Supporting street medical care in Puerto Rico, women's health in Malawi, etc.

In the past seven days, Direct Relief delivered requested medical aid 527 times to 48 U.S. states and territories and 15 countries around the world.

Luggage included 13.4 million defined daily doses of medicines and essentials, including insulin, prenatal vitamins, oral rehydration tablets, and more.

Strengthening the cold chain capacity of free clinics

Several Sanofi-donated pharmaceutical-grade cooling systems were recently delivered by Direct Relief to multiple clinics across the United States, including Ozanam Charity Pharmacy in Alabama and WellVista in South Carolina.

Refrigerator capacity has been expanded in these facilities to allow storage of more temperature-sensitive medicines such as vaccines and insulin. The system was donated and installed as part of Direct Relief's ReplenishRx program, which works to provide free medicine and supplies to free charity clinics.

Supporting the care of women in Malawi

This week, Dr. Anne Alanis, a gynecological oncologist and founder of Potawila International, spoke about her work in Malawi and her plans to build a new surgical center to expand care for women in the region.

Direct Relief has supported Potawila International with more than $5 million worth of oncology drugs, midwifery kits containing 50 essential items to facilitate safe childbirth, and other requested medical assistance. Potawila, which means “safe haven,” has an outpatient clinic that sees 200 patients per day and a birth center that is expected to handle more than 500 births by 2024.

The new surgery center, with four operating rooms, will offer safe cesarean sections, laparoscopic surgery, radiology services and more for women needing cancer treatment or experiencing childbirth complications. Posawira also operates an orphanage, an elementary school, and a sustainability farm to support community needs.

Dr. Alanis is originally from Malawi, immigrated to the United States at age 16, and currently works as a physician at Houston Methodist Hospital in between medical assignments in Malawi. She spoke to about 120 people gathered in Montecito, Calif., this week to raise awareness about Posawira International and Direct Relief's maternal and child health programs ahead of Mother's Day.

To learn more about Dr. Alanis and Potawila International, click here.

Direct Relief holds health fair in Puerto Rico

Direct Relief and La Fondita de Jesús, a nonprofit organization focused on serving the unhoused and other vulnerable populations, announced on April 23 that A health fair was held. The fair provided health services, personal care kits filled with hygiene products for attendees, and more.

Direct Relief Chief Pharmacy Manager Recognized

Direct Relief's Chief Pharmacy Officer, Dr. Alicia Clark, has been named one of the “Top 50 Women in Business” by Pacific Coast Business Times.

The Business Times recognizes 50 of the region's top women leaders in a variety of fields, including finance, professional services, health care, technology and nonprofits. Ms. Clark was selected for her outstanding contributions to public health and emergency response.

Read the full selection article here.

Operational snapshot

World wide

Direct Relief shipped last week More than 13 million defined daily doses of the drug administered outside the United States

Countries that received medical assistance in the past week include:

America

This week's shipment also included a delivery of oral rehydration salts in response to a dengue fever outbreak in Puerto Rico. The organization is monitoring the outbreak and will continue to respond as requested.

Relief delivered directly 510 shipments involving more than 4 tons of pharmaceutical products in the last 7 days For organizations including:

year to date

Starting January 1, 2024, Direct Relief will We have 7,666 shipments to 1,573 partner organizations in 54 U.S. states and territories and 67 countries.

These shipments included:121.6 million defined daily doses of drugs, totaling 2.4 million pounds.