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Stamford, Conn. – Oct. 24, 2014 – Nearly 30,000 pounds of safety equipment and medical supplies from AmeriCares is headed to Guinea for health workers fighting the Ebola epidemic. The shipment – AmeriCares first aid delivery to Guinea for the crisis – includes more than 350,000 masks, 35,000 gowns and other protective equipment to support the Ebola response in Guinea. This personal protective equipment will be distributed to Ebola Treatment Units and health clinics and will be used to train health workers in infection control procedures.
“There are new cases of the virus reported every week in Guinea,” said AmeriCares Vice President of Emergency Response Garrett Ingoglia. “With the proper protective gear, we know we can stop the virus from spreading to health workers who offer the best hope for containing the epidemic.”
The shipment will be delivered on 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.
Nearly 10,000 people have been infected with the Ebola virus across West Africa and about half have died from the outbreak – the worst in history. The World Health Organization has warned there could be up to 10,000 new cases a week in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone by December.
AmeriCares has been working on the crisis since the spring, providing critical safety equipment to protect frontline health workers and intravenous fluids to rehydrate Ebola patients. To date, AmeriCares has delivered more than $1.3 million in aid to Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea for the crisis. An AmeriCares Emergency Response Team is in Liberia overseeing the organization’s response to the outbreak and working closely with health officials coordinating the relief efforts.
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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