3M Makes Big N95 Donation for Ebola Care
Project HOPE, MAP International, and Direct Relief International will distribute almost a million donated respirators in West African countries.
The World Health Organization is warning that some African countries responding to the Ebola virus outbreak by taking actions—such as closing borders and entry points, as well as banning flights from affected countries—that make it more difficult to transport needed supplies and personnel. WHO also issued a "roadmap" on Aug. 28 to coordinate international response to the disease affecting several countries in west Africa.
3M announced the following day that its Personal Safety Division has donated nearly a million N95 respirators to help doctors and health workers contain the spread of the virus. Project HOPE, MAP International, and Direct Relief International will distribute these NIOSH-approved N95 respirators to workers in Sierra Leone and surrounding areas.
"Respirators can be an important component in the fight against Ebola," said Dr. Oyebode A. Taiwo, M.D., MPH, global medical director at 3M. "The recent outbreak of the Ebola virus has proven to be the most deadly in recent history. 3M is dedicated to offering its resources to this worldwide, humanitarian effort."
The company already had sent thousands of respirators to Direct Relief International. Through 3M'’s philanthropic arm, 3Mgives, the company has worked with many U.S.-based relief organizations and has donated more than $33 million in products and cash to non-profit organizations.