Combating the opioid epidemic in Puerto Rico
Drug overdoses now kill more Americans than HIV/AIDS, car crashes, or guns. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 70,000 people (200 people a day) died of overdoses in 2017, and at least two-thirds of those deaths were linked to opioids. This problem is not confined to the mainland. Not only has the opioid epidemic hit Puerto Rico hard, but challenges with the island’s recovery from the devastating 2017 hurricane season have exacerbated this public health crisis.
Through the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) Action Network on Post-Disaster Recovery, leaders from across sectors are working together to address the healthcare needs of communities in Puerto Rico, including mental health and substance misuse. It’s why earlier this year, Direct Relief made a Commitment to Action to address the growing opioid crisis in Puerto Rico by building the capacity of local organizations to address the epidemic and prevent fatal overdoses on the island.
Check out 3 things you can do to help combat the opioid crisis.
Direct Relief is working to take a multi-pronged approach to address this issue by funding research to fill data gaps on the prevalence of substance misuse on the island, providing healthcare providers with medicines to reverse opioid overdoses, and building the capacity and scale of existing substance misuse programs, such as needle exchanges.
This work is timely and critical. In addition to the CGI Action Network, the Clinton Foundation’s Opioid Response Network works to increase education and awareness about the epidemic, decrease stigma, and curb misuse. The Opioid Response Network is also providing communities with the tools they need to combat the epidemic and save lives — and it’s all the more important for partners like Direct Relief to support these efforts.
Recently, Direct Relief hosted a free health fair, “Ciudad de Salud y Bienestar” or “City of Health and Wellness” at the San Juan Convention Center where they awarded grants to more than 6 local nonprofits for opioids work. Nearly 3,000 people stopped by, highlighting both the need for increased access to healthcare and the impact Direct Relief can have through its reach, bringing together the island’s healthcare resources. To learn more about Direct Reliefs latest work, visit DirectRelief.org.
The Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) Action Network on Post-Disaster Recovery is committed to developing and implementing comprehensive plans for successful recovery in places devastated by natural disasters. At the most recent meeting in the United States Virgin Islands, the Action Network announced 29 new projects for resiliency and disaster recovery. Since the launch of the Action Network last year, 775 organizations have made 86 Commitments to Action and convened four meetings.
Read more about the Clinton Global Initiative Action Network in our Impact Magazine at clintonfoundation.org/peoplefirst.
