4 Facts: Project HOPE’s 2021 Impact

2021 was another difficult year for the world’s health. It was a year of deadly COVID-19 variants, devastating hurricanes, catastrophic disasters, and heartbreaking losses in maternal and child health.

It was also a year in which health inequities grew and became starker than ever, especially among vulnerable populations, communities of color, and those disproportionately impacted by COVID-19.

Our mission at Project HOPE is to empower health workers to build resilient communities and a healthier, more equitable world — a world where families don’t have to walk hours to reach a doctor, no child dies from preventable causes, and everyone has access to vaccines.

In 2021, we delivered lifesaving vaccines, PPE, medical equipment, and trainings to help health workers facing deadly COVID-19 waves — all while ensuring our essential global health work continued improving health equity among those who need it most.

Here are four facts that help tell the story of the impact we had and the difference we made.

Fact 1: Project HOPE reached more than 3 million people in 2021.

Our team was active in 29 countries around the world — from bustling cities in India to remote communities in Haiti — and the ripple effects of our work benefited people in 101 countries.

We responded to devastating COVID-19 outbreaks in India, Nepal, and Brazil. We provided emergency relief for disaster survivors following a powerful earthquake in Haiti and Hurricane Ida in Louisiana. And we provided lifesaving health services for families living through complex crisis in Ethiopia.

All in all, our programs reached more than 3 million people, including more than 145,000 women, newborns, and children under 5, and more than 267,000 people affected by disasters and humanitarian crises.

Fact 2: Project HOPE trained more than 150,000 health care workers and frontline personnel.

Training health care workers remains a core part of our work around the world. In 2021, more than 150,000 health workers and frontline personnel received critical trainings on topics ranging from COVID-19 vaccines, to maternal health, to treating noncommunicable diseases.

In Indonesia, more than 19,000 mothers were assisted by a skilled birth attendee thanks to our work, including over 3,000 high-risk pregnant women who were able to receive care. In Colombia, we launched new diploma courses in maternal health care and noncommunicable diseases. And in Sierra Leone, we helped strengthen the maternal health workforce through faculty clinical mentorships with experienced neonatal physicians and nurse practitioners.

We also trained health workers to protect their mental health and resilience. The trainings were based on NYC Health + Hospitals’ HERO-NY series and included sessions on stress, trauma, resiliency, personal wellness, and how to seek help. Thanks to support from the Center for Disaster Philanthropy, this work will reach 50,000 health care workers across five continents.

Fact 3: Project HOPE engaged 86 partners to distribute thousands of COVID-19 vaccines across east Texas.

In Houston and McAllen, Texas, we worked with free and charitable clinics to combat misinformation and close gaps in access to COVID-19 vaccines for some of the state’s most underserved, uninsured, and marginalized communities.

By engaging 86 partners, we were able to vaccinate more than 2,000 people in the greater Houston Area and the Rio Grande Valley. We also reached more than 23,000 people with COVID-19 outreach and education materials through community health workers, who worked tirelessly to fight misinformation and build trust.

Fact 4: Project HOPE donated $51 million in essential equipment, medicines, and medical supplies.

As COVID-19 variants emerged, we helped supply health workers in countries that experienced devastating outbreaks and critical shortages of equipment, medicines, and supplies — especially in India, Nepal, and Brazil.

When the Delta variant hit India, we rapidly procured more than 35,000 pieces of PPE, oxygen, and critically-needed medical equipment to help the country’s health care workers respond to the dramatic spread of the disease, thanks to support from partners including AbbVie and S&P Global. In neighboring Nepal, with support from Amgen, we were also able to provide over 1.7 million pieces of critical medical equipment, oxygen, and support. And in Brazil, with support from AbbVie, we were able to procure procured lifesaving ventilators, intubation kits, and medications to help meet the needs of the overburdened health system.

Read our 2021 Annual Report