Pittsburgh-Based Global Links Receives $250,000 Grant to Provide Ongoing Medical Relief in Haiti

Pittsburgh-based non-profit Global Links will provide ongoing medical relief efforts in Haiti in the aftermath of the earthquake that has devastated the island nation, with support from a $250,000 grant from The Atlantic Philanthropies.

Global Links is working with staff at Hôpital Albert Schweitzer in Haiti and local physicians deploying with disaster relief agencies to procure donations of needed medical materials, medicines and equipment. In addition to providing donations of supplies and equipment from its own inventory, Global Links is fielding and directing solicitations to UPMC and their network of vendors.

Global Links also is working with Pan American Health Organization/ World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) and Medical Education Cooperation with Cuba (MEDICC) to support the efforts of Haitian doctors educated at the Latin American Medical School in Cuba.

These physicians are providing care around the country including Port Au Prince and other quake-affected areas; supporting their work will be a long-term effort for Global Links.

Items most commonly needed by medical personnel in Haiti range from sutures and crutches, antibiotics, bandages, surgical instrumentation, X-ray film and more. Global Links is directing the collection, preparation, packing and shipping of these supplies, which are shipping out via air shipments and by crisis-response physicians who are hand-carrying supplies with them.

"Supporting an organization with the capacity to address both the short- and long-term needs of the thousands of Haitians affected by the disaster was a priority for Atlantic," said Marcia Smith, Senior Vice President, The Atlantic Philanthropies.

"We recognize Global Links’ experience in international medical relief. They have a track record of directing a swift, organized response to specific medical good needs as well as a long-standing commitment to improving the quality of care afforded to the poorest segments of populations in developing countries through providing healthcare supplies to hospitals and clinics."

For more information, or to support Global Links' work in Haiti, go www.globallinks.org.

Global Links is a registered 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization that collaborates with U.S. institutions to recover surplus medical materials before consignment to land-fills and makes them available to hospitals abroad through their ongoing programs.

Because poorly planned donations can be worse than no aid at all, each donation is carefully tailored to meet the needs of the recipient institution. Dedicated volunteers help Global Links to maintain high quality standards and low costs. Since its founding in 1989, Global Links has provided more than $160 million in critical medical aid to developing nations, including Bolivia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica and Nicaragua.

The Atlantic Philanthropies are dedicated to bringing about lasting changes in the lives of disadvantaged and vulnerable people. Atlantic focuses on four critical social problems: Aging, Children & Youth, Population Health and Reconciliation & Human Rights.

Programs funded by Atlantic operate in Australia, Bermuda, Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, South Africa, the United States and Viet Nam. To learn more, go to www.atlanticphilanthropies.org.