Project HOPE participates in U.S. Department of State humanitarian airlift to Georgia

The Statement of the Project HOPE

Millwood, Va. – Project HOPE, an international health education and humanitarian assistance organization, today sent more than $400,000 of antibiotics to the people of Georgia through a U.S. Department of State airlift that will arrive in the Georgian capital city of Tbilisi later this week.

Nearly 4,000 bottles of the antibiotic cefprozil, donated by Bristol-Myers Squibb, make up the Project HOPE shipment that will be added to other humanitarian aid supplies that the Department of State is gathering for the airlift.

"Adults and children, whether they are in the midst of the conflict or not, need antibiotics to fight off infections that may develop from wounds or unhealthy living conditions that arise from war," said Stuart Myers, Senior Vice President of Global Health at Project HOPE. "Fortunately, HOPE and our partner, Bristol-Myers Squibb, were prepared to supply the antibiotics when the Department of State called."

Project HOPE continues to monitor the situation in Georgia. HOPE officials are in contact with both U.S. and Georgian government officials to identify and address long-term health care needs of the Georgian people.

Project HOPE, working in conjunction with the American Friends of Georgia, currently has a humanitarian assistance shipment of more than $1.4 million of medicines and medical supplies on the ground in Georgia. Unfortunately, the shipment arrived just as the conflict commenced and access to the supplies has been cut off. HOPE and the American Friends of Georgia are exploring ways to reach the shipment and may redirect the supplies to assist in conflict relief efforts.

Since 1992, Project HOPE has provided more than $63 million of humanitarian assistance to the people of Georgia. Nearly one ago, Project HOPE provided more than $8 million of medicines and medical supplies as part of a Department of State airlift. The medicines and supplies were distributed to five hospitals in the Tbilisi area.

CONTACT:
Rand Walton
Project HOPE
+1 540 429 7425
rwalton@projechope.org

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 conducts health education and humanitarian assistance programs in more than 35 countries across five continents. For more information, please visit www.projecthope.org.