Direct Relief Offers Assistance in Response to Swine Flu
Nonfatal cases identified in U.S.; clinics on alert
Santa Barbara, Calif (April 24, 2009) - In response to reports of swine flu in the U.S., Direct Relief USA today has been in contact with the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) as well as more than 100 individual clinics in California and Texas to offer assistance.
Tapping into local and state emergency response networks, Direct Relief has also been in contact with the California Primary Care Association (CPCA) and Santa Barbara County Public Health Department, which coordinates with public health officials statewide on surveillance and official response activities.
Today the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed eight nonfatal cases of the new H1N1 influenza A virus in California and Texas. Health facilities in those states bordering Mexico, where the virus first appeared, are keeping a watchful eye on patients presenting with flu symptoms. The World Health Organization is collaborating with Mexico and the U.S. to monitor the situation.
Direct Relief quickly mobilized today to contact its extensive network of partners in the U.S., including NACHC. NACHC's director of emergency management requested donations of antiviral medications as a precaution in light of flu cases in California and Texas.
About Direct Relief International
Founded in 1948, Direct Relief International is a Santa Barbara, California–based nonprofit organization focused on improving the quality of life by bringing critically needed medicines and supplies to local healthcare providers worldwide. Direct Relief works in 59 countries and has delivered more than $1 billion in privately funded humanitarian medical aid to health professionals serving impoverished communities since 2000. Direct Relief is one of two charities ranked by Forbes that has received a perfect fundraising efficiency score for seven consecutive years and is ranked by the Chronicle of Philanthropy as California’s largest international nonprofit organization based on private support. For more information, please visit www.DirectRelief.org.
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