Microsoft Co-Founder Donates $1 Million to Goleta Nonprofit for Ebola Relief

Philanthropist and Microsoft co-founder Paul G. Allen on Thursday announced a $1 million grant tothe Goleta based nonprofit Direct Relief in order to battle Ebola in affected West African countries.

Direct Relief announced thatAllen’s grant will be used to restock and reopen up to 100 health centers in West Africa.

Direct Relief will send Ebola supply kits approved by Harvard-trained doctors working in Liberia.

The grant will also aid in opening 47 new Ebola treatment centers in Sierra Leone and Liberia, complete also with pre-packagedsupply kits shipped directly to each facility in order to remove bottlenecks in restock.

Finally, Direct Relief will work to ensure safe births by providing 267 Midwife Kits to Liberia and Sierra Leone – enough for 13,350 deliveries. Pre- and post-natal care has decreased almost 28 percent since the beginning of the Ebola outbreak.

Thomas Tighe, CEO of Direct Relief, calls Allen’s donations “essential” and says his efforts are critical in meeting “vastly expanded, urgent need for critical supplies necessary to contain, treat those sickened by the virus, and address the outbreak’sshattering ripple effects on the broader health system.”