2009 winter newsletter

w w w . D i r e c t r e l i e f . o r g

Our PeOPle Of the Year P / 6

resPOnse uPdate P / 5

Gift Guide P / 8

cOntinue GivinG P / 8

Warm hearts with health, and babies with bassinets

(you are here)

your legacy of

Plus!

h1n1

This reporT was paid for by a generous bequesT | phoTo by ViniT saTyaVraTa, www.purelighTfoTo.com

PHOTO ANNUALIf PIcTUres Are WOrTH A THOUsANd Of THem, ANd AcTIONs sPeAk LOUder THAN THem, THAN THe NexT feW PAges WILL cONvey OUr WOrk ANd THe WOrk Of THe HeALTHcAre LeAders We sUPPOrT IN 70 cOUNTrIes beTTer THAN WOrds cAN. (NOT THAT We WON’T ALsO gIve THe WOrds A sHOT.)

fOcUs ON mOms ANd kIds

A woman dies each minute from complications during pregnancy and childbirth, and while direct relief’s work has long been aimed at expanding the quality, availability, and access to health services for all people, a principal focus of this effort is on maternal and child health and, more specifically, interventions that directly address threats to women. These interventions include expanding access to care, ensuring safe deliveries through midwife training and kits, addressing complications through emergency obstetric care, restoring health through obstetric fistula repair, and preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIv.

2 www.direcTrelief.org winter 2009 this report was paid for by a generous bequest

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defININg THe bIg PrObLems: HIv PreveNTION ANd TesTINg

every 48 seconds, a child is infected with HIv, the virus that causes AIds. It is essential to focus resources on where this infectious disease exists to save those who have contracted it and can transmit it and those who are most likely to contract it. deciding who to treat requires knowing who is sick. In a village outside of eldoret, western kenya, florence, an HIv counselor with AmPATH, explains to a young family the importance of HIv testing, and tests the couple for the virus using rapid tests distributed by direct relief in partnership with Abbott. The test is quick—results take 15 minutes—and requires no electricity or water, making it ideal for areas that may lack steady access to either resource. If a pregnant woman tests positive for HIv, the healthcare provider can take the necessary steps to help prevent the baby from being infected with the virus.

about these initiatives and watch video of the women whose health has been restored through obstetric fistula repair in Africa

Directrelief.org

TOP 5 HIv rAPId TesT kIT cOUNTry recIPIeNTs IN 2009

kenya 976,000Haiti 520,000congo, dr 483,000cameroon 415,000rwanda 281,000

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see THe vIdeOabout King’s Medical Center at

Directrelief.org

HAITI: PrImAry cAre WHere IT’s mOsT Needed

According to the UN, Haiti is the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere and has the lowest life expectancy: 51.5 years. direct relief has provided nearly $60 million in medical assistance to Haiti since 2000, focusing on primary health care and basic medical supplies with groups like Partners in Health and visitation Hospital. Partners in Health’s Zanmi Lasante sociomedical complex ( 1 + 2) features a 104-bed, full-service hospital and a dozen schools, and the organization has expanded across Haiti’s central Plateau. direct relief recently helped equip the new hospital in Lacolline with beds, exam tables, sterilizers, and general hospital supplies. visitation Hospital (3 ) serves between 80 and 90 patients a day at its facility, which is designed to be environmentally sustainable. Its programs include a community health initiative in nutrition and vitamin distribution to help alleviate malnourishment among children, as well as programs for deworming and water purification. The facility houses a lab and pharmacy, seven exam rooms, two medical/dental procedure rooms, and a food bank.

www.direcTrelief.org winter 2009 this report was paid for by a generous bequest 3

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King's Medical Center

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THe LOTTeryBy being born in the U.S., you can expect

to live 27 years longer than if you were born in Haiti.

THe bOTTOm 5 IN cHILd mOrTALITy( probable deaths by age 5 per 1,000 live births)

sierra Leone 269Angola 260Afghanistan 257Niger 253mali 217

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bd ANd dIrecT reLIef: AddressINg POverTy THrOUgH PArTNersHIP IN gHANA

Located in West Africa, ghana has a population of over 22 million, with a life expectancy at birth of 49 years of age and child mortality at approximately 112 per 1,000 births, according to the World Health Organization. direct relief and bd have played an active role in improving healthcare in ghana through the bd/drI volunteer service Trip (vsT). The vsT program provides opportunities for bd associates to strengthen healthcare systems first-hand by working with direct relief’s local partners—supplying advanced lab diagnostics, training midwives and traditional birth attendants, and infrastructure upgrades which put health facilities like king’s medical center in a stronger position to meet the needs of their communities, where the average wage is just $1 per day. - WHO


Here AT HOme: HeLPINg PeOPLe IN ALL 50 sTATesdIrecT reLIef UsA Is THe cOUNTry’s LArgesT NONPrOfIT PrOgrAm PrOvIdINg free medIcATIONs TO PeOPLe WHO Are UNINsUred ANd HAve LOW INcOmes. THIs yeAr, dIrecT reLIef becAme THe ONLy NONPrOfIT LIceNsed TO PrOvIde PrescrIPTION medIcATIONs IN ALL 50 sTATes. WOrkINg WITH mOre THAN 1,000 cOmmUNITy cLINIcs ANd HeALTH ceNTers NATIONWIde THAT PrOvIde Access TO cAre fOr PeOPLe IN Need, dIrecT reLIef UsA HAs PrOvIded mOre THAN 10 mILLION free PrescrIPTIONs WOrTH Over $170 mILLION TO OUr NeIgHbOrs WHO cANNOT AffOrd THem.

Within a few miles of your home, you would probably find at least one of these locally run nonprofit clinics or health centers that flank direct relief UsA director damon Taugher and emergency Preparedness and response director brett Williams. collectively, these facilities provide care for over 20 million people and are an essential part of the healthcare safety net in the country.

As we learned during katrina and in every emergency since, these nonprofit, community-based health facilities also play an essential role when emergencies occur. Our day-to-day work with these local partners has created an efficient, proven way to respond fast to emergencies—by pinpointing assistance directly to the frontline facilities where people go and focusing on preparedness. In 2009, Hurricane Prep Packs were provided to 25 clinic partners in 5 gulf states and Puerto rico. The mobile, waterproof packs contain medical items to treat 100 patients for three to five days.

In response to the economic downturn that has affected the ability of patients with diabetes to afford medical supplies to manage their disease, medical supply company bd and direct relief UsA teamed up to provide 5 million insulin syringes and pen needles to direct relief’s partner clinics and health centers across the U.s.

direct relief UsA was launched because we saw the same challenge met by these nonprofit clinics—uninsured patients unable to obtain needed medications—replicated in so many American communities. We looked for an efficient, low-cost way to address this common problem, but we didn’t find one. so we built it.


dIrecT reLIef sUrvey cITed IN NeW eNgLANd JOUrNAL Of medIcINe

The survey direct relief conducted and wrote up earlier this year about the effect of the economic recession on America’s nonprofit safety net clinics and health centers

was cited in a New england Journal of medicine article published November 2.direct relief conducted the survey in connection with a partnership with bd, which

donated 5 million needles and syringes to help newly unemployed people with diabetes who are now seeking care at nonprofit clinics.

The article—“America’s safety Net and Health care reform — What Lies Ahead?”—is co-authored by Irwin redliner, m.d., of the children’s Health fund, with which

direct relief partnered on our first 50-state distribution program of schering-Plough–donated inhalers in 2007.

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emergeNcy resPONsedIrecT reLIef Is cUrreNTLy resPONdINg TO 25 emergeNcIes. OUr gLObAL NeTWOrk Of PArTNers bUILT Over 61 yeArs ALLOWs Us TO resPONd fAsT

WHeN emergeNcIes sTrIke, As OccUrred receNTLy WHeN TyPHOONs ANd eArTHqUAkes sLAmmed sOUTHeAsT AsIA ANd devAsTATINg HUrrIcANes HIT ceNTrAL AmerIcA. We geT gOOd INfOrmATION frOm PeOPLe We kNOW WHO LIve THere, ANd We geT THem WHAT THey Need.


TyPHOON keTsANAPHILIPPINes ANd vIeTNAmThe worst storm in 40 years made landfall in manila on september 26, causing severe flooding, killing more than 300 people, and leaving millions homeless.

response: ONgOINg

direct relief is coordinating with the medical arm of gawad kalinga, the country’s largest nongovernmental organization, and other Philippine groups responding to the emergency. direct relief also has joined with singapore-based mercy relief and Australian Aid International, both of which have deployed specialized medical staff to the Philippines, on the relief effort.

PAdANg eArTHqUAkeINdONesIAIn late september, West sumatra was rocked by two large earthquakes less than 24 hours apart that left more than 1,000 people dead and thousands more trapped under a city of rubble. Nearly every building taller than three stories in Padang suffered damage, and, tragically, all three main hospitals collapsed and patients had to be evacuated.

response: ONgOINg

direct relief is coordinating with muhammadiyah, Indonesia’s largest civic organization, which has requested assistance, and Indonesia-based yayasan bumi sehat. The priority goal is to bolster availability of medical items needed to treat a range of traumatic injuries caused by falling debris, crush injuries, fractures, lacerations, and search and rescue activities. A continued flow of primary care items to help keep peoples with pre-existing health problems and all other “normal illness,” will also be necessary, especially while local resources are reallocated for emergency response.

HUrrIcANe IdAceNTrAL AmerIcAOn November 5, category 2 Hurricane Ida caused severe flooding, mudslides, and displacement across the coastal zones of central America, killing 124 people in el salvador alone.

response: ONgOINg

Almost $3 million in emergency medical aid was airlifted via fedex free of charge to Nicaragua, el salvador, and U.s. partner clinics treating high-need patients affected by flooding and other damage caused by the hurricane.

H1N1 INfLUeNZA PANdemIc response: ONgOINg

direct relief UsA is providing 478 clinics in 49 states with needed H1N1 protective items to help clinic workers stay healthy and on the job through flu season. The five tons of supplies was delivered free by long time supporter fedex.The support was prompted by a nationwide survey conducted by direct relief UsA that showed that 80 percent of clinics and health centers have less than a one-month supply of key Personal Protective equipment (PPe) like hand sanitizer, gowns, goggles, and masks, which are needed to protect staff from infection. The survey represented over 30,000 healthcare workers who treat over four million patients annually.

Most Vulnerable to H1N1 Flu* children under 5 People over 65 Pregnant Women People with chronic respiratory and pulmonary illnesses, including asthma and diabetes

People with immunosuppression caused by medications and HIv

residents of nursing homes and other chronic-care facilities * according to the cdc

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LeArN mOre, see vIdeO

emergency response

Directrelief.org

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(OUr) People of the yearv O L U N T e e r s , d O N O r s , A N d f r I e N d s O f d I r e c T r e L I e f

Our supporters’ energy fuels direct relief, and that energy comes in a myriad of forms.

volunteers donated over 7,300 hours of work at direct relief headquarters in 2009.

That’s over 180 40-hour work weeks donated by more than 50 volunteers per month. And these numbers don’t include the thousands of hours logged by the organization’s unpaid volunteer board of directors .

rAy mUñANA has volunteered at direct relief since 2001, often putting in over 1,000 hours a year. A retired general motors technical writer and editor, ray repairs medical equipment, prepares health shipments, and keeps the warehouse staff on their toes. ray’s wife, dyANe mUñANA, also volunteers on a weekly basis.

PeTer sTUrkeN is the driving force behind direct relief’s video operations, volunteering at least 18 hours every week. His projects range from editing field footage shot by staff to producing videos for our Web site. A veteran Abc News cameraman who worked with the late Peter Jennings out of the beirut bureau, Peter filmed interviews with mother Theresa and king Hussein of Jordan.

Three years ago, ANNIe vILLANUevA, then a santa barbara High student, founded youth for direct relief, which now fields chapters at all four santa barbara high schools. These intrepid students–like Annie’s sister, kATy vILLANUevA– raised over $25,000 for direct relief in 2009, largely through their annual flowers for relief bouquet delivery service that benefits direct relief with 100 percent of its proceeds.

each year, direct relief is privileged to receive support from an average of 150 companies that share their wealth and the source of their wealth—such as google for online interaction, fedex for logistics, and companies who manufacture medicines. This provides enormous energy and efficiencies, and leverages each dollar we receive from generous people to help others.


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“ direct relief is exceptional for its combination of the values and mission of a humanitarian organization with the dynamism and agility of a silicon valley start-up.” – bruce campbell, long time direct relief supporter

(OUr) People of the yearv O L U N T e e r s , d O N O r s , A N d f r I e N d s O f d I r e c T r e L I e f

Our supporters’ energy fuels direct relief, and that energy comes in a myriad of forms.

direct relief’s offices have been happily infiltrated by four of 15 glaxosmithkline (gsk) volunteers serving with direct relief.

The PULse volunteer Partnership empowers gsk’s high-performing employees to act as catalysts for positive, sustainable, high-impact change

in impoverished communities, at home or abroad. PULse is rooted in the notion that transformational change and capacity-building for

NgOs can occur by enabling employees to work full-time for three to six months with NgOs in order to use, share and pass on their specific

professional skills and knowledge. In short, volunteers address a clear NgO need while developing their own leadership capabilities—a great example of collaborating across sectors in order to build healthcare

solutions for the betterment of society, and particularly for communities most in need.

This past year has seen explosive growth in our donors’ and other friends’ use of social media like facebook, Twitter, and youTube to learn

more about our work and support our programs. The number of fans on the direct relief page on facebook has surged to over 1,500. In

september, Twitter users in santa barbara held a “Twestival” party that raised $10,000. And thousands viewed our online videos, from

those taken in Liberia to the middle of a blazing california wildfire.We’re constantly updating our donors and other fans on facebook, Twitter

and youTube with new articles, photos, and videos, and asking them to send us their ideas and feedback.

INTerNs are invaluable to every function of direct relief—such as program research and analysis, administrative support, event coordination, and database

management. right now, direct relief is supported by 11 unpaid interns from five colleges, including Ucsb, santa barbara city, Westmont, and gordon college.

AmANdA sHAregHI , a recent graduate of brown University, works with the communications team on media relations and public affairs.

Charity Navigator named Direct Relief a Four-Star Charity for the fifth consecutive year, something only

four percent of charities have accomplished, and we earned our

eighth straight rating of 99 percent or better fundraising efficiency

A LEADER IN EFFICIENCY AND FISCAL

RESPONSIBILITY

from Forbes. The scale of Direct Relief’s work also continues to be

notable; the Chronicle of Philanthropy ranked

us as the largest international charity in California, and the

NonProfit Times graded us as the 87th largest

charity in America.

Get Connected with Direct Relief

facebook facebook.com/directrelieftwitter twitter.com/directreliefyoutube youtube.com/directreliefsocial vibe socialvibe.com/directrelief

Learn more. spread the word. interact with other supporters. even raise money!

for $25, direct relief will send a beautiful tribute card in your name to someone this holiday season.

To purchase cards, or for more information, please call (805) 964-4767 or visit Directrelief.org



27 S. LA PATERA LANESANTA BARBARA, CA 93117TEL: 805.964.4767 TOLL FREE: 800.676.1638 FAX: 805.681.4838www.DirectRelief.org

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

CHAIR Dorothy F. Largay, Ph.D.VICE CHAIR Thomas J. CusackSECRETARY James H. SelbertTREASURER Kenneth J. Coates

Frederick Beckett • Jon E. Clark • Patty DeDominic • Ernest H. Drew, Ph.D. Patrick Enthoven • Gary Finefrock • Paul Flynn • Richard GodfreyBert Green, M.D. • Raye Haskell • Stanley C. Hatch • W. Scott HedrickPriscilla Higgins, Ph.D. • Brett Hodges • Ellen K. Johnson • Donald J. Lewis Robert A. McLalan • Rita Moya • Carmen Elena Palomo • John RomoAyesha Shaikh, M.D. • George Short • Gary R. Tobey • Sherry Villanueva

INTERNATIONAL ADVISORY BOARDCHAIRMAN Frank N. Magid

Lawrence R. Glenn • E. Carmack Holmes, M.D.S. Roger Horchow • Stanley S. Hubbard • Jon B. Lovelace Donald E. Petersen • Richard L. Schall • John W. Sweetland

PRESIDENT & CEO Thomas Tighe

HONORARY BOARDPRESIDENT EMERITUS Sylvia KarczagCHAIR EMERITUS Jean HayDIRECTOR EMERITUS Dorothy Adams

nonprofit organizationu.s. postage paid

santa BarBara, capermit #756

100% Of cONTrIbUTIONs AredevOTed TO OUr PrOgrAms.

All overhead (non-program) expenses are covered by a generous bequest.

This year, give from a sampling of our partners’ most critical needs in more

than 70 countries around the world, including the United states.

gIfT cATALOg

HeLP A PersON fIgHT AIds with life-saving antiretroviral drugs ................................................. $15

PrOvIde cLeAN cOmfOrT fOr NeW bAbIes with a hospital nursery bassinet ................................. $50

eNAbLe A mIdWIfe TO AssIsT 100 sAfe deLIverIes ....................................... $250

eqUIP A medIcAL reservIsT Here AT HOme with a “grab ‘n go” med pack for emergencies ............... $500

PrOvIde medIcAL AId fOr 10,000 PeOPLe dUrINg A fLOOd when a tsunami, cyclone, or typhoon hits ....................................................... $6,000

sUPPOrT cAre fOr 20,000 AfgHAN WOmeN ANd kIds by underwriting the annual operating budget for the maladan clinic in Afghanistan ... $25,000

see the full catalog atwww.Dri.convio.net/giftcatalog2009

LeAve A LegAcymAke A LegAcy gIfT TO dIrecT reLIef ANd exTeNd yOUr geNerOsITy beyONd yOUr LIfeTIme. yOUr cOmmITmeNT ANd dedIcATION WILL HeLP PeOPLe AffecTed by POverTy, emergeNcIes, ANd cIvIL UNresT LIve beTTer, HeALTHIer LIves fAr INTO THe fUTUre.

for more information, contact Jill muchow rode, cfre, director of development [email protected] or (805) 964-4767 x181

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2009 winter newsletter

Health & Medicine