Legacy of Care - 20 years of Medical Training in Emerging Nations

"The people had a deep sense of appreciation which touched the very core of my being" - IRT Volunteer Charles Narh, O.T.

In 1992 IRT began addressing the critical issues of eye disease, cataracts and vision loss through its surgical and clinical programs that have now been conducted in nine countries. Thanks to the generous support of our volunteers and donors, this legacy continues. In May, IRT partnered with The Africa Group (TAG) to launch its Sight for Life program in Uganda, a country of extreme poverty and few medical specialists.

Monday, January 18, 2010:

The team arrived in Port-au-Prince and began working at the General Hospital (HUEH).

Tuesday, January 19, 2010:

The team is mostly working on wound care and amputations. They hope to do more surgeries today. The initial medical "surge" of patients seems to be easing.

Wednesday, January 20, 2010:

The team was roused from their sleep before dawn by the 6.1 aftershock. No one was injured but the Haitians were understandably very reluctant to go inside buildings, even into the

IRT Updates

January

- IRT sent skilled construction volunteers to Mississippi to repair the homes of poor and elderly Hurricane Katrina victims.

- IRT shipped medicines and medical supplies worth more than $52,000 to aid the civilian victims in Gaza.

February

- IRT sent a shipment of vital medicines and medical supplies to Jamaica to alleviate shortages caused by recent hurricanes.

March

- IRT medical trainers continued Project "Healthy Baby" in Viet Nam with neonatal resuscitation instructor training (NRP) for local physicians and nurses.

2007 AT A GLANCE

During the past year, IRT deployed 38 teams, involving 171 medical and construction specialists. IRT provided more than $10 million in supplies and services to thousands of families in need worldwide.

Bolivia & Guatemala: IRT shipped emergency medicines and medical supplies worth $2.4 million to aid flood victims in Bolivia and 75 metric tons of emergency food to villagers in Guatemala still recovering from crop failures caused by recent hurricanes.

Peru: IRT airlifted more than $750,000 worth of specialized disaster relief supplies and medicines to

"Still the worst Humanitarian Crisis in the World Today" ...United Nations

After three years of brutality and human rights violations in Sudan, three million people have been displaced and hundreds of thousands have died. Streams of refugees continue to pour into South Sudan and neighboring Chad to escape the violence.

Last year, IRT sent more than $2.2 million worth of urgently needed medicines to on-site partner agencies in the region to help prevent cholera, dysentery, and other life-threatening diseases among the survivors.

IRT is working with reliable local partner organizations in Indonesia to provide and distribute food (including baby

"With desperate conditions facing the millions of vulnerable survivors in the devastated regions right now, we are raising cash donations to provide critically needed supplies, such as winterized tents, tarps, blankets, and medicines," stated Barry La Forgia, IRT's Executive Director.

IRT is also distributing over 4 million