Mexico City is in the midst of an outbreak of Influenza A, commonly known as Swine Flu. It has sickened more than 1,000 people and possibly killed dozens more. In response, AmeriCares has reached out to our health care partners in Mexico and are preparing deliveries of emergency aid to help fight the disease.
Here in the U.S. where reports of Swine Flu infection increase by the hour, AmeriCares is reaching out to health clinics in areas that have been affected by the outbreak.
A shipment of emergency medicines and critical supplies to help treat and prevent the disease is already on the way to Mexico. It includes face masks for infection control and nutritional support for people who have been infected.
Medicines in the relief delivery include antibiotics to help fight flu-related infections, fever and pain reducers to control symptoms and an inhalant to help people with breathing problems, such as asthma.
"AmeriCares is watching this Influenza A outbreak very carefully," said Dr. Frank Bia, AmeriCares Medical Director and an expert in infectious diseases. "As Swine Flu infects more people, it can adapt and become more dangerous - like a hurricane picking up strength over warm water."
The outbreak in Mexico City is particularly alarming because the dense population, combined with a lack of access to basic medicines can lead to a spike in infections.
"The current swine flu outbreak is the same strain, H1N1, as during the flu pandemic of 1918 when more than twenty million people died," said Dr. Bia. "Even though we have advanced medicines today, the risk is still great in the developing world where health care is out of reach for so many."
AmeriCares keeps infection control supplies, including face masks, gloves and hygiene items on reserve, enabling us to respond immediately to serious outbreaks like the Swine Flu in Mexico City.
Since 1989, AmeriCares has been working to help people in Mexico with critical medical needs. Medicines and medical supplies donated by AmeriCares have played a critical role in protecting and improving health outcomes.
Read Dr. Bia's Q&A: What You Need to Know About the Swine Flu.Help AmeriCares fight disease in Mexico and around the world.
[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]
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