×

News publications and other organizations are encouraged to reuse Direct Relief-published content for free under a Creative Commons License (Attribution-Non-Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 International), given the republisher complies with the requirements identified below.

When republishing:

  • Include a byline with the reporter’s name and Direct Relief in the following format: "Author Name, Direct Relief." If attribution in that format is not possible, include the following language at the top of the story: "This story was originally published by Direct Relief."
  • If publishing online, please link to the original URL of the story.
  • Maintain any tagline at the bottom of the story.
  • With Direct Relief's permission, news publications can make changes such as localizing the content for a particular area, using a different headline, or shortening story text. To confirm edits are acceptable, please check with Direct Relief by clicking this link.
  • If new content is added to the original story — for example, a comment from a local official — a note with language to the effect of the following must be included: "Additional reporting by [reporter and organization]."
  • If republished stories are shared on social media, Direct Relief appreciates being tagged in the posts:
    • Twitter (@DirectRelief)
    • Facebook (@DirectRelief)
    • Instagram (@DirectRelief)

Republishing Images:

Unless stated otherwise, images shot by Direct Relief may be republished for non-commercial purposes with proper attribution, given the republisher complies with the requirements identified below.

  • Maintain correct caption information.
  • Credit the photographer and Direct Relief in the caption. For example: "First and Last Name / Direct Relief."
  • Do not digitally alter images.

Direct Relief often contracts with freelance photographers who usually, but not always, allow their work to be published by Direct Relief’s media partners. Contact Direct Relief for permission to use images in which Direct Relief is not credited in the caption by clicking here.

Other Requirements:

  • Do not state or imply that donations to any third-party organization support Direct Relief's work.
  • Republishers may not sell Direct Relief's content.
  • Direct Relief's work is prohibited from populating web pages designed to improve rankings on search engines or solely to gain revenue from network-based advertisements.
  • Advance permission is required to translate Direct Relief's stories into a language different from the original language of publication. To inquire, contact us here.
  • If Direct Relief requests a change to or removal of republished Direct Relief content from a site or on-air, the republisher must comply.

For any additional questions about republishing Direct Relief content, please email the team here.

Resilient Power | Power for Health

Issues & Solutions

Without power, critical health services can’t be provided – lifesaving medicines go bad, electronic health records can’t be accessed, essential medical equipment can’t be powered, and vital community health facilities serving the most vulnerable shut down. This single initiative addresses health equity, the need for renewable energy, and community resiliency.

The issue

  • Frequent, devastating climate-related events lead to an increase in power outages.
  • With healthcare systems’ growing dependence on power for treatment and records, thousands go without care when the power goes out.

The Impact on Health

  • 29,000 million people rely on free clinics and centers for healthcare.
  • 14,000 Community Health Clinics and Centers provide primary health care, prescription medications, chronic disease management, and more.

Communities with the Fewest Resources Are Impacted the Most By Outages


The Solution: Resilient Power

Direct Relief’s Power for Health Initiative seeks to bring clean, renewable backup power to community health centers and free clinics to ensure they can deliver critical healthcare services during power outages.


The initiative provides grants to these centers and clinics for the installation of off-grid, renewable, reliable power systems, improving resiliency and continuity of care for critical health services in vulnerable communities.


Consistent power = continuity of critical care + protection of expensive and vital medicine + access to health records = better health outcomes


A Prerequisite for Health



Direct Relief’s Power for Health Initiative seeks to bring clean, renewable backup power to community health centers and free clinics to ensure they can deliver critical healthcare services during power outages.

These sites not only serve as community hubs and healthcare providers daily, but they become first responder sites after a disaster and, therefore, must always remain powered.

While the frequency and length of power failures have been at their highest levels since reliability tracking began, health centers, unlike hospitals, are not required to have three days of backup power or generation capacity.

These outages not only shut down health services and have dire effects on health, but they also directly lead to the loss of financial resources, resulting from spoiled medication and lost patient revenues.

By equipping health centers and clinics with clean, cost-effective, and reliable forms of power generation and storage, the program aims to achieve the following:

  • Prevent the loss of life due to health center closures during power outages.
  • Enable quality and equitable healthcare services for the medically underserved, those living in communities with unreliable power, and those communities that suffer the worst impacts of disasters.
  • Avoid financial losses to health centers from closures and spoiled medications and vaccines.

partnership spotlight

Active Projects

Hurricane Maria

Puerto Rico

Direct Relief is equipping Puerto Rico’s health centers, clinics and community facilities with solar and battery storage to better withstand future emergencies.

Wildfires

California

In response to fire-induced power outages, Direct Relief deploys power units and generators and works with health centers and clinics across California on several large-scale solar and battery installations.

tesla solar units Microgrid

Direct Relief HQ

To ensure Direct Relief never loses power, it engaged Tesla to build a microgrid that keeps the organization running and its cold-chain medicine protected even if it loses grid power.


Get Involved

Get Involved

Ways to Make a Difference

Invest in a healthier world.

Rally your community to help others.

Put your business to work for humanity