 Medical Teams International has now passed its $1.2 billion dollar milestone in humanitarian aid sent as or June 2008. The supplies sent capped a 21-year history of sending antibiotics, surgical kits, bandages and lifesaving medicines to care for more than 31 million people in 70 countries. If all of the shipped containers were stacked end to end, they would cover a length of 266 football fields or nearly 15 miles.
Major pharmaceutical companies, medical equipment manufacturers and local hospitals donate supplies to Medical Teams International. These donations, along with volunteers who sort and pack the supplies, allow Medical Teams International to send more than 95 percent of all contributions to people who need it most.
Each month, Medical Teams International sends several million-dollar shipments to stock hospitals and clinics in developing, war-torn or disaster-stricken regions. Working with local staff and partners in-country, the supplies are distributed to regions where medicines and basic medical items are nonexistent.
Additionally, equipment and surgical supplies are sent to modernize outdated surgical units and clinics, improving the quality of care that patients receive. Medical volunteers also carry in medicines and supplies when they arrive in disaster locations, allowing relief workers to begin medical care immediately.
During the fiscal year 2007, our volunteers and partners brought hope and healing to more than 3.2 million people in need around the world, compared to 1.3 million people in the fiscal year 2006. We shipped more than $71 million in medical supplies and humanitarian aid to 46 countries from our International Distribution Center in Oregon. This enabled us to send 917 volunteers which served on 164 teams in 34 countries, providing valuable assistance to our field staff and partners, and giving lifesaving care to those suffering.
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