalized patients,” stated Egypt’s Minister of Health and Population, Honorable Prof. Khaled Abdel Ghafaar. “These donated therapies represented an important and vital tool in fighting the Covid-19 epidemic in our country at times when we had high caseloads, which led to decreasing the pressure on the dedicated Covid-19 hospital units and improving patient care and outcomes.”

In addition, Direct Relief provided to its overseas partners in the developing world over 2,500 shipping pallets of antibiotics, vasopressors, blood thinners, steroids, inhalers, intravenous fluids and other prescription medicines required in treating patients hospitalized with serious Covid-19 infections. Many of these patients were hospitalized with pneumonia or cardiovascular conditions. Direct Relief also provided over 35,000 oxygen concentrators for improved breathing for patients with serious Covid-19 infections.

“Direct Relief’s ability to work through the toughest logistics challenges in global drug delivery, combined with the generosity of our pharmaceutical partners, enabled many millions of individuals around the globe to be treated for Covid-19 infections or avoid becoming infected,” said Tom Roane, Direct Relief’s vice president of corporate engagement. “This was especially challenging during an era of mandatory shutdowns and limited staff in many of the countries receiving these EUA products.”

The monoclonal antibodies initially provided were challenging to deliver to the developing world, as they required consistent refrigerated temperature control during distribution, as well as infusion facilities for systemic administration of the medicines. The oral therapies that emerged later have been significantly more straightforward to provide to lower-income countries. Access to these innovative therapies has been vitally important given the very low Covid-19 vaccine rates in most of the recipient countries.

For the Covid-19 vaccines, shipping and logistics were an even greater challenge, as these products required either cold-chain (2° to 8° Celsius) and or ultra-cold-chain (either -20° C or -80° C) throughout their storage and shipping. Direct Relief’s transportation department had to establish or validate shipping lanes to countries little served by commercial transportation, and to use sophisticated software to ensure that the products were packed in a way that would maintain consistent temperature throughout the medicine’s journey. Direct Relief takes these measures for all of its cold-chain shipments in order to maintain the integrity of the products.

“Lilly is incredibly grateful for the collaboration with Direct Relief that enabled patients around the world to be treated with our Covid therapies,” said Ilya Yuffa, president of Lilly International. “We are committed to equitable access to our medicines and nonprofit collaborations like this one are essential to making life better for all people, including those in resource-limited settings.”

“Pfizer remains firmly committed to continue working towards equitable and affordable access for COVID-19 vaccines and therapeutics for people around the world,” said Caroline Roan, senior vice president of Global Health & Social Impact at Pfizer Inc. “We are proud of Direct Relief’s work to reach underserved communities, including people living in low- and middle-income countries.”

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In the year since, Direct Relief has emerged as one of the largest charitable providers of personal protective gear (PPE) and critical care medications globally, having delivered more than 82 million units of PPE, 173 million defined daily doses of vital medicines, and 36 thousand pieces of diagnostic and intensive care equipment to thousands of local organizations across 100 countries, including the U.S.

The organization has also supported health care providers with more than $50 million in direct financial assistance to sustain care and expand services that include mobile and pop-up testing sites, telehealth expansion, and greater cold chain capacity.

For an overview of Direct Relief’s activities in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, please continue reading.

Financial Summary

Covid-19 Pandemic Donations

Jan. 27, 2020 – Jan. 27, 2021

Direct Relief does not accept government funding. Its work is made possible entirely through the support of companies, organizations, foundations, and individuals.

The organization recognizes that supporters who made generous contributions of funding, services, and in-kind goods amid the pandemic did so with the specific intent that their contributions fight Covid-19 and its devastating consequences. In accepting funds as part of its Covid-19 response, Direct Relief understands that these supporters deserve to know precisely how those funds have been and will be disbursed.

Direct Relief received more than 151,000 financial contributions designated for Covid-19, totaling $125.8 million.

Some of these Covid-19-designated donations also had additional restrictions from donors requiring the funds be used for a particular region or country. All designated funds have been respected, administered, and disbursed accordingly.

How Were Funds Used

Direct Relief initiated its Covid-19 response activities using general operating funds. As Direct Relief began receiving funds donated for Covid-19, it expanded its activities and spending accordingly. The situation remains dynamic, with designated funds continuing to be accepted. Direct Relief takes great care to deploy incoming funds responsibly, efficiently, and as rapidly as possible, consistent with donors’ intent.

The following offers a snapshot of the total Covid-19 donations received over the past year:

To date, Direct Relief has spent or committed a total of $83.5 million in cash (66% of the $125.8 million received) in its pandemic response — which continues at high-pace.

Of that amount, $40.8 million has been spent or committed as direct grants to organizations on the frontlines of the pandemic, $35.6 million has been spent on purchasing essential medical items not available through donation, and $7.1 million was spent to distribute all material and financial assistance provided in response to Covid-19, as described below.

Covid-19 Response

By the numbers

Jan. 27, 2020 – Jan. 27, 2021

Grant Making

Medical Aid

Protective Gear

Medical Material Support

Direct Relief has been responding to the pandemic since its earliest days, beginning with requests for help from overstretched hospitals in Wuhan, China. From there, Direct Relief’s response quickly expanded to the United States and the rest of the world.

Since Jan. 2020, the organization has provided support to more than 3,000 partner organizations fighting Covid-19 worldwide.

As of Jan. 27, 2021, that support has included more than 29,000 medical aid shipments totaling 4.9 million pounds and valued at $1.3 billion. Medical aid has reached organizations in 55 U.S. states and territories and 100 countries.

Material support has taken several distinct forms:

• Supplies to protect frontline health workers: Direct Relief provided masks, gloves, gowns, powered air-purifying respirators, face shields, and other PPE to health care organizations globally.
• Medical resources for intensive care: As the pandemic strained hospital resources, the organization provided ventilators, oxygen concentrators, and ICU medications to help overstretched hospitals treat patients with critical cases of Covid-19.
• Ongoing support for chronic health: To minimize interruptions to essential health services, including primary and specialty care, maternal and child health services, mental health treatment, and substance use disorder interventions, Direct Relief provided a wide range of support — chronic health medications, the overdose-reversing medication naloxone, midwife kits, and more.

Direct Relief arranged for and managed the logistics, transport, and delivery of all products to health facilities – free-of-charge.

Direct Financial Assistance

Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, designated contributions have allowed Direct Relief to bolster the health care system with financial assistance and support the efforts of locally run organizations with strong ties to their communities.

Thanks to corporate and individual donors’ generosity, Direct Relief has granted more than $53 million in cash worldwide since Jan. 27, 2020.

Grant recipients include health centers, clinics, and locally run organizations providing vital care, testing, and other health care services during the pandemic. These grants helped sustain strained health facilities, keep patients out of hospitals, maintain continuity of care, and fund Covid-19 testing and vaccinations.

For a list of health care facilities and organizations worldwide that have received direct funding from Direct Relief in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, click here.

Covid-19 Response

By Region

United States

• Grants Disbursed: $48.6 million
• Material Aid Provided: $284.3 million
  • Shipments: 28.8 thousand
  • PPE: 21.3 million units
  • Medications: 48.6 million Defined Daily Doses
  • ICU Kits: 178
  • Ventilators & oxygen concentrators: 1,046

Americas

• Grants Disbursed: $405 thousand
• Material Aid Provided: $341 million
  • Shipments: 260
  • PPE: 8.2 million units
  • Medications: 61.1 million Defined Daily Doses
  • ICU Kits: 84
  • Ventilators & oxygen concentrators: 1,497 units

Asia

• Grants Disbursed: $1.3 million
• Material Aid Provided: $169.6 million
  • Shipments: 234
  • PPE: 4.1 million units
  • Medications: 15.6 million defined daily doses
  • ICU Kits: 58
  • Ventilators & oxygen concentrators: 420 units

Africa

• Grants Disbursed: $1.26 million
• Material Aid Provided: $489 million
  • Shipments: 234
  • PPE: 42.4 million units
  • Medications: 27.9 million defined daily doses
  • ICU kits: 73
  • Ventilators & oxygen concentrators: 326

Europe

• Grants Disbursed: $503 thousand
• Material Aid Provided: $33.1 million
  • Shipments: 50
  • PPE: 1.4 million units
  • Medications: 1.5 million defined daily doses
  • ICU kits: 4
  • Ventilators & oxygen concentrators: 524

Applied Research and Analytics

Even before the pandemic, Direct Relief had facilitated emergency managers’ use of population movement and other data for decision-making purposes, including in Texas, California, and Michigan.

When Covid-19 hit, it was immediately apparent that this kind of data would be an essential tool for analyzing social distancing effectiveness.

In March of 2020, Direct Relief, with researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health, established the Covid-19 Mobility Data Network. The network, comprised of a group of about 70 infectious disease epidemiologists and other researchers, began creating simple, usable data projects to help public health officials and policymakers understand the impacts of social distancing measures in a given area.

Officials have used the group’s research and information tools in the UK, Spain, Italy, India, Australia, Botswana, Chile, and other countries. The data used for these analyses is hosted on the UN’s Humanitarian Data Exchange, allowing governments worldwide to receive support or analyze the data themselves.

While the Covid-19 Mobility Data Network was convened because of an emergency, Direct Relief and the researchers wanted to ensure that similar data would be readily available in a clear and actionable form and on an ongoing basis for future crises, including wildfires and hurricanes.

CrisisReady, working with the World Bank, is in the initial stages of creating a global emergency response network, which will launch in March-April of 2021.

In addition, Direct Relief is funding two researchers whose essential work combines population movement data and health crisis analysis: Pamela Martinez at the University of Illinois and Amy Wesolowski at Johns Hopkins University.

Among the resources developed by Direct Relief to inform and track its pandemic response are the following:

• The Covid-19 International Vulnerability Index examines population movement data and information about case counts, hospital beds, and other vulnerability indicators to generate actionable information and analysis.
• The United States forecast map draws on anonymized data to predict the spread of Covid-19.
• The United States pandemic response tracker shows Direct Relief’s distribution of medical aid across the country.
• The international pandemic response tracker shows the organization’s global distribution.

Looking forward

The remaining funds designated for the pandemic will enable Direct Relief to continue its worldwide response, focusing on:

1. Supporting vaccination efforts

• Expanding cold-chain storage and transport at hospitals and health centers and providing coolers for mobile vaccination campaigns.
• Providing needles and syringes to administer vaccines.
• Supplying PPE to health workers giving vaccinations.
• Funding education, awareness, and outreach campaigns at health centers and hospitals, particularly in poor communities and communities of color.
• Employing digital tools and artificial intelligence to determine low vaccine uptake areas and provide that information to policymakers and public health officials.
• Funding health centers that experience reimbursement gaps after administering vaccines.
• Increasing Direct Relief’s internal capabilities to receive, store, and distribute the vaccine.
• Supporting the opening of large-scale vaccination sites with funding and supplies.
• Providing back-up power sources to health care sites at risk of power loss, which can destroy vaccines.

2. Addressing Covid-19 gaps in hardest-hit areas

• Funding health initiatives in primarily minority communities hit disproportionately hard by the pandemic.
• Providing grants to health care providers in the United States and around the world struggling to care for patients affected by Covid-19.
• Continuing to provide critical care medications, oxygen concentrators, and ventilators to hospitals worldwide caring for Covid-19 patients.
• Supplying PPE to providers unable to access these lifesaving supplies reliably.
• Establishing and funding Covid-19 treatment and isolation wards ensures that low-resource areas have the resources to care for Covid-19 patients safely.
• Providing health care support for Covid-19 patients to recover at home, freeing hospital beds for more critical cases.

3. Continuing support for people with other health care needs:

• While global health resources are diverted towards preventing and treating Covid-19, fundamental health care needs continue.
• Babies continue to be born. The number of people with chronic conditions like diabetes and cancer is only growing. And children with diabetes, hemophilia, and rare diseases still need lifesaving therapies.
• As the pandemic continues, Direct Relief will continue to provide the essential medical aid required for their care.

Thank You

Direct Relief’s extensive ability to provide a wide range of medical aid, from PPE to medications intended for critical cases of Covid-19, would not have been possible without in-kind and financial donations from dozens of pharmaceutical and medical supply companies, with air transport and logistical services provided by FedEx.

Many of these organizations work closely with Direct Relief on an ongoing basis to fund and supply humanitarian projects and programs. However, the outpouring of support from corporate partners, both new and ongoing, has been unprecedented during the Covid-19 pandemic. Direct Relief is deeply grateful for their generosity and commitment.

Included among them are:

The post Covid-19 Relief: One-Year Report on Use of Funds and Response Activity appeared first on Direct Relief.

The vaccine, which the University of Oxford is currently developing in partnership with the pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, is currently a frontrunner in the worldwide race. Reuters reported that the company plans to produce 3 billion doses.

When pandemic-led closures were announced in the UK in mid-March, Chakrabarty, a vice president for the MGM Worldwide Television Group, was on a work trip to Dubai. She managed to fly back safely, but found home very different from the place she’d briefly left.

“Our lives changed overnight. We were at home with nowhere to go, looking out at deserted streets. It felt a bit apocalyptic and like most people, I felt helpless,” said Chakrabarty. “I kept wondering what I could do to be part of any solution that would help people get back to normalcy, good health, and livelihood.”

She initially donated to her local food bank and volunteered her time at a nearby hospital, helping distribute food that was suddenly being donated in large amounts by restaurants for the National Health Service.

Unlike many people, Chakrabarty said, “I wasn’t paralyzed by fear. I went right up to the wards with Covid-19 patients to drop off food at the door. We weren’t given masks or gloves because the PPE was reserved for medical professional working inside the wards.”

But it didn’t feel like enough. Chakrabarty wanted to contribute to an effort that felt more meaningful and went further.

Then she saw a call for trial volunteers on the app Nextdoor.

Coming across the volunteer recruitment link set a spontaneous ball rolling for Chakrabarty. “I wanted to find a way to put my lack of fear to good use, and voila, the vaccine trial came along,” she said. “Given its pedigree of being developed by Oxford and as a public-private partnership, it does feel like a contribution to science and humanity.”

Dr Jonathan Kimmelman, a professor of biomedical ethics at McGill University, concurred.

He pointed out that non-human, or animal models, are not especially predictive of how human beings will respond to a drug or vaccine. “Most of our hypotheses regarding drugs and vaccines turn out to be wrong,” he said. Drugs and vaccines tend to be too ineffective, or not safe enough, for general use.

“Human volunteer trials are therefore critical for evaluating safety and efficacy before we disseminate a vaccine or drug to clinical practice.”

But vaccine research isn’t without its ethical issues.

“Vaccine research raises special concerns, because vaccines are used on healthy people to prevent them from getting sick rather than on sick people to make them well,” said Dr. Amar Jesani, senior bioethicist and editor of the Indian Journal of Medical Ethics.

“The trial protocol must be scientifically sound and available in the public domain. There must be arrangements to take care of participants who fall sick during the trial. If the vaccine is proven safe and effective, it must be available to all who need it at a reasonable rate.”

Transparency and trust are key, as a report published by the Lancet makes clear. “The success of COVID-19 vaccines hinges on community trust in vaccine sciences, which requires comprehensive and transparent evaluation of risk and honest communication of potential harms.”

And Chakrabarty had her reservations.

“I spoke with friends who have scientific training and background and those who work in pharma,” she said. “They were very supportive because they know how crucial participation is to the success of drug and vaccine trials, especially of minority populations.”

Those same friends also helped her understand the sound science behind the trial, she said. “The protocol of the vaccine was an established adenovirus vector from the MERS vaccine trial. It wasn’t funky, unknown science.”

Today, Chakrabarty is one of about 10,000 volunteers in the trial’s second phase. Since the trial is blind, she doesn’t know whether she’s one of the volunteers who’s actually received the vaccine.

But both groups, whether they receive the actual vaccine or the control drug, are equally valuable to the trial. As Dr. Kimmelman said, “Done properly…clinical trials are not merely ethical. They provide a public service.”

Chakrabarty has interwoven this public service into her daily routine. She believes it is her duty to be outside her house to a reasonable extent.

“Assuming that I’ve been given the vaccine dose, I am a waste in the study if I’m not exposed to people. Unless I’m out and about, possibly coming in touch with asymptomatic people, how can we figure out whether I developed antibodies or had a mild response to the virus?” she said.

As she awaits her second blood test in September, Chakrabarty is hopeful. “We used to know time as AD or BC and now it seems to have become…After Vaccine,” she said. “I’m happy to be a part of the 10,000 people that take humanity to [that point].”

Kinjal Dagli-Shah is a Toronto-based journalist with more than 15 years of experience working in newsrooms in India, the United States, and Canada.

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As countries in Latin America, Africa and South Asia became the latest hotspots of the Covid-19 pandemic, Direct Relief has accelerated its response in these regions, beginning with shipments of enough Covid-related emergency medicine and medical supplies to treat more than 50,000 intensive-care patients in developing countries around the globe.

Shortly after it began its Covid-19 response in January, Direct Relief began identifying and procuring medicines that would be needed by intensive care units treating Covid-19 patients. Working with critical care specialists and healthcare companies, Direct Relief developed ICU Critical Supply Modules that could be prepackaged, stockpiled and rapidly deployed in the event of drug scarcity. The international version of the ICU Modules contains medications and supplies selected to treat up to 500 ICU patients.

Direct Relief has begun dispatching 115 ICU Modules to 32 partners in 27 countries across Latin America, the Caribbean, Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Southeastern Europe. They are being sent with stocks of personal protective equipment and oxygen concentrators, and some partners have requested and are receiving donated ventilators.

Direct Relief’s largest international shipment to date of Covid-19 relief supplies arrived in Ecuador on June 4. Responding to a request from the Government of Ecuador, Direct Relief shipped seven ICU Critical Supply Modules and 90 portable oxygen concentrators, plus basic supplies and medicines for both Covid-19 and general medical care. In all, it shipped 26 pallets of essential medicines and supplies weighing 8.8 tons.

Direct Relief has also so far delivered 164 domestic ICU Modules to hospitals in the United States, each containing supplies designed to treat up to 100 hospitalized patients. Hospitals treating severely ill ICU patients—including those on ventilators—need medication for sedation and to address some of the secondary complications that may arise, including bacterial pneumonia and septic shock. The ICU Critical Supply Modules include antibiotics such as azithromycin and ceftriaxone, vasopressors such as norepinephrine, and respiratory medications like albuterol inhalers.

How Recipients Were Selected

Because the needs of Direct Relief’s partner network far exceed the available resources, Direct Relief carefully selected recipients based on a series of criteria including Covid-19 patient numbers, ICU capacity, status of the proposed recipient hospital as a nationally recognized center of Covid-19 treatment, logistical ability to clear customs and receive the shipments, and direct requests from national Ministries of Health.

The information was cross-checked with national vulnerability data based on Direct Relief’s new Covid-19 International Vulnerability Index Map. The index assigns vulnerability scores to countries based on indicators including co-morbidities, number of hospital beds, population over 60, food insecurity and Covid-19 case counts.

In South America, ICU Module recipients include Ecuador, Paraguay and Peru. In the Caribbean and Central America, ICU Modules are being sent to Antigua & Barbuda, Dominica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Grenada, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica and St. Lucia. In EMEA, recipients include Armenia, Ghana, Italy, Kosovo, Lesotho, Liberia, Macedonia, Malawi, Palestine, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Yemen and Zimbabwe. In Asia, Dhulikhel Hospital in Nepal is receiving two ICU Modules.

The ICU Modules are only one part of Direct Relief’s Covid-19 response outside the U.S. Direct Relief has provided grant funding to treat Covid-19 among Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, to help build dedicated Covid-19 isolation and treatment wards in Haiti and the Philippines, to purchase PPE in Colombia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and India, and—via a $50,000 emergency grant to the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States—to increase Covid-19 testing capacity in Saint Lucia, Grenada, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Dominica, St. Kitts and Nevis, Antigua and Barbuda. The organization has also provided ventilators and other critical medical items to several countries.

Latin America Response

Direct Relief has a key strategic partnership with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the division of the World Health Organization overseeing 35 countries in the Americas. Direct Relief has arranged a charter flight carrying $7 million in PPE purchased by PAHO to be delivered to many of its member states across the Americas. The charter is currently scheduled to arrive in Panama this week.

Supported in part by generous financial and material donations from Coca-Cola Foundation, Bayer Mexico, Johnson & Johnson, 3M and AstraZeneca, Direct Relief donations to Mexican health partners include 350,000 surgical masks for hospitals, 10,000 goggles and 30,000 face shields.

Another large shipment containing PPE, Emergency Medical Backpacks, general medicines and other supplies was delivered to the Ministry of Health of Bolivia, which is facing multiple health emergencies including Covid-19 and a dengue outbreak. Additional Covid-19 preparedness donations containing Emergency Medical Backpacks and PPE have been sent to PAHO member states including Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama and Paraguay.

Since Direct Relief’s first Covid-19 response shipment on Jan. 24, 2020, the organization has sent $23 million in medical aid to South America via 26 deliveries. Internationally excluding the United States, Direct Relief has distributed 1.4 million masks, 1.3 million gloves and more than 500,000 other PPE supplies.

The post Direct Relief Expands Medical Aid to More Than Two Dozen Countries Fighting Covid-19 appeared first on Direct Relief.

On May 22, the World Health Organization declared that South America had emerged the latest epicenter of the pandemic, adding to previous WHO-designated epicenters in China, Europe, and the United States.

While Brazil, Peru and Chile account for the majority of confirmed cases in the region, Ecuador is also battling a severe outbreak, with at least 39,098 confirmed cases and at least 3,358 deaths, according to WHO. Authorities believe another 1,700 deaths may be related to Covid-19, according to an AFP report.

In response to the critical situation, the Ecuadorian government imposed a strict, nationwide curfew on March 17 that is now in effect between 2 p.m. and 5 a.m. and will be changed tomorrow to 9 p.m. until 5 a.m.  Additionally, residents are permitted to drive only one day per week.

In Ecuador, like much of the world, the pandemic has also brought deep economic impacts, and protests took place last week in Quito. More than 150,000 jobs have been lost, resulting in an $8 billion hit to the economy, according to Ecuadorian President Lenín Moreno. In April, Moreno cut his own salary and those of his ministers by 50%. In May, the government closed several of its ministries and embassies, along with selling state-owned enterprises, including the postal service. It has also liquidated the national airline and railway company.

Today’s shipment from Direct Relief marks the third delivery to Ecuador amid the pandemic. Previous shipments include personal protection equipment sent via the Pan American Health Organization and surgical masks donated by AstraZeneca and sent by Direct Relief to Ecuador’s Ministry of Health.

Since Direct Relief’s first Covid-19 response shipment on Jan. 24, 2020, the organization has sent $23 million in medical aid to South America via 26 deliveries.

Direct Relief’s relationship with Ecuador dates back decades and includes major responses to disasters such as volcanic eruptions and the 2016 earthquake, during which Direct Relief chartered a 767 cargo aircraft to deliver more than 47 tons of urgently requested medications and supplies worth more than $2.1 million.

Since 2010, Direct Relief has sent more $10.8 million of medical aid and more than 2.4 million doses of medicine to 18 health care providers in Ecuador.

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The shipments were transported by FedEx and contained face shields donated by Apple and 3M, masks donated by AstraZeneca and Cisco, and essential products donated by Vaseline and others.

Since January 24, when Direct Relief sent its first shipment of PPE in response to the coronavirus outbreak to Seattle, the organization has delivered nearly 10,000 shipments containing more than 4.3 million masks, 3.1 million gloves, 622,000 face shields and 100,000 gowns to health facilities across the U.S. and in more than 50 countries.

Direct Relief has also equipped hospitals with 500 “push packs,” each holding enough ICU critical medications and supplies for at least 100 hospitalized patients, provided 3,000 oxygen concentrators to help recovering patients leave the hospital sooner, and committed $27 million in funds to community health providers in the U.S.

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“For the dedicated and courageous healthcare workers across this country treating Covid-19 and non-Covid19 patients, working without an adequate supply of face masks and other protective equipment is like going into battle without body armor,” said Direct Relief CEO Thomas Tighe. “This generous and timely donation from AstraZeneca will make a substantial difference in keeping these vital workers safe and able to continue providing care for us all.”

The level 1 surgical masks will be distributed by Direct Relief to health facilities in areas with the most significant public health need, including underserved and vulnerable populations. A portion of the masks will also be directed to the emergency management agencies in states where AstraZeneca has a significant employee presence.

The masks were procured by AstraZeneca through its manufacturing relationships in China and are part of the company’s overall donation of 9 million masks to healthcare workers globally.

FedEx has provided expedited shipping as part of its FedEx Cares “Delivering for Good” initiative. FedEx uses its global network and shipping expertise to help organizations with mission critical needs in times of disaster and for special shipments.

AstraZeneca Chief Executive Officer, Pascal Soriot, commented: “As the Covid-19 pandemic continues to impact millions of people around the globe, our thoughts are with those suffering and the healthcare workers caring for them. AstraZeneca is grateful to our partners at Direct Relief for their large-scale response to this public health emergency, as well as FedEx for generously contributing its fleet to quickly move our donation of masks to the US. This outbreak has shown the strength of partnership and collaboration around the world.”

The post AstraZeneca Donates 3 Million Surgical Masks to Direct Relief for Covid-19 Supply Needs in the U.S. appeared first on Direct Relief.

The Direct Relief-chartered MD-11 cargo jet contained $21 million (wholesale) in donated medical resources from 44 companies (full list of companies below), including extensive quantities of intravenous solutions and prescription medications for acute conditions and chronic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension that can rapidly become medical emergencies if not managed. 

“This airlift will go a long way towards helping our fellow Americans in Puerto Rico, and I am eternally grateful to Direct Relief and all of the organizations involved,” said President Bill Clinton, 42nd President of the United States, and founder and board chair of the Clinton Foundation. “Their efforts are a reminder that when so many people need our help, our common humanity matters even more.”

The Clinton Foundation has supported Direct Relief’s work for years, including the recovery efforts after the 2010 Haiti earthquake and the response to the Ebola epidemic in West Africa in 2014. In the response to the Caribbean hurricanes this year, the Clinton Foundation has helped to coordinate and advise the team at Direct Relief.

Businesses Step Up to Fill Resource Gap

Direct Relief works with dozens of healthcare companies’ philanthropic arms on an ongoing basis to address public health needs and humanitarian crises across the globe and in all 50 U.S. states.  This private philanthropic support from businesses, as well as philanthropic support from individuals, foundations, and organizations has enabled a massively stepped-up response to assist in Puerto Rico, where health services have been severely constricted by the extensive damage caused by Hurricane Maria.

44 companies joined in filling specific requests that Direct Relief received from nonprofit health centers, government facilities, and private hospitals in Puerto Rico – all of which have been struggling to restore and expand services to care for the island’s more than 3 million residents.

“Direct Relief has been a wonderful partner for Eli Lilly and Company,” said Rob Smith, senior director of corporate responsibility and president of the Eli Lilly and Company Foundation.  “We have worked together to get insulin to those impacted by the devastating effects of Hurricane Maria.  Lilly could not ask for a more capable, responsive, and compassionate partner.  We are so grateful for all of the things Direct Relief is doing to help the great people of Puerto Rico recover from this terrible disaster.”

The medicines and supplies on the flight were donated by the following companies:

3M; Abbott; AbbVie; Alcon; Allergan plc; Amneal Pharmaceuticals; Apotex Inc.; AstraZeneca; Baxter International Inc.; Bayer; BD; Boehringer Ingelheim Cares Foundation; Bristol-Myers Squibb; Cera Products, Inc.; Cipla; Coola Suncare; CVS; DayOne Response; Ethicon; GSK; Henry Schein, Inc.; Integra LifeSciences; InTouch Health; Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson; Kaléo; LifeScan; Magno-Humphries Labs; Medtronic; Merck & Co., Inc.; Mylan; Nephron Pharmaceuticals Corporation; Noble Laboratories, Inc.; Novartis; Pfizer Inc.; Prestige Brands; Sagent Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; Sanofi Foundation for NA; Sappo Hill Soapworks; Starbucks; Teva Pharmaceuticals, USA; Trividia Health; Vaseline; Wisconsin Pharmacal Company. 

Responding to an Unprecedented Hurricane Season

Today’s airlift follows several weeks of smaller-scale airlifts and hand-carried medications and emergency medical resources to dozens of Puerto Rico’s nonprofit health centers and medical teams organized by the Puerto Rico Department of Health.

Among the critical items has been 565 vials of blood-clotting factor for children with hemophilia, 15,600 vials of insulin, 35 pre-kitted emergency medical packs containing a broad range of Rx medications and supplies, as well as 1500 solar lights and over 4000 bottles of insect repellant to protect against Zika virus.

Direct Relief’s response in Puerto Rico has been concurrent with extensive responses to Hurricanes Harvey and Irma that preceded Maria.

Since Hurricane Harvey’s landfall on August 25, Direct Relief has sent 148 tons of medications, vaccines, and medical supplies valued at $64.7 million (wholesale) and including 19 million defined daily doses of Rx medications delivered via 560 emergency shipments to 143 partner organizations in Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico, USVI and seven Caribbean countries.

In addition, Direct Relief has provided and committed financial support in the form of grants totaling over $2.7 million to 43 nonprofit health centers and clinics and their primary care associations in Texas, Florida, and Puerto Rico.

The post 76-Ton Airlift of Medicine and Medical Supplies Lands in Puerto Rico   appeared first on Direct Relief.

Not only did the floodwaters tear homes from their foundations, but it broke gas lines, causing some buildings to engulf in flames.

While floodwaters have since receded, the recovery has just begun for many of West Virginia residents.

Direct Relief’s Response:

In the early hours of the emergency, Direct Relief offered immediate assistance to its existing network of healthcare partners in the affected region, as well as the West Virginia Primary Care Association. Requests for assistance came in right away, with partners expressing an urgent need for a large volume of supplies.

As of July 13, Direct Relief has provided the following health centers and clinics with 40 shipments of Rx medications, vaccines, diabetic supplies and insulin, and personal care items, along with emergency medical kits designed to equip health facilities with the medicines resources required to meet the needs of patients immediately after natural or manmade disaster.

• Access Health, a health center based in Raleigh County, was severely impacted by flooding. Still, the health center’s staff have operated a free clinic for flood victims at its Williamsburg location as well as a mobile pharmacy to reach the worst-hit flood areas. Access Health has also provided tetanus vaccinations (Tdap) to highway workers and patients and has partnered with the National Guard to distribute generators and supplies to families in need. To support their efforts, Direct Relief delivered an emergency health kit — a set of essential medicines and supplies designed for emergencies such as this.
• Cabin Creek Health Systems operates four clinic sites across West Virginia, one of which was severely impacted by the floods and, consequentially, experience an urgent need for Tdap, which Direct Relief provided. Direct Relief also provided medicine to another of Cabin Creek’s clinics, 30 miles from Clendenin Health Center.
• Roane County Family Health Care, a Direct Relief partner since 2009, has partnered with the West Virginia Primary Care Association to organize outreach efforts throughout the southern part of Roane County, where they have visited shelters to provide medical care and distribute supplies, including those delivered by Direct Relief.
• West Virginia Health Right, a free clinic in Charleston, has provided medical relief services throughout West Virginia’s most impacted areas. The clinic building has doubled as a large distribution hub for medical supplies throughout the community.

A photo posted by WVPB (@wvpublic) on Jun 24, 2016 at 6:26am PDT

Partners in Relief

The medical supplies, valued at more than $1 million, were donated by more than 25 companies. They include the following:

• 3M
• AbbVie
• Actavis
• Allergan
• Apotex
• AstraZeneca
• Baxter
• BD
• Boehringer Ingelheim
• Calmoseptine
• Colgate
• Covidien
• CVS
• GSK

• Henry Schein
• J&J (Janssen, J&J Consumer, LifeScan)
• Medtronic
• MedVantx
• Merck
• Pfizer
• Prestige
• Sanofi
• Sappo Hill
• Takeda
• Terry Town
• TEVA
• Unilever

Updated 17:27 PT, July 13, 2016

The post West Virginia: Flood Response appeared first on Direct Relief.

Candy Stockton, Medical Director at Shingleton Medical Center, reports that an estimated 40 to 60 percent of the clinic’s 2,400 patients live in the evacuation areas. The clinic is prepared to evacuate should the fire pose a danger to the facility.

Dr. Stockton, has requested inhalers and other items to treat respiratory problems caused by smoke inhalation and poor air quality. Direct Relief would like to thank Merck & Co., Inc. and AstraZeneca for their support.

Direct Relief has a history of responding to wildfires in the United States, most recently those that burned in Colorado in June. According to the U.S. Forest Service, over 40 large fires are currently active in western states.

The post Northern California Clinic Receives Emergency Shipment as Ponderosa Fire Grows appeared first on Direct Relief.