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Stamford, Conn. – Sept. 29, 2014 – More than 60,000 pounds of medical aid from AmeriCares arrived today in Liberia for health workers battling the worst Ebola outbreak in history. It includes 80,000 pairs of gloves, 61,000 masks and 23,000 protective gowns for frontline medical personnel, along with intravenous fluids to treat approximately 1,600 Ebola patients.
The aid delivery was part of a humanitarian flight organized by Airlink, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit that connects aid organizations with free passenger and cargo transportation. Airlink has established an air bridge to streamline transportation of critically needed supplies to combat the Ebola outbreak in West Africa.
More than 6,500 people have been infected with the virus and more than 3,000 have died from the outbreak. The World Health Organization has declared an international public health emergency and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has warned that up to 1.4 million people in Liberia and Sierra Leone could become infected by January if more isn’t done to stop the spread of the disease. More than 200 health workers are among the dead, the WHO has reported.
“Health workers offer the best hope for containing the epidemic and their lives are in danger,” AmeriCares Vice President of Emergency Response Garrett Ingoglia said from Monrovia, Liberia, where he is meeting with health officials and coordinating AmeriCares response to the outbreak. “Protecting health workers is essential to stopping the spread of the disease.”
Today’s aid flight is AmeriCares eighth shipment to the region since the outbreak began and the second in partnership with Airlink.
AmeriCares has been aiding survivors of natural disasters, disease outbreaks, political conflict and extreme poverty around the world for more than 30 years, saving lives and restoring health and hope. The organization’s relief workers are among the first to respond to emergencies and stay as long as needed, helping to restore health services for survivors. On average, AmeriCares responds to 30 natural disasters and humanitarian crises worldwide each year. AmeriCares also establishes long-term recovery projects in communities affected by disaster and brings disaster preparedness programs to vulnerable communities.
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