Operational Update: Medical Support for Haiti, 13 Other Countries Shipped Over Past Week

A health provider at Adama Martha Memorial Community Clinic sees a young patient in this file photo. Direct Relief provided the organization, which provides health care in the Kono district of Sierra Leone, with medical aid recently, including essential medications, PPE and prenatal vitamins. (Photo courtesy of Adama Martha Memorial Community Health Center)
By Lara Cooper

Over the past seven days, Direct Relief has delivered 367 shipments of requested medical aid to 35 U.S. states and territories and 14 countries worldwide.

The shipments contained 3.7 million defined daily doses of medication, including therapies to treat hospitalized Covid-19 patients, specialty oncology drugs, diabetes management therapies including insulin, rare disease therapies, antibiotics, prenatal vitamins, and personal protective equipment, including gowns, gloves, masks and face shields.

Included in the week’s activity is a shipment for Zanmi Lasante/Partners in Health, an organization that runs Hôpital Universitaire, a 300-bed facility in Mirebalais, Haiti. The country is still recovering from a 7.2-magnitude earthquake, which took place August 14, and is experiencing general medical shortages as a result of damaged medical infrastructure combined with severe economic and political instability in Haiti. The shipment to Zanmi Lasante contained PPE, hygiene items, antibiotics, and other essential medications and supplies. Direct Relief has supported medical providers in Haiti with more than 146 tons of aid since the earthquake began.

Medical aid departs for Zanmi Lasante (Partners in Health) which runs a large hospital serving patients in Haiti. The shipment left Direct Relief’s warehouse on Oct. 25, 2021. (Lara Cooper/Direct Relief)

Significant activity also took place recently in Mexico, as Direct Relief supported logistics for a government-to-government donation of Covid-19 vaccines between the United States and Mexico. 3.4 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccines were transported, via FedEx, between the two countries last week. In total, Direct Relief, in close coordination with FedEx, has helped transport more than 8 million Covid-19 doses from the U.S. to Mexico.

Covid-19 vaccines arrive in Toluca, Mexico, on Oct. 20, 2021, via FedEx. (Photo courtesy of FedEx)

A series of shipments containing 5 million masks, as well as donated hand sanitizer, also reached border communities in Mexico recently. Direct Relief worked with the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Fundacion IMSS to provide and distribute PPE in Baja California, Tamaulipas, Coahuila, the state of Mexico (including CDMX), and 10 Mexican Consulates across border cities on the U.S. side of the border. 

In the U.S., Direct Relief delivered 352 shipments weighing 6,568 lbs and containing 363,878 doses of medications over the past week.

Recipients included:

A pharmacist at Cape Fear Clinic in Wilmington, North Carolina, manages medications in this 2019 file photo. Direct Relief supported Cape Fear Clinic, which provides medical care, free-of-charge, with medical support recently. (Photo by Donnie Hedden for Direct Relief)

Globally, Direct Relief this week shipped more than 3.3 million defined daily doses of medication totaling 62,209 lbs.

Countries receiving medical aid over the past week included:

Since January 1, 2021, Direct Relief has delivered 19.2K shipments to 2,300 partner organizations in 55 U.S. states and territories and 96 countries. These shipments contained 198M defined daily doses of medication valued at $1.7B (wholesale) and totaled 7.7M lbs.   

Direct Relief has also supported the following organizations this year with $57.1 million in grant funding:

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