Heart to Heart International Responds to the Flu Pandemic

Humanitarian group promotes education, protection during initial phase of response

OLATHE, Kan./Business Wire/May 1, 2009 — Heart to Heart International Inc., a leading global humanitarian organization, today announced that it has gathered actionable intelligence to respond to the unique strain (H1N1) of the Influenza-A virus that is quickly spreading around the world.

On April 29, the World Health Organization (WHO) elevated the global risk to Level 5 for the first time in its history, indicating that a flu pandemic is imminent. It is important to note that the WHO alert indicates the scope, rather than severity, of the pandemic.

Heart to Heart’s initial response will focus primarily on education and protection of people in affected regions, including the Kansas City area.

“We have been monitoring this crisis for two weeks now and working with local and international health officials to determine the best way to respond to the flu pandemic,” said Dr. Jeff DeGraffenreid, Heart to Heart’s chief operating officer. “Using history as our teacher, we understand that this will not be a short-term crisis. We are preparing for, and responding to, the near-term, intermediate and potentially long-term needs related to this emerging crisis.”

Heart to Heart is responding in the following ways over the next 30 days:

• Emphasizing personal protection from the spread of germs, May 6-13, in Guatemala, which shares a border with Mexico, where the unique strain of the H1N1 virus was first reported.
• Focusing on pandemic preparedness and local emergency response in China, May 21-31. As the most populated country in the world, China is at risk of widespread infectious disease and is seeking to apply lessons learned during the SARS outbreak in 2003.
• Participating in local preparedness measures throughout the Midwest.
• Distributing Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) modules to affected regions in Central America and rapidly prepare additional shipments of aid for response in the U.S. and other world areas. Each PPE module contains enough supplies to protect up to 500 healthcare workers from the spread of infectious diseases, so they can continue providing care for their patients.

“The PPE module is a powerful tool in responding to this crisis, because it protects the very healthcare infrastructure that’s addressing the pandemic at the local level,” DeGraffenreid added. “The problem is that the demand for these modules is far outpacing our ability to supply them.”

Heart to Heart estimates that it will require $75,000 to fully support its initial training initiatives and an additional $150,000 for its initial distribution of protective equipment and humanitarian aid to affected regions.

Individuals and businesses interested in supporting Heart to Heart’s relief efforts are encouraged to help in the following ways:

• Make a financial contribution to Heart to Heart’s Crisis Response Fund, call in a credit-card donation to 866-341-GIVE (913-764-5200 in the Kansas City area), or mail a check or money order to 401 S. Clairborne, Suite 302, Olathe, KS 66062.
• Volunteer your time and expertise. Register online or call the toll-free (or local) number.
• Pack Heart to Heart Care Kits, which contain personal hygiene products to help prevent the spread of disease in affected regions. The packing instructions can be found by clicking here.