When the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv came under attack in 2022, health professionals knew they had to save lives – and medicine. They found a most unlikely and ideal space.

During wartime, living with tuberculosis becomes even more complex: Patients need a steady supply of medicine and a safe place to shelter during air raids, separate from uninfected people. Now, in Odesa, Ukraine, TB patients have both.

Americares has awarded $300,000 to Samaritan Health and Wellness in Cape Coral, Fla., to support the charitable clinic in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian. The funds will be used to help offset salary costs of health care providers at the clinic to ensure that low-income, uninsured and underinsured patients in southwest Florida continue to have access to health services.

Imagine a hospital without water: That was Kibondo District Hospital in rural western Tanzania until last year. Now, thanks to a partnership with Americares, clean water flows in all wards of the hospital and staff and patients alike can access new toilets.

Oksana and her daughters have found support services at Acceptance Foundation, an Americares partner in Poznan, Poland, that focuses on providing medical treatment and support to members of the LGBTQIA+ community and other people who are made vulnerable because they are excluded, discriminated against and severely affected by life and war.

Stamford, Conn. – Feb. 15, 2023 – Americares has provided more than $70 million in aid over the past year to meet the health needs of displaced families and survivors of the war in Ukraine. Americares response focuses on the delivery of medicine and medical supplies, providing generators and heating equipment, supporting safety and protection and expanding mental health support. The full response activities are detailed in Americares Ukraine Humanitarian Crisis One-Year Report published today. 

Violence against women is a global threat to public health and women’s health, especially during conflict and hostilities. Feminoteka, an Americares partner in Poland, raises awareness about violence against women, including sexual assault, and provides counseling and resources to survivors.

When 20-year-old Yaryna fled Ukraine in February 2022, driving her sister and family friends to Poland over three days in frigid temperatures, she had one goal: To bring everyone safely across the border. She did not know that her intense focus on that goal would be the first step to a debilitating burnout that threatened her own health and safety

Around the world, mothers and their teenage daughters often enjoy spending an afternoon together. Now, living under threat of shelling and bombardment, at least one mother and her daughter chose to spend a day learning lifesaving skills at a tactical course in trauma care.

In medicine, a quick diagnosis can save la life. Ultrasound imaging is a critical diagnostic tool for doctors and first responders, especially in Ukraine, A child’s life is saved.

Stamford, Conn. – Feb. 7, 2023 – Americares is deploying an emergency response team to respond to the devastating earthquakes that killed thousands of people across Turkey and Syria. The team, which will be headed to southern Turkey, is expected to deploy within 24 hours.  

Stamford, Conn. – Feb. 6, 2023 – Americares is preparing to send medicine, relief supplies and emergency funding to restore health services for survivors of the devastating earthquakes that struck Turkey and Syria early Monday, killing more than 2,000 people and injuring thousands more, according to local officials.  

Americares is responding to cholera outbreaks in Syria and Lebanon by supporting prevention and treatment efforts that aim to reach over 110,000 children and adults over the next three months.

Stamford, Conn. – Jan. 10, 2022 – Americares announced today the promotion of Dr. Julie Varughese to senior vice president of programs and chief medical officer. In her new role, Dr. Varughese oversees the organization’s health programs for people affected by poverty or disaster, including its work with the uninsured in the United States, its Emergency Response Team and its global distribution of more than $1 billion in medicine and medical supplies to an average of 85 countries annually.

Everyone in Ukraine is facing a tough winter: At least one-third of the country’s energy infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed by Russian attacks, leaving millions without dependable power for water and heat as cold weather sets in. Americares is working with partners in Poland and Ukraine to provide more than 25 generators to medical facilities and health centers.

Stamford, Conn. – Dec. 20, 2022 – Americares is the 10th largest charity in the United States in 2022, according to Forbes Magazine. The annual list ranks the 100 largest U.S. charities, by private donations. Americares, the health-focused relief and development organization, brought in $1.2 billion in private donations during the most recently reported fiscal year.

Stamford, Conn. — Dec. 14, 2022 — Americares, the health-focused relief and development organization, has welcomed Diana Gutiérrez de Piñeres Botero as director of its Colombia program. In her new role, Gutiérrez de Piñeres Botero oversees the operation of Americares 10 primary care clinics in 10 departments. At the same time, she is responsible for implementing programs that meet the needs of the thousands of Venezuelans entering Colombia daily and spearheading initiatives that alleviate the strain placed on the Colombian health system.

Boston, Mass. – Dec. 6, 2022 – To help community health centers and clinics providing free or low-cost healthcare ​​better manage care and protect patients from climate risks, the Center for Climate, Health, and the Global Environment at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (Harvard Chan C-CHANGE) in collaboration with Americares and with financial support from Biogen, has released a new Climate Resilience for Frontline Clinics toolkit. The resources for clinic patients, providers, and staff on extreme heat, wildfires, hurricanes, and floods were developed as part of a project launched last year by these organizations. 

In September, after Hurricane Fiona battered Puerto Rico with wind and rain, Wendy Morales made sure her family was safe. Then, as administrator of the Migrant Health Center in Yauco, Puerto Rico, she turned her attention to the community’s health needs. Solar power made the difference.

An Americares emergency response team is on the ground in Cianjur, Indonesia as of November 25, 2022 to deliver critically needed medicines and medical supplies. Our team is assessing local health needs and supporting damaged health facilities following the deadly 5.6-magnitude earthquake which struck on November 21, 2022.