AmeriCares Partners with The U.S. Department of State, Eli Lilly & BD to Address Diabetes Needs in Uzbekistan

AmeriCares Foundation
Monday, 2 October 2000

A specialized shipment of insulin and syringes to treat the diabetic population

AmeriCares, the international disaster relief agency, announced that it is sending over 7,500 pounds of insulin and syringes to address the needs of Uzbekistan's 22,000 diabetics. AmeriCares is able to provide this comprehensive donation through generous donations from Eli Lilly of Indianapolis, Indiana, and BD (Becton Dickinson) of Franklin Lakes, New Jersey. Since its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, Uzbekistan has been bearing the burden of building and developing its own healthcare system. To help them meet these challenges, AmeriCares will be partnering with the Uzbek organization Soglum Avlod Uchun (For the Health of Coming Generations), which was founded in 1993, by a special Presidential directive in order to serve the citizens of Uzbekistan.

"In Uzbekistan, the year 2000 has been proclaimed as the 'Year of the Healthy Generation,' " says Bob Macauley, Founder and Chairman of AmeriCares. "Improving the health of the diabetic population in Uzbekistan this special year, and every year, is a priority."

The air shipment is being sponsored by the U.S Department of State and will be shipped from JFK, New York with a scheduled arrival in Tashkent on Saturday, September 30, 2000. AmeriCares is pleased to have the sponsorship of the U.S. Department of State and thanks Ambassador Joseph A. Presel and the U.S. Embassy in Tashkent.

Once in Uzbekistan, Aimee Gilbert, Project Director for AmeriCares, will work with the Soglum Avlod Uchun Foundation and the Ministry of Health to distribute the insulin and syringes throughout the country. The foundation has a well established infrastructure with regional offices and mobile brigades of workers who will work with AmeriCares in the warehousing and distribution process.

For more information, or to contact AmeriCares Foundation, see their website at: www.americares.org