In early May 2023, Airlink coordinated a shipment of prenatal vitamins from Miami to Santo Domingo. The supplies will benefit 3,000 expectant mothers who are participating in Project HOPE’s “Saving the Newborn initiative”.
The Dominican Republic has one of the fastest-growing economies in Latin America. Yet nearly 1 in 3 people still live below the poverty line.
While health indicators have steadily improved over the past few decades, significant inequities remain — especially for the country’s poorest women and children. The country has one of the highest neonatal mortality rates in the region, and maternal mortality is on the rise.
Since 2017, Project HOPE has partnered with the Ministry of Health to implement a comprehensive maternal and neonatal program in 35 primary care health centers in the Province of La Vega and Santo Domingo.
The program aims to improve the capacity of healthcare workers and deliver equipment essential for neonatal survival. Project HOPE is also working on procurement programs to provide prenatal vitamins to pregnant mothers. The supplements are essential for healthier pregnancies and better outcomes for mothers and their babies.
In partnership with MAP International, Project HOPE secured a donation of prenatal vitamins. With free-of-charge airlift support donated to Airlink from partners Avianca Cargo, Airlink coordinated the transportation of this shipment with SEKO Logistics from MAP’s warehouse in Brunswick, Georgia to Miami, Florida for airlift to Santo Domingo. Airlift was requested and essential so as to swiftly get the supplies to mothers during pregnancy that were running out of the vitamins.
This is the third collaboration Airlink facilitated between Avianca Cargo, Project HOPE, and MAP International to provide medicines and healthcare supplies in the Dominican Republic.
After Hurricane Fiona left over a million people without running water in the eastern side of the Dominican Republic in September 2022, Airlink and Avianca Cargo coordinated the airlift of six pallets of critical medicines and medical supplies to help meet immediate health care needs for impacted communities.
The organizations also partnered to provide half a million KN95 face masks to health facilities as part of the COVID-19 response efforts in 2021.
Thank you to Avianca Cargo for supporting communities in crisis through Airlink and to freight-forwarding partner, SEKO Logistics, for coordinating with us on a number of these critical shipments.
