Ambu has donated 650 of its Ambu Bag resuscitators to the International Medical Corps, a global humanitarian organization, as part of the celebration of the device’s 65th birthday.

Allan Jensen, VP of sales, anesthesia at Ambu, presented the Ambu Bags to Rebecca Milner, chief advancement officer at International Medical Corps, in a ceremony at Ambu’s U.S. headquarters in Columbia, MD. International Medical Corps will use the Ambu Bags to save lives in Ukraine and across Africa, including the Central African Republic, South Sudan, Cameroon, and Somalia.

“We are so grateful to Ambu for its generous donation ofAmbu Bags,” Milner says. “The donation of critical medical equipment like the Ambu Bag enables our organization to provide more lifesaving services to people in need, whether they’re affected by rapid-onset disasters or suffering from the long-term effects of conflict or disease.”

Established in 1984 by volunteer doctors and nurses, International Medical Corps is dedicated to improving quality of life through health interventions, training, and related activities that strengthen underserved communities worldwide.

The Ambu Bag is the ubiquitous lifesaving medical device that has helped more than 45 million people breathe in the last 10 years alone. It has come to define the self-inflating manual resuscitation instrument that is part of any standard kit carried by first responders. Called a “quintessential piece of equipment,” the Ambu Bag is found in ambulances and throughout hospitals, including the ER to the OR.

“Ambu greatly appreciates the vital work of the more than 7,500 International Medical Corps staff around the world working to save lives and relieve suffering,” Jensen says. “I can’t think of a better way to commemorate the history of the Ambu Bag than to give back to the doctors, nurses, and first responders who rely on this device to save patients’ lives every day.”