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.

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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.

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