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2. A mother carries Dr. Hezron Mc’Obewa and Joshua Odongo Oron, clinical officers,
Hear
Dr. Hezro
n
her baby inside outside the OGRA Foundation Clinic in Kisumu, Kenya. speak ab Mc’Obewa
Foundati out the OGRA
a temporary on’s work
Direct R in
shelter as people elief ’s Sh Kenya at
WatchMc’Obewa
Meeting areholde
displaced by post- on May 1 th rs’
FLIP T 5 .
election violence O THE B
ACK PAG
Hezron
video of Dr. irect Relief and
E…
leave Nairobi.
D
describing artnership a
t
RA Fou ndation’s p
OG
G/PRESS
CENTER/
DIRECT RELIEF.OR /
IA/VIDEO
MULTIMED WA. AS P X
NMCOBE
DRHEZRO
PHOTO: LORI WILLIS
“DIRECT RELIEF’S CONTRIBUTION,
AND THE FACT THAT OGRA WAS THE FIRST MEDICAL
TEAM ON SITE FOR A FULL WEEK
RUNNING AND FINANCING THE EMERGENCY EFFORT, HAS
BEEN HIGHLY APPRECIATED NOT JUST
BY LOCAL RED CROSS BUT ALSO GOVERNMENT AND
OTHER NGO OFFICIALS WITH WHOM WE HAVE BEEN
WORKING. OUR LEADERSHIP AND FAST RESPONSE
PHOTO: REUTERS/ ZOHRA BENSEMRA (KENYA), COURTESY OF WWW.ALERTNET.ORG
SAVED A LOT OF LIVES.”
KENYA
– Hezron Mc’Obewa, M.D., OGRA Foundation Director
PHOTO: REUTERS/ MIKE HUTCHINGS (KENYA), COURTESY OF WWW.ALERTNET.ORG
A Doctor’s Resolve Amid
Political Turmoil
People displaced
T
during post-
election violence
he widespread civil strife that broke out in the aftermath of Kenya’s December 27, 2007 presidential election was in a temporary
shelter in Burnt
unexpected and violent. Protests sparked by disputed election results and allegations of vote-counting inpropriety gave Forest, Kenya.
way to outbreaks of violence along political and then tribal lines.
Exact numbers have been hard to calculate, but the
Kenyan Red Cross estimates that more than 1,000
Educated in England, Dr. Mc’Obewa helped
start OGRA Foundation as a community-based
motion airfreight shipments of additional supplies,
and pledged to provide over 136,000 courses
Dr. Mc’Obewa maintained regular contact, often
via text messaging, the only available means. In a
Before fleeing, they sent a distress signal to OGRA,
who arrived in time to take them 14 miles away to
SINCE 1988
people were killed, and UN officials estimate that organization to provide health care and promote of antiretroviral medicine for patients with HIV chilling entry from mid-January, he described a safety and later to an evening flight out of Kisumu. Direct Relief has provided over
500,000 people were displaced throughout the socio-economic and cultural development. Because whose treatment was disrupted by the fighting. team of OGRA staff going door-to-door, looking for
country. Political reconciliation began in the form of of OGRA’s strong community reputation, Dr. injured people who were unable or afraid to come OGRA has handed over the day-to-day running of $13.1 million (wholesale) in
a new coalition government agreed to on February Mc’Obewa was appointed as the head of medical As the scope of the violence grew, so did Direct outside and seek treatment. “It is through this that health camps and clinics to the Kenyan Ministry
28, the details of which are still being negotiated. outreach for the Kisumu area’s ad-hoc humanitarian Relief ’s assistance. On top of the airfreighted we are encountering some people with, literally, of Health, but Dr. Mc’Obewa and his staff are still medical material assistance to
aid committee, coordinating between aid agencies, provisions, Direct Relief contributed $100,000 rotting limbs – how some haven’t died, only God looking for ways to improve community cohesion Kenya. To date, the OGRA Foundation
To listen to Dr. Hezron Mc’Obewa, director of the governments, and international bodies. in emergency funds to help transport fleeing knows,” he wrote. and provide assistance to the displaced. Direct
Kenya-based OGRA Foundation and a Direct Relief displaced families, to provide essential medicines Relief will be there to help them. has received over $1.3 million
regional medical adviser, is to discover hope for the
people of Kenya. Despite being engulfed in the eye of
Despite communication issues that arose from the
instability created by the violence, Dr. Mc’Obewa
and drugs, for monetary support of surgeons,
doctors and nurses, as well as for fuel costs and
OGRA and Dr. Mc’Obewa’s assistance went
beyond medical. On the morning of December 31,
of that aid, in addition to
the violence and having his personal office burned to was able to contact Direct Relief the day violence other contingencies. about 300 youth armed with machetes, protesting $113,000 in cash assistance.
the ground, Dr. Mc’Obewa pressed on to aid people broke out. Direct Relief immediately wired $10,000 the presidential results, attacked Grace and Habel
from all tribal groups caught in this crossfire. to purchase needed medicines and fuel, set in Throughout the two months of intense conflict, Odongo at the guest houses they run in Kisumu.
D IRECT R ELIEF . ORG
2 DIRECT RELIEF INTERNATIONAL PAID ADVERTISEMENT SPRING 2008 DIRECT RELIEF INTERNATIONAL PAID ADVERTISEMENT SPRING 2008 3

3. BEYOND the CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES
Direct Relief, along with clinics nationwide, is using the response to last year’s blazes
When Damon Taugher, Direct Relief ’s
to strengthen emergency preparedness
The first was to discuss Direct Relief ’s shelter and a staging point for various Those partnerships also enabled rapid VIVIR con
DIABETES
Director of Domestic Initiatives, response to the wildfires that burned emergency services during the wildfires – financial assistance ($565,000 thus far)
delivered a presentation to the National throughout California in late 2007. he covered the benefits of partnerships to help clinics quickly recoup significant
Association of Community Health Along with colleagues from the California that helped Direct Relief deliver financial losses as they suffered from
Centers’ (NACHC) annual Policy & Primary Care Association and Mountain medicine, medical supplies, and financial fire damage, increased patient loads,
Issues Forum in Washington, D.C. this
past March, he had two purposes.
Health and Community Services in San
Diego County – a clinic that became a
assistance to clinics and shelters during
the weeks-long evacuation period.
site closures, and lost revenue.
“THESE CLINICS AND HEALTH
en Bolivia
CENTERS ARE REFERRED
TO AS THE ‘SAFETY-NET’
FOR VERY GOOD REASONS – CVCD staff test a
THEY PROVIDE ESSENTIAL Quechuan woman
HEALTHCARE REGARDLESS Nineteen million people are for diabetes with
PHOTO: DR. ELIZABETH DUARTE GOMEZ
Abbott-donated
OF INCOME STATUS FOR estimated to have diabetes in products during
PEOPLE IN OUR COUNTRY, one of CVCD’s
AND WE ARE PLEASED TO
Latin America and the Caribbean– outreach and
HAVE DEVELOPED A STRONG according to the International detection
campaigns to the
CAPACITY TO ASSIST THEIR Diabetes Foundation – province of Cliza,
VITAL WORK.” Bolivia. Educational
– Thomas Tighe, Direct Relief AND THAT NUMBER IS talks and medical
literature about
EXPECTED TO DOUBLE TO
International President & CEO diabetes are also
provided to visited
But Taugher wasn’t there just to talk 40 MILLION BY communities.
2025.
about past performance. As he sees it,
the same principles and systems used
to connect Direct Relief and other
groups to the Golden State’s network
of NACHC members could also be
used to create a template for regionally-
appropriate emergency preparedness As daunting as these statistics are, the day-to-day strive for early detection and diagnosis, and its main diagnosed learned from the outset how to properly
PHOTO: MARGARET MOLLOY
and response nationwide. realities of living with diabetes in an area without clinic provides complimentary treatment for those manage their diabetes, and by living healthier lives,
adequate care are far worse. Fortunately, the many who have developed related visual, neural, and they will impact less an already financially strapped
“Creating strong relationships prior health complications related to diabetes can be mini- circulatory problems. public health system.
to disasters is crucial for efficient mized or eliminated
Dr. Feli
Hear coordination in post-disaster entirely through early
detection and changes
In addition
screenings, CVCD
to
“THE HAPPINESS
CALIFORNIA
Commun x Nuñez from the situations,” said Taugher. “These WE FEEL AT BEING ABLE TO GIVE TO THOSE IN NEED, has
ity in daily lifestyle. distributed
Los Ange Clinic Associatio partnerships allow for critical resources
how low-i
les Coun
n
ty speak
abo
n of
to reach people most often at risk.” WITHOUT WORRYING ABOUT WHAT IT COSTS, IS INDESCRIBABLE. printed materials
care – Dir come patients re ut
WILDFIRE SUPPORT RECAP ect Relie
Meeting,
f ’s Share
ceive
holders’
Dr. Elizabeth Duarte
Gomez confronted
DIRECT RELIEF AND ABBOTT PROVIDE US WITH MATERIALS FOR QUALITY explaining diabetes
management, con-
FLIP TO
May 15 th
. Partnering with NACHC gives Direct MEDICAL CARE, AND THUS ALLOW OUR DREAMS TO COME TRUE.”
THE FIRES… THE BAC
K PAGE… Relief access to the largest association the crisis in Bolivia – ducted group and
Caused 10 deaths of nonprofit health centers in the where 4.8% of the – Elizabeth Duarte Gomez, M.D., El Centro Vivir Con Diabetes Founder and Director individual disease
Burned 516,000 acres United States. Between its 7,000 health population is diabetic education using
Displaced more than 880,000 So. Cal. residents centers and clinics, NACHC members (IDF, 2003) – when Abbott-contributed
Galvanized the generosity of many individuals, groups, provide services to roughly 16 million she founded the nonprofit El Centro Vivir Con Direct Relief has supported CVCD since its inception glucose meters and strips, and trained 604 health
foundations, and corporate donors, giving $740,000 to patients a year, approximately 41 Diabetes (CVCD). Dr. Duarte, an endocrinologist with primary care medicines and medical supplies professionals (doctors, nurses, and pharmacists) on
buoy Direct Relief’s medical response percent of whom are uninsured. trained in Spain, placed the organization at ground that aid the treatment of diabetes-related conditions. the latest diabetes detection and treatment methods.
zero of the disease, in the city of Cochabamba, where Abbott has come to CVCD’s aid with blood glucose
SINCE 2004 SINCE 1982
This broad reach, especially among CVCD estimates 9.4% of adults are suffering from meters and test strips critical to early detection
DIRECT RELIEF RESPONDED WITH… diabetes. and monitoring, allowing for control of the disease
uninsured Americans, is also a critical
Direct Relief has delivered support
to at-risk patients living in the
$565,000 in financial support * benefit for the partnership’s other aim: through regular clinic visits and education. The
For seven years, the CVCD clinic has been at the company’s philanthropic foundation has also Direct Relief has provided over
71 relief shipments valued at $1.4 million (wholesale) getting medicines and supplies into
United States on an ongoing basis the hands of nonprofit health centers forefront of diabetic support in Bolivia, focusing on provided cash grants to bolster the clinic’s outreach
$6.8 million (wholesale) in
and during times of emergency, Medical provisions including 80,000 masks for and clinics that treat patients without lifestyle education and nutritional counseling along services.
totaling over 3,000 shipments residents and emergency personnel healthcare coverage. Working with with providing treatment for the most common medical material assistance to
Bolivia. El Centro Vivir Con Diabetes
*Cash assistance was San DiegoatCounty thatclinicsfor 800,000 patients
of medicine and supplies NACHC, its state-level counterpart diseases that accompany diabetes. By providing With this help, CVCD has gone mobile. Over 13,000
targeted nonprofit caring for low-income
valued at $125 million (wholesale), associations, and individual clinics, extensive health education and promoting healthy people have been screened for diabetes in eight of the has benefitted from over
patients. 17 clinics in care
containing over 6 million annually were granted $515,000 to assist with physical fire damage, mobile
Direct Relief has delivered $125 million eating habits, the clinic’s small but dedicated staff nine major Bolivian cities by clinic staff in the last four
works against the lifestyle trends that increase the years. Of those screened, CVCD discovered that 7.9% $1.3 million of that aid.
prescriptions, and more than clinics, staffing increases, and overtime. $50,000 was provided to the CDF
in medicines for working-poor, uninsured
incidence of diabetes. The clinic’s outreach services had previously undiagnosed cases of diabetes. Those
$5 million in cash assistance. Firefighters Benevolent Fund to support the recovery of injured firefighters.
patients nationwide since 2004. D IRECT R ELIEF . ORG
4 DIRECT RELIEF INTERNATIONAL PAID ADVERTISEMENT SPRING 2008 DIRECT RELIEF INTERNATIONAL PAID ADVERTISEMENT SPRING 2008 5