Global Medical NGO Project HOPE Pledges to Stand by Philippines Rebuilding Health Services on First Anniversary of Devastating Typhoon
Project HOPE today pledged to stand by the Philippines as it rebuilds health services on the first anniversary of Typhoon Haiyan.
Millwood, VA, November 6, 2014
Project HOPE, the global health education and humanitarian assistance organization, today pledged to stand by the Philippines as it rebuilds health services on the first anniversary of Typhoon Haiyan and praised its partnership with the Philippines Department of Health for its efforts in the wake of the monster storm.
Project HOPE delivered more than USD$24 million-worth of donated medicines and medical supplies after the disaster, which benefitted more than 270,000 Filipinos. HOPE deployed more than 80 medical volunteers to assist local medical staff in the badly damaged areas of Tapaz on Panay Island and the Camotes Islands in Cebu Province.
“The Philippines was dealt a devastating blow last November, and Project HOPE is honored to have played a part in medical relief efforts in the weeks following the disaster and to continue supporting communities now and in the future through maternal and child health education and care,” said John P. Howe, III, M.D., President and CEO of Project HOPE.
In April of this year, the Virginia-based NGO launched a program to improve maternal, neonatal, and child health care on the island of Cebu in the Central Visayas region, one of the country’s most directly and heavily impacted areas. We have an ongoing volunteer program in Cebu, where HOPE volunteers are helping improve health services that began last November.
“There are still substantial health care needs in remote areas of the country, and we are committed to improving the expertise of health workers about maternal and child health and nurturing healthier communities for the future,” said Rogelio M. Ilagan, M.D., MPH, Project HOPE’s (Country) Program Director in the Philippines.
Typhoon Haiyan, known in the Philippines as Typhoon Yolanda, struck Southeast Asia on November 8 last year and was one of the strongest tropical cyclones ever recorded. It was the deadliest Philippine typhoon, killing at least 6,300 people and causing widespread damage to the health infrastructure.
Project HOPE has played a crucial role in saving lives in regions hit by natural disasters over much of the last decade, in Haiti, Indonesia, Japan, China and other parts of Southeast Asia.
About Project HOPE
Founded in 1958, Project HOPE (Health Opportunities for People Everywhere) is dedicated to providing lasting solutions to health problems with the mission of helping people to help themselves. Identifiable to many by the SS HOPE, the world’s first peacetime hospital ship, Project HOPE now provides medical training and health education, as well as conducts humanitarian assistance programs in more than 30 countries. Follow us on Twitter at projecthopeorg. www.projecthope.org