BRUNSWICK, Ga., May 4, 2001 (PRIMEZONE) -- MAP International and the Children of Chornobyl Relief Fund (CCRF) have collaborated on a humanitarian airlift marking the 15th anniversary of the April 26, 1986 disaster. This shipment, valued at over one-half million dollars (wholesale value), contains antibiotics (skin and oral), and other pediatric medicines and surgical supplies. A portion of these medicines will be used to establish and/or support neonatal intensive care units at children's hospitals in Odessa, Yavoriv and Rivne, Ukraine. "We are confident that the medicines provided by MAP International...will result in rapid progress in the quality of care we can provide," stated Alex Kuzma, executive director of CCRF.
On April 26, 1986, at 1:23 a.m., reactor number four at the Chornobyl Atomic Energy Station exploded and caught fire, releasing 260 million curies of radiation (280 times the radiation released from the bombing of Hiroshima). Rainfall and the subsequent shift in wind-direction spread the deadly cloud over a widespread area, including the northern regions of the Ukraine and the southern border of European Russia. This massive dose of radioactive fallout unleashed a legacy of disease and suffering, not only for the existing population, but for those yet to be born. About 3.4 million of Ukraine's 50 million people are still suffering the effects of this disaster. The statistics are startling: Thyroid cancer among children living near Chornobyl is 80 times higher than normal, leukemia has tripled since 1986 (many cancers don't develop for 10-20 years after exposure), and infant mortality has climbed to levels three times the European average. Birth defects, including Down syndrome and polydactylism (abnormal numbers of fingers and toes) have nearly doubled.
MAP International is grateful for the opportunity to assist CCRF and the children of Chornobyl. Through the generosity of individuals, partner agencies and corporations, MAP has been able to provide nearly $62 million dollars in medicines and medical supplies for the people of Ukraine and Belarus, and will continue to do so for as long as there is need.
Donations should be directed to: MAP International, Disaster Relief Fund, 2200 Glynco Parkway, Brunswick, GA, 31525, 800-225-8550, or take a look at our How to Help page, where you may also make a secure donation online.
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CONTACT: MAP International
Suzanne Baroody, Public Relations Director
(800) 225-8550
sbaroody@map.org