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Earlier this month, Direct Relief joined partners including RWJBarnabas Health, COSSAO, and Ponce Health Sciences University to deliver specialty care services to 59 residents of Utuado, Puerto Rico. (Courtesy photo)
Over the past week, Direct Relief has delivered 257 shipments of requested medical aid to 37 U.S. states and territories and 22 countries worldwide. The shipments contained 2.8 million defined daily doses of medication.
Medications and supplies shipped this week included specialty therapies, chronic disease medications, antibiotics, protective equipment, and cold chain storage equipment.
Investing in Long-Term Health Systems in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico continues to face persistent challenges, including the long-term effects of hurricanes, earthquakes, infrastructure strain, and gaps in access to healthcare services — particularly in rural and underserved communities. Community-based providers across the island remain critical to delivering care in neighborhoods where transportation barriers, power instability, and limited resources can disrupt services.
On Feb. 3, Direct Relief, in collaboration with partner organizations, delivered specialty care services to 59 residents of Utuado, many of whom were accessing services for the first time. Amid Puerto Rico’s growing shortage of specialty providers, particularly in the central region, health fairs help close critical care access gaps. Services provided included ENT, pulmonology, gynecology, and cardiology. This initiative not only enabled patients to receive timely, free-of-charge care but also created a valuable learning opportunity for medical students who shadowed physicians throughout the day.
Dozens of patients received care during a recent medical outreach in Puerto Rico. (Courtesy photo)
The health fair was conducted by a free clinic, COSSAO, the Ponce Health Sciences University, as well as RWJ Barnabas Health. Direct Relief has supported COSSAO since 2017, through medication donations and financial support, including funding to expand the clinic’s infrastructure. This support has enabled COSSAO to broaden healthcare delivery to over 8,000 patients with general medicine, pediatricians, dentistry, among others. Direct Relief has partnered with RWJ since 2025 to join forces in closing specialty care access gaps. Last year, in collaboration with health centers and other partner organizations, RWJ provided more than 200 specialty care services.
Since the aftermath of Hurricane Maria in 2017, Direct Relief has provided $56.4 million in financial support and $96.7 million in material medical aid to community health centers and local organizations across Puerto Rico. Investments have supported 67 mobile clinics and off-road vehicles to expand care in remote areas, 52 resilient power projects — including solar installations in community clinics and fire stations — and wells that provide clean water in communities without reliable municipal access.
Direct Relief has also supported 13 local organizations delivering mental health services, reaching more than 35,000 people, and continues to fund community-based harm reduction and opioid response efforts benefiting thousands of residents. The organization remains committed to strengthening Puerto Rico’s local health infrastructure to ensure consistent, community-led care across the island.
Medical Aid Departs for Northern Vanuatu
A shipment of essential medications is prepared at Direct Relief’s warehouse for delivery to health providers in northern Vanuatu. (Shannon Hickerson/ Direct Relief).
A shipment of essential medications is being sent to northern Vanuatu to support healthcare providers in the South Pacific nation, which spans more than 80 islands.
The medical aid is bound for Medical Santo, a faith-based clinic on Espiritu Santo, as well as the Northern Provincial Hospital, the region’s main referral hospital. Medical Santo provides consistent wound care, reliable access to prescription medications, and community outreach to remote islands, while the hospital serves the broader northern population.
Since 2015, Direct Relief has donated more than 5.5 million defined daily doses of medicine to Vanuatu, valued at over $4 million, including annual pre-positioning of southern hemisphere cyclone preparedness packs to strengthen disaster readiness.
Solar Trailer Strengthens Community Resilience in Greater New Orleans
A solar-powered trailer upgraded by Footprint Project provides backup power support at Gethsemane Lutheran Church in Chalmette, Louisiana, helping strengthen community resilience during grid outages. (Photo courtesy of Footprint Project)
As hurricanes, extreme heat, and grid disruptions continue to affect southeast Louisiana, a mobile solar power system is strengthening backup energy capacity at Gethsemane Lutheran Church in Chalmette. The church serves as a community resilience hub during disasters and power outages in the Greater New Orleans area.
Originally donated by Direct Relief to the Footprint Project in 2023, the trailer has since been upgraded with additional battery capacity and integrated into a broader microgrid effort supporting Gulf Coast communities. During normal conditions, the system can offset the church’s energy load. During outages, it can power critical appliances such as air conditioning during extreme heat and outlets for phone charging, providing clean, quiet, and mobile energy when it is needed most.
Operational Snapshot
Medical aid is prepped for departure to U.S. health centers and free clinics on Feb. 20, 2026. (Shannon Hickerson/Direct Relief)
UNITED STATES
Direct Relief delivered 208 shipments containing 648,290 doses of medication this past week to organizations, including the following:
Morton Comprehensive Health Services, Oklahoma
Judeo Christian Ministries, INC., Missouri
The Naloxone Project, Colorado
A Promise To HELP, Alabama
Community Helping Hands Clinic, Georgia
Community Health Services Agency Inc., DBA Carevide, Texas
St. Vincent de Paul Charitable Pharmacy, Madison, Wisconsin
UTHSC- Soulsville Health Hub, Tennessee
UMC Free Clinic, Florida
Hope Community Medicine Administration, Texas
Around the World
Globally, Direct Relief shipped over 2.1 million defined daily doses of medication, totaling 41,415 lbs., to countries including the following:
India
Armenia
Papua New Guinea
Syria
Kenya
Vanuatu
Somaliland
Nepal
Year-To-Date
Since January 1, 2026, Direct Relief has delivered 2,968 shipments to 1,148 partner organizations in 52 U.S. states and territories and 44 countries. These shipments contained 36.8 million defined daily doses of medication valued at $211.5 million (wholesale) and totaled 441,771 lbs.
