Effective Philanthropy in Asia
Direct relief provides emergency medical resources and disaster relief globally. They've worked in more than 25 countries in Asia, primarily focusing on supplying medicine and supporting healthcare providers ("Asia & Middle East"). Direct Relief has made impressive contributions to improving accessibility and quality of health in Asia and the Middle East. In fact, since January 1st, 2010, Direct Relief has contributed $1,901,872,502 in medical aid and delivered 8,345,435 pounds of medicine and supplies, including 353,273,616 doses of medicine. Additionally, they assist 354 healthcare providers across Asia ("Asia & Middle East").
Currently, Direct Relief is working to combat medical shortages as a result of the pandemic, and they have made substantial strides in many Asian countries, particularly the Indian Subcontinent. Since April 2021, Direct Relief has delivered approximately 750 tons of medical supplies to India amounting to a total of $601.6 million (Fowler). These supplies included 29.6 defined daily doses (DDDs) of COVID-19 medications, 6,665 oxygen concentrators, and 7,610,788 units of protective equipment (Fowler). Additionally, Direct Relief is providing funds in the form of grants to hospitals and healthcare providers in India to support them during the pandemic and prepare them for future outbreaks (Fowler).
One major factor that makes Direct Relief successful is the effective management of their funds. According to Charity Navigator, Direct Relief uses approximately 99.4% of their budget for their programs and responses to emergencies ("Direct Relief"). Furthermore, Direct relief asserts that they use practically 0 percent of donations on fundraising.
