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Stamford, Conn. – Oct. 16, 2014 – AmeriCares is sending 12,000 bottles of Clorox® Regular-Bleach to West Africa for frontline health workers battling the Ebola outbreak. Nearly 6,000 gallons donated by The Clorox Company was sent from AmeriCares Stamford, Connecticut, warehouse this week destined for Liberia and Sierra Leone.
The CDC is recommending the use of EPA-registered disinfectants for surface disinfection (on hard, nonporous surfaces) in hospital settings to help prevent the spread of the Ebola virus. Ebola on dried on surfaces such as doorknobs and countertops can survive for several hours. Household disinfectants like Clorox® Regular-Bleach meet the criteria currently recommended by the CDC for hospitals.
“Bleach is one of most urgently needed supplies right now. It is essential for disinfecting safety equipment and sanitizing health facilities,” AmeriCares Vice President of Emergency Response Garrett Ingoglia said from Liberia, where he is overseeing the organization’s response to the epidemic. “This donation will help protect health workers who play a pivotal role in containing the epidemic.”
Nearly 4,500 people in West Africa have reportedly died from the outbreak, including more than 200 health workers. Close to 9,000 people have been infected and the World Health Organization warns there could be up to 10,000 new cases a week in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone by December.
“We’re proud to continue our long history of providing bleach for public health issues in times of need,” said Dawn Willoughby, Chief Operating Officer, The Clorox Company. “Together with AmeriCares we’ll be helping fulfill crucial disinfection needs to help kill Ebola in some of the most rural regions of West Africa that need it most.”
AmeriCares has been responding to the Ebola outbreak since May, providing critical safety equipment, including gloves, masks and gowns, to protect frontline health workers in Liberia and Sierra Leone. To date, the organization has delivered more than $1 million in medicines and relief supplies to the region. More aid deliveries are planned.
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.
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