Project HOPE and Americares Deliver Protective Gear to Chicago

MILLWOOD, Va., April 8, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Project HOPE and Americares, two U.S.-based relief and development organizations responding globally to the COVID-19 pandemic, have joined forces to deliver more than 3 tons of lifesaving personal protective equipment to the city of Chicago. The shipment, which arrived April 3, contains 25,000 surgical masks, 19,000 isolation gowns, over 15,000 pairs of examination gloves and other supplies for Chicago's frontline health workers and homeless shelters.

"We respond wherever the world's healthcare needs are greatest, and today that is right here in the United States," said Project HOPE President and CEO Rabih Torbay. "We're proud to team up with Americares to deliver this large shipment of protective gear for Chicago's frontline workers, who are risking their lives to save lives every day. This is only the beginning of Project HOPE's support for the COVID-19 response in Chicago as well as other American cities hit hard by the virus."

"Having an adequate supply of personal protective equipment is absolutely necessary to ensure the safety of health workers as any patient they treat could be infected with COVID-19," said Americares President and CEO Christine Squires. "Right now, our No. 1 priority is getting PPE into the hands of those on the front lines and we are proud to be working with Project HOPE to ensure Chicago's health workers are protected."

With one of the only international response teams on the ground in Wuhan from the earliest days of the outbreak, Project HOPE began providing critical support to frontline health workers treating patients and working to contain the spread of the virus. Project HOPE has delivered nearly 5 million facemasks and other protective gear as well as lifesaving medical equipment, including ventilators, to hospitals that cared for tens of thousands of patients in China. In addition, Project HOPE quickly ramped up its global response to provide live, online training on COVID-19 prevention and treatment, protective gear and other support for health workers in high-risk countries like North Macedonia, Kosovo, Ethiopia, Indonesia and Colombia. Project HOPE is also providing protective equipment and medical surge staff to help support the COVID-19 response in the United States.

Americares is providing critically needed protective gear, training and emotional support for health workers on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure they can continue their lifesaving work. To date, Americares has shipped 18 tons of protective equipment, disinfectants and other critically needed supplies for health workers in COVID-19 hotspots worldwide. In the United States, Americares has delivered masks, gloves and other infection control supplies to 34 states, including Illinois. In addition, Americares is training health workers in infection prevention and control, mental health and psychosocial support and disaster preparedness, and continuing to care for patients at its primary care clinics in Colombia, El Salvador, and in Americares home state of Connecticut, including referring patients with suspected COVID-19 infections for testing.

ABOUT PROJECT HOPE
Project HOPE operates around the world wherever the need is greatest, working side-by-side with local health workers and addressing the greatest public health challenges to enable people to live their best lives. We respond to disasters and health crises, staying on in communities after the emergency subsides to help find durable solutions to epidemics and any other neglected health needs. For more information on Project HOPE and its response to the coronavirus outbreak, visit projecthope.org.

ABOUT AMERICARES
Americares is a health-focused relief and development organization that saves lives and improves health for people affected by poverty or disaster. Each year, Americares reaches more than 90 countries, including the United States, with life-changing health programs, medicine and medical supplies. Americares is the world's leading nonprofit provider of donated medicine and medical supplies. For more information, visit americares.org.

SOURCE Project HOPE