MSR® Donates Over 100,000 Aquatabs® to Haitian Health Foundation for Clean Drinking Water

SEATTLE, WA (December 5, 2016) — MSR® (Mountain Safety Research®), a leader in outdoor water filtration and purification, today announced its donation of over 100,000 Aquatabs® purification tablets to the Haitian Health Foundation. This adds to the 100 MSR Community Chlorine Makers that have already been distributed throughout Haiti in partnership with Operation Blessing International, in hopes of supplying more communities with safe drinking water.

Aquatabs, distributed in the US by MSR, are the world’s leading water treatment tablet with over 10 billion liters of water treated annually. Effective against viruses, bacteria and Giardia cysts, the tablets will provide water safe for drinking in 30 minutes, with one box of 30 individually packaged tablets treating up to 60 liters of water.

“MSR understands water treatment better than most any company,” says Patrick Diller, Business Development Manager for MSR’s global health initiatives. “Knowing the challenges they are facing in Haiti with cholera and lack of access to safe drinking water, it seemed almost irresponsible to not do something. Chlorine is one of the most effective interventions for a situation like this, and therefore our Community Chlorine Maker and Aquatabs disinfection tablets can be pivotal tools in the relief efforts there.”

Following the devastation in Haiti of Hurricane Matthew in October 2016, MSR donated 100 chlorine makers to Operation Blessing International, who teamed with the Haitian Health Foundation to train and educate community leaders on using the devices, which can create enough chlorine in five minutes to purify 200 liters of water. MSR’s global health efforts, alongside those of the Haitian Health Foundation and Operation Blessing International, hope to provide safe drinking water to tens of thousands of people throughout Haitian communities in the coming months.

“Southwestern Haiti has been absolutely decimated by Hurricane Matthew. Though the tragedy has now left the news, the situation remains extremely dire,” says Marilyn Lowney, executive director of the Haitian Health Foundation. “The availability of potable water is a major issue now. MSR’s donation is a step in the direction toward helping solve this issue, and the Haitian Health Foundation, alongside the vulnerable people of Haiti, are very thankful to everyone involved in securing this important donation.”

“MSR has been an incredible partner in Operation Blessing’s efforts in Haiti to help prevent the spread of cholera and other water-borne disease in the wake of Hurricane Matthew,” said Bill Horan, president of Operation Blessing International. “When I asked MSR’s management team for assistance, 100 Community Chlorine Makers were on a plane the very next day. Every one of the units have been deployed in Haiti’s hardest hit areas and countless lives have been saved.”

For more information or to find out how to assist these efforts, please contact: Patrick Diller, global.health@cascadedesigns.com or visit msrglobalhealth.com.

About MSR® (Mountain Safety Research®)

Seattle-based MSR has been engineering standard-setting high-performance outdoor equipment since 1969. Through MSR’s Global Health division, the brand invests in innovation specifically for people in low-resource communities. These efforts focus on the lack of access to basic human needs such as food, water and shelter. The Community Chlorine Maker is MSR’s first such product, and it was co-developed with PATH, the leader in global health innovation. http://www.cascadedesigns.com/msr/global-health

About Operation Blessing International

Operation Blessing International (OBI) is one of the largest charities in America, providing humanitarian services such as strategic disaster relief, medical aid, hunger relief, clean water and community development in 37 countries in the last year. Forbes currently ranks OBI as one of its “100 Largest Charities” with an efficiency rating of 99%. Founded in 1978, Operation Blessing International has touched the lives of more than 292 million people in more than 105 countries and 50 states, providing goods and services valued at over $4.2 billion.

About Haitian Health Foundation

The Haitian Health Foundation (HHF) has been working in southwestern Haiti for over 30 years. A 4-Star Charity on Charity Navigator, HHF’s mission is to improve the health and well-being of women, children, families and communities living in the greater Jérémie region through healthcare, education and community development. HHF is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with headquarters located in Norwich, Connecticut. For more information, please visit www.haitianhealthfoundation.org.