2003 press releases

$3.5 Million in U.S. Humanitarian Aid Arrives in Belarus (July 31, 2003)

On July 31st, U.S. Ambassador Michael Kozak welcomed the arrival of $3.5 million in medicines and medical supplies for the people of Belarus.

Ambassador Kozak announced the donation at a ceremony at the international airport in Minsk following the arrival of the U.S. Government-sponsored air shipment of humanitarian commodities. The humanitarian flight was made possible by the combined efforts of the U.S. Department of State, the American Embassy in Belarus, and the U.S. non-governmental organization CitiHope International. The initiative is also supported in Belarus by the NGO Nadezhda Express. The medicines and medical supplies were donated by American pharmaceutical companies.

This medical relief project is only the latest of many U.S. Government humanitarian shipments to the people of Belarus. Since 1992, the United States has provided more than $200 million in humanitarian assistance to the most needy citizens in Belarus, and the U.S. Department of States has sponsored 35 medical airlifts. Last year, the United States provided more than $28 million in assistance to Belarus.

The goal of this shipment is to aid doctors and cancer patients, especially those in rural areas, in their struggle to combat this dreaded disease. Treatment of cancer is expensive and often long-term, and in Belarus most patients do not have money for needed medicines, which are often unavailable.

CitiHope International President Reverend Paul Moore has been heavily involved in bringing medical supplies into Belarus for the past twelve years. Since 1999, CitiHope has shipped over $39 million in medical relief as part of its Operation Provide Hope campaign.

Included in this shipment are two breast cancer treatments donated by the American pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca. These anti-cancer drugs, Tamoxifen and Arimedex, are being made available to women who would otherwise be unable to afford such treatment. The delivery provides enough Tamoxifen to treat 740 breast cancer patients for one year. There is also enough Arimidex, a promising new medicine for breast cancer treatment, to take care of 82 patients for one year. Dr. Joseph Purvis, AstraZeneca's Medical Director for Oncology, will participate in the distribution of medicines in Belarus. He will give several lectures to medical professionals on "Oncological Drug Development 1983-2003" and will visit various oncology hospitals and institutes to offer numerous teaching sessions.

The cargo also includes donations from Abbott Laboratories, Elan Pharmaceuticals, King Benevolent Fund, and Cardinal Healthcare System partnering through World Vision. Enough medicine is being provided for a full course of treatment with Methotrexate (Barr Laboratories) for 700 cancer patients. Monoket (Schwarz Pharma), a medicine to treat CardioArtery Disease, and Gliburide (TEVA), for diabetes II treatment, are also highly anticipated donations.

Ambassador Kozak received the shipment on behalf of the United States. Reverend Moore, Dr. Mikhail Sobol, Director of Nadezhda Express, and Dr. Purvis also addressed the airport ceremony. Mr. Jerry Oberndorfer, Director of Humanitarian Programs, Office of the Coordinator of U.S. Assistance (EUR/ACE), U.S. Department of State, supervised the shipment's arrival.  He will make several site visits to Belarusian hospitals.