I m p a c t R e p o R t 2 0 1 6
IMPROVING HEALTH & LIVES
Every day, Direct Relief improves the health and
lives of vulnerable people throughout the world
by providing the medical aid they need. In Fiscal Year
2016 (July 1, 2015 through June 30, 2016), Direct Relief
responded to more requests for assistance than ever
before in its 68-year history. This report provides an
overview of Direct Relief’s activities in FY 2016, made
possible thanks to your generous support.
More Help to More people tHan ever Before:
$761
million in medical assistance
11,146
shipments
1,812 tons
1,661 partners
81 countries
U.S. PROGRAMS
Direct Relief operates the largest
charitable medicines program
in the United States, providing
no-cost medicines and supplies to
community clinics and health centers
in every state. FY 2016 marked Direct
Relief’s tenth year of supporting the
U.S. healthcare safety net. FY 2016
also saw a two-fold increase in aid
distributed annually compared to
FY 2015 – more than $124 million in
medical resources were donated to
1,310 healthcare facilities that provide
treatment for low-income and
uninsured people throughout the U.S.
$124 million in
medical resources
to 1,310 healthcare
facilities in all
50 states
Helping people Better Manage Chronic Conditions
In FY 2016, the Replenishment Program
– which ensures an ongoing supply
of medicines for people to help them
manage chronic conditions – helped
more than 8,000 vulnerable patients in 18
states by providing 39,518 prescriptions.
Supporting the Medical needs of vulnerable Youth
Direct Relief supports youth camps across the U.S. to help thousands of children
affected by serious and chronic medical conditions lead healthier, happier lives
through better management of their condition. In FY 2016, Direct Relief supported
137 medically-focused youth camps in 47 U.S. states and Puerto Rico with more
than $3.2 million in medicines and supplies to help youth campers with serious and
chronic conditions gain confidence and learn to manage their chronic conditions.
ratings, transparency, and recognition Direct Relief continues to earn top rankings from charity watchdog
groups and industry leaders for its financial transparency and effectiveness. No donor funds are used to pay for the organization’s
fundraising expenses, thanks to a generous bequest received several years ago. Direct Relief’s financials can be found at:
Directrelief.org/about/finance.
Charity Navigator:
Perfect 100
10 BeSt charities everyone’s heard of
INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS
Direct Relief has delivered global humanitarian
medical aid throughout the world since 1948. In FY
2016, Direct Relief worked with partners in 81 countries
to improve the health of people living in high-need
areas by increasing access to quality health care.
equipping Midwives to Save the lives of Moms & Babies
Skilled birth attendants
offer the single most
consequential intervention
for reducing maternal deaths that occur globally each
year. The product of a two-year collaboration between
Direct Relief and the International Confederation
of Midwives, Direct Relief’s Midwife Kit contains 59
essential items a midwife needs to perform 50 facility-
based deliveries. In FY 2016, Direct Relief strengthened
safe delivery practices by distributing 263 midwife kits
containing durable medical equipment, supplies, and
medicines to enable 13,150 safe births.
Increasing life-restoring Surgeries for Women living with fistula
Obstetric fistula is a childbirth injury that can be
physically and socially devastating if left untreated. In
FY 2016, Direct Relief supported the prevention and
treatment of obstetric fistula by equipping healthcare
facilities with the medicines and supplies necessary to
restore the health of 3,950 women through obstetric
fistula repair surgeries.
Creating access for people with rare Diseases
Access to treatment for people
with rare or special conditions in
developing parts of the world is
often limited due to extremely high
costs and lack of availability of
specialized medicines. Direct Relief
is working together with global
pharmaceutical companies to improve access to therapies
for patients living with lysosomal storage disorders,
hemophilia, and other rare diseases in countries where
treatment may not be available. In FY 2016, Direct Relief
provided life-saving Enzyme Replacement Therapy to 89
patients who otherwise may not have survived.
263
midwife kits
to enable
13,150
safe births
EMERGENcy PREPAREdNESS & RESPONSE
In FY 2016, Direct Relief responded to
large-scale emergencies that included the
devastating earthquake in Ecuador, the Zika
virus outbreak, and the Syrian refugee crisis.
looking forward More than ever before in its 68-year history, Direct Relief has been called upon to assist people who
are vulnerable and in need of access to essential medical services. To meet growing demand for assistance, Direct Relief is
constructing a new facility in Santa Barbara, California, where the organization has been located since inception. A larger head-
quarters and distribution center for Direct Relief will ensure its continued ability to pursue its mission of improving the lives of
people affected by poverty or emergencies, and to enable the growth of the organization to help more people. Thanks to the
support of private individuals, foundations, and corporations, Direct Relief has been
able to extend access to health services for many people in need this past year –
and many more in the future.
ecuador earthquake: Delivering emergency aid
In response to the magnitude 7.8
earthquake that hit Ecuador on April
16, Direct Relief chartered a 767
cargo aircraft to deliver more than 47 tons
of medicines and supplies worth more than
$2.1 million – the largest single shipment of
emergency medical aid received by Ecuador
immediately following the earthquake.
Zika virus: Mapping the outbreak
To help combat the spread of the Zika virus, Direct
Relief continues to fulfill requests for contraceptives,
pain medication, and insect repellent for healthcare
facilities in the U.S. and throughout Latin America
and the Caribbean.
Syrian refugee Crisis: Strengthening Medical Services
To help Syrian refugees who have fled or
are fleeing violence, Direct Relief continues
to provide medical assistance to doctors,
medical missions, and local organizations,
both within Syria and beyond its borders. In FY 2016, Direct Relief
provided more than $4 million in critically-needed medical goods to
support health services in the Syrian border nations of Turkey, Lebanon,
and Jordan. This aid continues to help strengthen medical services for
Syrian refugees.
Hurricane preparedness packs: preparing for Disaster
The pre-positioning of supplies eliminates delivery delays and enables
medical professionals to treat injured patients on-site when an
emergency strikes. In June 2016, Direct Relief prepositioned 50 Hurricane
Preparedness Packs with clinic partners in nine U.S. states as well as in
seven countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. The packs contain
acute and chronic care medicines, supplies, and hygiene items needed to
treat people who are affected.
27 S . La Patera Ln. Santa BarBara, Ca 931 17 | (805) 964-4767 | DireCtreLief.org