World Vision, McKesson, Other Donors Prepare for Massive Shipment of Medical Supplies to Support Sierra Leone Health Workers

SEATTLE, Sept. 18, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Just days before the government of Sierra Leone institutes a three-day quarantine to contain the spread of Ebola, World Vision will begin a massive delivery of 200 pallets of medical relief supplies – thanks to private donations.

McKesson, the largest healthcare services company in the United States, through its affiliate McKesson Medical-Surgical donated four million pairs of latex gloves – enough to meet the entire country of Sierra Leone's needs for the next five months* – to World Vision. Through World Vision's participation in the World Health Organization's Ebola Task Force, the gloves will be distributed to health workers who often find themselves treating patients without the proper supplies needed to prevent them from contracting Ebola.

"I am very thankful that we are in a position to donate these medical supplies at a time when the help is so desperately needed in West Africa," said Stanton McComb, President, McKesson Medical-Surgical. "At McKesson, we're in the business of delivering better health to our customers and we're proud to partner with a great organization like World Vision to help make a real difference where it matters most."

"Health professionals and humanitarian aid workers are in an incredibly challenging and dangerous situation in Sierra Leone," said Leslie Scott, national director of World Vision Sierra Leone. "These medical supplies will support the men and women who are putting their lives on the line to respond to the Ebola crisis."

The gloves, and other critical supplies for public health workers, will be shipped to Sierra Leone on a chartered Boeing 747-400 flight that departs New York on Monday, Sept. 22. The supplies will be transported to New York from World Vision's warehouse in Pittsburgh starting today.

In August, the Wall Street Journal reported that the toll of the Ebola crisis would be lessened if hospital workers had more access to disposable rubber gloves.

McKesson Medical-Surgical's glove donation is part of a massive shipment of personal protective equipment, or PPE, kits that World Vision is supplying to health workers in Sierra Leone, helping to ensure that those caring for people infected with Ebola – a highly-contagious and deadly virus that kills more than half of those it infects – will themselves be protected.

The contents of a PPE kit include:

• Gloves (surgical and examination)
• Aprons 
• Goggles or face shields
• Masks (high-filtration, surgical and exam)
• Caps and covers (beard covers, leg covers, shoe covers)
• Medical frocks
• Trousers
• Scrubs

In addition, 8,000 gallons of disinfectant were donated to World Vision and are being shipped with the PPE kits. Several of the items in the PPE kit were donated by Alpha Pro Tech, a manufacturer and distributor of protective apparel and infection control products.

Once the supplies arrive in Sierra Leone, World Vision and the country's Emergency Operations Center will collaborate to deliver them to health workers nationwide. In total, World Vision will ship nearly 240,000 pounds of donated medical supplies to Sierra Leone.

From Sept. 19-21, the government of Sierra Leone is mandating a nationwide 3-day quarantine in an effort to stop the spread of the virus.

World Vision has worked in Sierra Leone for nearly 20 years and has 272 staff in the country. In response to the Ebola crisis, World Vision Sierra Leone has collaborated with faith leaders and government agencies to educate communities about the virus and how to protect themselves and loved ones from infection. 

About McKesson Medical-Surgical
McKesson Medical-Surgical Inc., headquartered in Richmond, Va., is an affiliate of the McKesson Corporation. McKesson Corporation, currently ranked 15th on the FORTUNE 500, is a healthcare services and information technology company dedicated to making the business of healthcare run better. We work with payers, hospitals, physician offices, pharmacies, pharmaceutical companies and others across the spectrum of care to build healthier organizations that deliver better care to patients in every setting. McKesson Medical-Surgical helps its customers improve their financial, operational, and clinical performance with solutions that include pharmaceutical and medical-surgical supply management, healthcare information technology, and business and clinical services. For more information, visit http://www.mckesson.com.

About Alpha Pro Tech
Alpha Pro Tech, Inc. develops, manufactures and markets innovative disposable and limited-use protective apparel products for the industrial, clean room, medical and dental markets. Alpha Pro Tech Engineered Products, Inc. manufactures and markets a line of construction weatherization products, including building wrap and roof underlayment. For more information, visit http://www.alphaprotech.com.

About World Vision
World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families and their communities worldwide to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice. World Vision serves all people regardless of religion, race, ethnicity or gender. For more information, visit www.WorldVision.org/press or on Twitter @WorldVisionNews.

*According to the Sierra Leone Ministry of Health and Sanitation.

SOURCE World Vision U.S.