2010 Spring Newsletter - Direct Relief

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Mobility for the Long Run: prosthetics and rehabilitation ALISON WRIGHT A Haitian boy being treated for an amputated limb at Saint Damien Pediatric Hospital in Port-au-Prince. Traumatic injuries were widespread following the earthquake—crushed bones, spinal cord injuries, and amputated limbs. Many of these injuries will result in life-long conditions and most will require rehabilitation. Even if the earthquake had not decimated the healthcare infrastructure, it would have been unable to support the immediate and long-term needs of those affected. Building on the success of the prosthetics and orthotics program Direct Relief created in Pakistan following the earthquake of 2005, Direct Relief has committed $2 million to strengthen Haiti’s physical rehabilitation capacity. $2 MILLION TO STRENGTHEN HAITI’S REHABILITATION CAPACITY Partnering with local groups, Direct Relief will leverage long-standing relationships with international experts to help establish effective and lasting prosthetic and orthotic centers in Haiti, and see that these local organizations have the resources to train new prosthetists and orthotists so that the new centers are adequately staffed by Haitians. This work will help people long after the emergency of the earthquake has given way to the everyday reality of health care in Haiti. Mapping Assistance to Haiti In the aftermath of the Haiti earthquake, Direct Relief collaborated with a wide range of organizations including Google, the Environmental Sciences Research Institute (ESRI), the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), and the U.S. Department of State to help quickly generate a map of Haiti’s health facility infrastructure. In two months of work, the Interagency Haiti Health Facility Mapping group was able to generate a complete geographic database of all Haitian health facilities, enabling an accurate damage assessment, enhanced operational collaboration, and longterm public health planning benefits for Haiti’s Ministry of Health. Direct Relief has also used ArcGIS Server and Adobe Flex to produce an interactive web mapping application showing the location and value of all Direct Relief aid shipments. By linking specific clinical location data from the UN to our own data, we have been able to demonstrate an unprecedented level of transparency in humanitarian disaster response. Direct Relief ’s collaborative mapping work in Haiti will also be featured in upcoming conferences at the Global Health Council and the InterAction Forum. INTERACT WITH THE ASSISTANCE MAP AT DirectRelief.org 4 WWW.DIRECTRELIEF.ORG SPRING 2010 THIS REPORT WAS PAID FOR BY A GENEROUS BEQUEST
Direct Relief staff sort emergency medical supplies with Hospital Sacre-Cour CDTI Pharmacist Vincent Nivenson Jr. (center, front). Efficiency, Ingenuity Mark Earthquake Responses in China and Chile Emergency response presents challenges in countries with stringent customs or importation policies. Most recently, Direct Relief faced these challenges in responding to the 8.8-magnitude earthquake in Chile and the 6.9-magnitude earthquake in China. Thanks to strong collaborations with healthcare providers and medical manufacturers working in these countries, Direct Relief was able to provide needed assistance to people injured in the earthquakes. ALISON WRIGHT The Community Grant Fund FOR HAITIAN NGOs AND COMMUNITY GROUPS, CASH GRANTS UP TO $25,000 “In Haiti, Direct Relief has delivered more critically needed assistance in less time to more groups than ever before. The best interests of local groups have long been at the heart of Direct Relief’s work, because we know that the best interest of the community are at the heart of these groups’ work.” – Brett Williams, Direct Relief Director of Emergency Preparedness and Response International aid groups have received over $2 billion in donations for Haiti, yet many smaller Hatian groups still struggle to access funding. Direct Relief has committed $500,000 for a Community Grant Fund that will give local Haitian NGOs and community groups access to cash grants up to $25,000. These grants will ensure that local groups that were operating before the earthquake and have the most at stake in the country’s recovery aren’t overlooked. FUNDING PRIORITIES ➔ Healthcare Services ➔ Training and Capacity Building ➔ Infrastructure and Repair “Direct Relief is an amazing group with tremendous heart. We could never thank you enough for how fast you’ve been in helping. FEDES and the people of Chile are very, very thankful.” – Steven Colon, FEDES Founder and President “Covidien can always count on Direct Relief’s responsiveness, passion, network of in-country partners, and clear action plans in delivering our products to those in greatest need.” – Teresa Hacunda, Covidien Director of Civic Affairs REUTERS/ALFRED JIN, COURTESY OF ALERTNET.ORG FEDES The Qinghai earthquake damaged tens of thousands of buildings in a mountainous region of China. Following news of the quake, Direct Relief program staff contacted our partners incountry: One HEART and the Amitabha Foundation, which we have supported with aid and cash grants, as well as Mercy Relief, an emergency response and medical aid organization based in Singapore. Direct Relief committed up to $100,000 for earthquake recovery efforts, with initial grants issued to support medical mission trips by these three groups to the affected area, including Yushu. With the Amitabha Foundation, Direct Relief plans to help rebuild and equip the village clinic and Yushu Hospital, both at the epicenter of the earthquake. In 2008, Direct Relief supplied Amitabha with a full surgical suite to increase access to quality care. With One HEART, Direct Relief hopes to help rebuild and bring more advanced maternal and child health care to the affected region, including a birthing center in the local hospital. In Chile, Direct Relief provided $277,000 in medical material assistance and personal care supplies to FEDES, which distributed aid on medical outreach trips to coastal villages destroyed in the earthquake. The Chilean army, along with the Ministry of Health, set up temporary field hospitals outside damaged facilities so patients could receive both emergency and ongoing medical care, and FEDES helped supply them with critically needed medical products. For the thousands of people left homeless, personal care products like shampoo and soap were greatly appreciated as they provided a bit of comfort despite the difficult circumstances. Covidien is supporting Direct Relief ’s efforts in Chile with a direct donation of pharmaceuticals, including morphine, through the company’s relationship with CENABAST Center for Supply (the central supply agency for the National Health Service/Ministry of Health in Chile). CENABAST is processing the emergency medical assistance and will handle the in-country distribution. FEDES will likely receive a portion of this aid. WWW.DIRECTRELIEF.ORG SPRING 2010 THIS REPORT WAS PAID FOR BY A GENEROUS BEQUEST 5
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