MILLWOOD, Va., Nov. 14, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global NGO, Project HOPE, announced it will ship over $1 million of medicines, medical supplies and other equipment to support emergency relief efforts in the Philippines in areas devastated by Typhoon Haiyan.
The five ton shipment of emergency aid includes 25 pallets of donated medicines including antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, as well as generators, surgical masks and gloves.
"This is a tragedy of epic proportions. We're extremely concerned about the public health crisis, as the survivors need urgent medical care. The potential outbreak of deadly diseases like cholera and malaria, which can spread quickly in disaster conditions due to the lack of clean water and sanitation, is a huge threat to people in this phase of the crisis," said John P. Howe III, M.D., President and CEO of Project HOPE.
The Philippines government says as many as 2,500 people are feared dead after Haiyan, one the most powerful storms on record to make landfall, hit the coastal provinces of Leyte and Samar last Friday, and moved west, devastating a total of nine regions across the Philippines. About 9.6 million people have been impacted by the disaster and are now struggling to survive.
"The devastation suggests the health care infrastructure was completely destroyed in some places and badly compromised in other locations. HOPE will continue to monitor urgent health care needs of survivors and prepare to ship additional lifesaving medicines and plan further medical assistance on the ground," said Dr. Howe.
Project HOPE, a global health and humanitarian assistance organization, has been working in the region for over 50 years, first aboard the SS HOPE, the first peacetime hospital ship. Project HOPE has played a crucial role in saving lives in regions hit by natural disasters over much of the last decade, in Haiti, Indonesia, Japan, China and other parts of southeast Asia.
Since 2005, HOPE has partnered with the US Navy and Air Force on annual medical humanitarian missions. Last year, HOPE medical volunteers joined the Pacific Partnership 2012 mission aboard the massive USNS Mercy hospital ship for a four-month mission, providing health care and education to underserved communities in the Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Indonesia.
About Project HOPE
Founded in 1958, Project HOPE (Health Opportunities for People Everywhere) is dedicated to providing lasting solutions to health problems with the mission of helping people to help themselves. Identifiable to many by the SS HOPE, the world's first peacetime hospital ship, Project HOPE now provides medical training and health education, as well as conducts humanitarian assistance programs in more than 35 countries. www.projecthope.org
A photo accompanying this release is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=22221
