NEW: Florence is now a category 4 hurricane. Data from a NOAA Hurricane Hunter indicate that Florence has continued to rapidly strengthen and has maximum sustained winds near 130 mph (195 km/h) and a minimum central pressure of 946 mb (27.93 inches) https://t.co/tW4KeGdBFb pic.twitter.com/wfLt6fJPl2

— National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) September 10, 2018

Direct Relief has offered support to more than 200 healthcare partners that are currently in the storm’s projected path to coordinate potential relief efforts. At the start of hurricane season, hurricane-specific medicines and supplies were also prepositioned in locations serving high-risk areas along the coast and can be opened by health centers should they be needed.

Hurricane preparedness is central to Direct Relief’s emergency efforts in the United States, and began with the organization’s response to Hurricane Katrina in 2004.

Essential medicines and supplies are delivered to secure locations near hurricane-prone areas prior to hurricane season each year. The organization also keeps a stock of emergency medical supplies at its headquarters for high-risk areas should the need for additional support arise.

Financial support from Direct Relief’s long-time partner, FedEx, supported the delivery of hurricane-specific medicines and supplies donated by the following companies:

3M; Abbott; Alcon; Apotex; BD; Boehringer Ingelheim; Lilly; Merck; Omron; Pfizer; Sanofi.

Direct Relief is closely monitoring Hurricane Florence and will continue to provide information as the situation evolves.

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More than 1 million people in Haiti are still in need due to the hurricane, and disease remains rampant, with almost 4,000 cholera cases reported since Oct. 4.

Direct Relief was quick to respond to healthcare partners after the storm and will continue to do so through the recovery.

Financial Summary

Direct Relief received more than 3,000 Hurricane Matthew-designated financial contributions totaling $827,962; including pledges, the total increases to $1,071,266.

Direct Relief recognizes that the generous supporters who pledged and gave more than $1 million in response to Hurricane Matthew did so with the express intent that their contributions benefit people affected by the storm.

In accepting funds for Hurricane Matthew, Direct Relief understands that both those who contributed — and the people for whose benefit the contributions were made — deserve to know, in detail, how Direct Relief is using these funds.

*Direct Relief does not rely on government funding.

The Response

As the world’s attention shifts, Direct Relief remains committed to supporting the needs of local healthcare providers in Haiti and the U.S.

United States

Direct Relief shipped $1.3 million worth of supplies to impacted communities in the U.S. after Matthew. Five tons of medicines and medical supplies were sent in 29 different shipments.

Before the storm made landfall, Direct Relief had prepositioned emergency medical modules in the hurricane’s path. Two were opened after the storm, one at the Roanoke Chowan Community Health Center in North Carolina, and another at the Franklin C. Fetter Health Care Network in South Carolina.

Each U.S.–bound pack contains enough medicines and supplies to treat 100 patients for three to five days after a hurricane hits.

Haiti

Roadways and bridges were washed away by the storm, and some of the hardest-hit communities in the southwestern part of the country also proved the most difficult to access. In the following weeks, Direct Relief used any means possible to transport aid, including by helicopters and ships.

Since Oct. 4, Direct Relief delivered $10 million worth of medicines and medical supplies to Haiti – nearly 20 tons. That included more than half a million daily doses of medication.

Material Support

Below is a list of companies that contributed medical resources to the response.

Looking Forward

Cholera persists as a life-threatening force in the country, and Direct Relief will continue to supply partners with supplies to treat this preventable, but deadly, disease. Direct Relief is continuing to deliver shipments of oral rehydration salts, IV equipment and other needed supplies.

The next delivery is scheduled to arrive in the coming days with more than 500,000 water purification sachets. Each sachet can clean 10 liters of drinking water. In total, the shipment will result in nearly 1.5 million gallons of safe drinking water.

The shipment will also contain oral rehydration salts, which can be mixed with the purified water to restore the electrolytes of a dehydrated person.

The post Hurricane Matthew: The Response Continues appeared first on Direct Relief.

A June 10 report issued by Nepal’s Ministry of Health and Population noted that 375 of the 446 public health facilities and 16 private facilities in Nepal’s hardest hit regions were destroyed, with the highest near-term priority being the resumption of health services, including the provision of logistics to provide drugs and supplies, to care for both injured persons and the general population.

“The Nepal earthquakes delivered a cruel blow, causing more people to need care and destroying the places where they can receive it,” said Thomas Tighe, President and CEO of Direct Relief. “Private resources are keenly needed as part of the collective effort, and we are deeply thankful to the companies that have again stepped up to help in such a substantial way.”

The 21 healthcare companies listed below contributed to today’s airlift, which contains 5,350,173 defined daily doses (DDDs) of medications, trauma and wound care supplies, and thousands of liters of oral rehydration solution (Pedialyte) – acutely needed in a country where cholera is endemic and posing a heightened risk.

The post Earthquake Recovery: 21 Healthcare Companies Making a Difference in Nepal appeared first on Direct Relief.