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Pittsburgh Charity Ships Supplies to Fight Ebola

A Pittsburgh-based charity is continuing its efforts to help fight the spread of Ebola in Africa. Brother’s Brother Foundation (BBF), which provides medical supplies, food and other humanitarian goods to countries around the world, will load another container of donated medical supplies and equipment  Tuesday for hospitals and clinics in Freetown, Sierra Leone. 

“If they know that more [medical supplies are] coming they will just use it faster and they’ll use it better, which means more protection for both the patient and the caregiver,” said BBF President Luke Hingson.

Last week BBF shipped off two containers from Texas, and one from Virginia with four more scheduled to be sent out by the end of October. The containers have supplies such as: facemasks, protective gowns, gloves, and disinfectants. In August, four other containers were shipped to Liberia and Sierra Leone.

“As of today, we have assisted 80 hospitals and clinics with the provision of materials since the Ebola outbreak… in Liberia and Sierra Leone,” said Hingson.  

The medical supplies usually come from hospital surplus, which is donated to BBF, and then shipped to countries in need.  Despite the need for medical supplies rising in counties fighting Ebola the only thing that stands in the way for BBF to send over more supplies is the shipping and distribution costs.

“An ocean going container to the port is about $6,000 dollars from Pittsburgh, and then you have local cost of distribution to the local hospitals and clinics,” said Hingson.

So far  4,033 people have died from Ebola, and according to Hingson about 3,000 are from Liberia, and about 1,000 are from Sierra Leone. Those looking to donate can do so on BBF’s website.

Jess was accepted as a WESA fellow in the news department in January 2014. The Erie, PA native attends Duquesne University where she has a double major--broadcast journalism and political science. Following her anticipated graduation in May 2015, she plans to enter law school or begin a career in broadcast journalism.