NEW YORK, NY – AmeriCares and icddr,b are joining forces to launch a Global
Cholera Preparedness program in hopes of preventing thousands of unnecessary
deaths over the next two years. Every year
there are as many as 5 million estimated cholera cases worldwide and over
100,000 deaths from the waterborne disease, which spreads rapidly in areas with
overcrowding and poor sanitation.
The commitment, announced today at the Clinton Global
Initiative Annual Meeting in New York City and featured during a special
session on effective disaster preparedness, combines the technical expertise of
icddr,b with appropriate medical supplies and AmeriCares emergency response capabilities
to enable timely and effective responses to outbreaks.
The two organizations collaborated to identify
the necessary expertise and resources to save lives during cholera
outbreaks. These include an assessment
and diagnostic team for rapid deployment, a pre-positioned “kit” with essential
medicines and supplies to treat 15,000 patients with cholera and other causes
of acute watery diarrhea, and establishment of a model training and treatment
center to train and reinforce best practices for managing a large-scale cholera
outbreak.
“We are excited about
this new partnership between icddr,b and AmeriCares, which combines our 50
years of expertise in responding to cholera epidemics with AmeriCares global
reach and expertise in disaster response,” said Dr. Alejandro Cravioto,
icddr,b’s Executive Director. “The challenge
is to ensure that the strain of cholera is identified, that the correct
supplies are available and that local people are trained in the most effective
case management. That’s what we set out to achieve with this partnership.”
“This initiative will
allow us to respond rapidly in the crucial first stages of cholera outbreaks and
save thousands of lives in some of the world’s poorest places,” Curt Welling,
President and CEO of AmeriCares added. “With proper treatment, 99 percent of
cholera patients will survive.”
icddr,b pioneered the development
of Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS), the most effective treatment of cholera and
other causes of acute watery diarrhea. For
more than five decades, icddr,b has delivered treatment and training to
cholera-afflicted communities in Bangladesh. icddr,b teams of cholera experts
have provided assistance and training across the globe in countries including
Zimbabwe, Pakistan, Haiti, and, most recently, in Kenya and Somalia.
AmeriCares
has been responding to emergencies all over the globe for nearly 30 years, including
delivering aid for disease epidemics like the recent cholera outbreak in Haiti.
From floods and cyclones to tsunamis, nearly all of the emergencies AmeriCares
responds to involve some form of medical aid to treat waterborne diseases.
Beyond global response, the commitment will enhance
icddr,b’s ability to respond to domestic humanitarian crises in Bangladesh,
such as the 2009 Cyclone Aila, when incidences of cholera tend to spike. It also will provide support and resources to
icddr,b’s Dhaka Hospital, which treats over 140,000 diarrheal disease patients
annually and serves as a dynamic laboratory for testing and refining effective
treatment protocols.
About
icddr,b
For more than 50 years, icddr,b has provided
practical, low-cost solutions to health problems that affect billions of people
living in poverty in Bangladesh, its host country, and across the globe.
Its unique proximity to the health challenges of the developing world,
both urban and rural, allows for cutting-edge research that is relevant,
rigorously tested, scalable in resource-limited settings, and, most
importantly, improves health outcomes and well-being of individuals in
low-income countries.
Daily exposure to
cholera and other causes of acute watery diarrhea means that the team
of doctors and nurses at icddr, b, dubbed the “cholera warriors”, are global
experts in the management and treatment of cholera. Regularly called upon by the World
Health Organization and local Ministries of Health, to share their expertise worldwide, an initial assessment
team is currently investigating an outbreak in southern Somalia.
For
more information go to
www.icddrb.org
About AmeriCares
AmeriCares is a nonprofit global
health and disaster relief organization which delivers medicines, medical
supplies and aid to people in need around the world and across the United
States. Every day, AmeriCares products are delivered to hospitals, clinics and community health programs worldwide, giving
health care providers in the poorest regions of the world the means to deliver
high-quality care. Since it was established in 1982, AmeriCares has
distributed more than $10 billion in humanitarian aid to 147 countries.
About the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI)
Established in 2005 by
President Bill Clinton, the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) convenes global
leaders to devise and implement innovative solutions to some of the world’s
most pressing challenges. Since 2005, CGI Annual Meetings have brought together
nearly 150 current and former heads of state, 18 Nobel Prize laureates,
hundreds of leading CEOs, heads of foundations, major philanthropists,
directors of the most effective nongovernmental organizations, and prominent
members of the media. These CGI members have made nearly 2,000 commitments,
which have already improved the lives of 300 million people in more than 180
countries. When fully funded and implemented, these commitments will be valued
in excess of $63 billion. The 2011 Annual Meeting will take place Sept. 20-22
in New York City.
This year, CGI also convened
CGI America, a meeting focused on developing ideas for driving economic growth
in the United States. The CGI community also includes CGI U, which hosts an
annual meeting for undergraduate and graduate students, and CGI Lead, which
engages a select group of young CGI members for leadership development and
collective commitment- making. For more information,
visit www.clintonglobalinitiative.org.
