Stamford, CT/Los Angeles, CA - AmeriCares and International Medical Corps (IMC) are delivering critical medicines to Kenya in an emergency air shipment responding to the humanitarian crisis in the country.
Over 6,000 pounds of medicines and medical supplies worth more than $180,000 were shipped in an emergency air shipment to the capital Nairobi and will be used by International Medical Corps mobile clinics in the western Rift Valley province.
More than 600 people have been killed and over 250,000 Kenyans have been displaced in violent clashes that erupted after disputed election results were announced on December 30, 2007. A quarter of a million people now live in informal camps without sufficient food, shelter, medication, and sanitation. The worst displacement took place in western Kenya.
International Medical Corps is setting up mobile medical clinics for displaced populations in Uansin Gishu, Trans Nzoia and Koibatek districts of Rift Valley Province., an area that was particularly hard hit. The AmeriCares donated medicines and medical equipment will help to address urgent basic health needs of women and children, the most vulnerable among the displaced.
The shipment includes painkillers, anti-inflammatories, antibiotics, local anesthetics, intravenous fluids, disinfectants, and medical equipment like thermometers, stethoscopes, and sharps containers for discarded needles.
"AmeriCares is committed to helping people in crisis and our shipment to Kenya will provide essential medicines to those most in need," said Curt Welling, president and CEO of AmeriCares. "Through our strong partnership with International Medical Corps we are able to work together to save lives and restore health and hope."
"The delivery shows a lot of thoughtfulness because it addresses the most urgent medical needs of displaced people," says Dr. Jeff Goodman, IMC medical advisor and member of the emergency response team currently in Kenya. "We are very pleased that our partners at AmeriCares managed to transport these supplies to Nairobi in such short time."
International Medical Corps will use the drugs to treat the most common ailments displaced people face at the moment. These include skin infections, respiratory disorders, minor wounds, diarrhea, and other medical problems that can readily be addressed through mobile clinics.
"The longer people will stay in the open or live in overcrowded shelters without proper sanitation, the more we expect to see diarrhea and infections," says Goodman. "People need basic health care close to where they are currently living."
The shipment also includes some medication for people suffering from hypertension. Many chronically ill Kenyans have not been able to get proper medication due to displacement and prevailing insecurity.
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AmeriCares is a nonprofit international disaster relief and humanitarian aid organization, which provides immediate response to emergency medical needs and supports long-term humanitarian assistance programs around the world. Since it was established in 1982, AmeriCares has distributed more than $7 billion in humanitarian aid to 137 countries. For six years in a row, AmeriCares has been given a four-star rating from Charity Navigator, the highest possible rating, indicating effective management practices. For more information, log onto www.americares.org.
Since its inception nearly 25 years ago, International Medical Corps' mission has been consistent: relieve the suffering of those impacted by war, natural disaster and disease, by delivering vital health care services that focus on training. This approach of helping people help themselves is critical to returning devastated populations to self-reliance. For more information visit our website at www.imcworldwide.org.
[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]
Kenya's President Mwai Kibaki (L) speaks as opposition leader Raila Odinga (R) watches in Nairobi January 24, 2008. Kibaki and Odinga took "fair steps" towards dialogue in their first meeting since ...
