T oo often, a pregnant woman in rural Nigeria is at serious

risk of becoming another statistic in the maternal mortality

index. She’s lucky if she can manage the trip from her village

to the nearest health clinic. Even then, the health workers

may not be trained to provide care if things go wrong.

In fact, USAID estimates 500,000 women die each year from

complications related to pregnancy and childbirth. Ninety-nine

percent of these deaths happen in the developing world.

But in Pampaida, Nigeria – a cluster of villages in Kaduna State

– pregnant women have a critical lifeline in Dr. Ojo Euitayo and

his small team of midwives. Dr. Ojo, as he is known, is the

sole physician at the Pampaida Health Clinic. The clinic serves

a population of about 20,000, including thousands of pregnant

women and recently delivered babies and it provides a safe

and clean place for prenatal and antenatal appointments, labor

and delivery, and information sharing between the villages’

traditional birth attendants and clinic staff. For three years, it’s

also been a partner site for Physicians for Peace training.

In Nigeria and far beyond, Physicians for Peace trains healthcare

teams that care for pregnant women, mothers and infants,

ensuring that local village clinics and hospitals have the skills and

resources they need to save lives and protect the connection

between a healthy mother and her baby. We train medical

teams, so that families have the chance to realize their dreams

without the burden of preventable injuries and death.

In this special issue of NewsPeace, you’ll find out more about

our work on behalf of mothers and babies in underserved

areas -- and how your investments are saving lives and building

healthy communities.

Healthy Pregnancies. Safe Deliveries. Thriving Moms and Babies.Seven yearS afTer launching our MaTernal and child healTh PrograM, PhySicianS for Peace exPandS efforTS To

SuPPorT healThier MoMS and babieS.

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neWSPEACE Send One. Train Many. Heal the World.

A newsletter from Physicians for Peace Second Quarter | 2012

The World Health Organization estimates that 22 countries need to double their midwifery workforce by 2015 . Sixteen need to at least tr iple them.

Dear Friends,

“Nothing for them without them” has become a rallying cry among nonprofits working in

the developing world. The idea that we have a duty to include our beneficiaries in program

planning, implementation and evaluation – and that their input is the key to real, meaningful

change – is central to the Physicians for Peace model. It always has been, and it always will

be. Maintaining that focus and ensuring that we are meeting the needs of the people we serve

requires regular self-assessment.

This year, our Board of Directors and staff made a strategic decision to invest more time and

resources in measurement and evaluation, so that we can pinpoint where our model is truly

best in class and make sure that we’re meeting our partners’ needs. After a rigorous Request

for Proposal process, we recently chose The Improve Group (of St. Paul, MN) to assess three

core outreach efforts – our Burn Care and Walking Free programs and our Resource Mothers

program. We also welcomed a new staff member, Ph.D. candidate Korinne Chiu, to work in

the near term with The Improve Group and oversee our measurement and evaluation efforts

year-round.

We know that both The Improve Group and Korinne will find exciting opportunities for

program expansion and improvement. Their assessments will focus our efforts on the

projects that are delivering results and changing lives for the long-term – those efforts that

are ready to be replicated and expanded to help even more people. I look forward to sharing

our findings with you in the coming months.

In this special issue of NewsPeace, we’re highlighting recent campaigns for mothers and

babies around the world. These are critical health issues. Having seen the impact of our

programs firsthand in Africa, Asia and the Caribbean, I can tell you that your investments are

empowering providers and supporting healthy communities. We’ve made great strides, but

there’s still much work to be done. Thank you for your support.

I also want to share some updates from the field and news from our headquarters, which is

a challenging task simply because our portfolio is ever-expanding. (Please follow us online

for real-time updates.)

new outreach efforts

n We are deploying our international medical educators to serve as faculty overseeing the

Surgical Intern Training Project at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital in Blantyre, Malawi.

The project trains interns and residents in basic surgical techniques. This training is crucial

to the health of a nation with an average life expectancy of just 38 years old.

n In March we mobilized experts from Sentara Norfolk General Hospital and Eastern

Virginia Medical School, both in Norfolk, Va., to work alongside professionals at Philippine

General Hospital in Manila during the country’s first burn care conference. The World

Health Organization estimates that between 4,000 and 5,000 Filipinos die from burn-

related injuries each year. Two-thirds of these victims are under the age of 10.

expanded efforts

n LaVern Morris, a physician liaison at Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters in

Norfolk, Va., delivered 480 bilingual children’s books, along with training and new skills, to

our Resource Mothers in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Morris served as regional

coordinator of the Resource Mothers program in South Hampton Roads (Va.) before

helping Physicians for Peace launch our program in the Dominican Republic in 2005.

n Our Resource Mothers also received training this spring from an intrepid group of

nursing and physical therapy students from our longtime partners at Old Dominion

University’s (ODU) College of Health Sciences in Norfolk, Va.

CEO Message: Proving It

July 1 - 8 Manila, Philippines

July 7 - 15 Port Harcourt, Nigeria

July 11 - 22 Port-au-Prince, Haiti

July 14 - 16 Davao, Philippines

Aug. 2 – Sept. 29 Blantyre, Malawi

Aug. 29 – Sept.1 Bogotá, Colombia

Oct. 7-13 San Salvador, El Salvador

Oct. 9-14 Florianópolis, Brazil

MiSSion

Schedule

Jonathan Niszczak, MS, OTR/L, and Mohammed, 9, in the West Bank

LaVern Morris with three Resource Mothers in the Dominican Republic

n The dean of the dental school at Autonomous University

of Nicaragua (UNAN) in León came to Norfolk, Va., this

spring for an international educational exchange centered on

curriculum development and best possible practices in dental

care. During his visit, Dr. Humberto Altamirano drew on the

experience of ODU’s College of Health Sciences and visited

private practices of Physicians for Peace dental educators. In

2011, we helped the university launch Nicaragua’s first dental

assistant program and we’re coordinating ongoing efforts

to develop a hygiene curriculum and program track.

n On a return mission to Luis Vernaza Hospital in Guayaquil,

Ecuador, Physicians for Peace responded to a direct request

from our longtime partners to introduce a pre-surgical diagnostic

evaluation for epilepsy patients. This diagnostic evaluation,

standard practice in the U.S. but new to our partners, reduces

risks posed by unnecessary surgery.

n Dr. Eid Mustafa of Wichita Falls, Texas, led his 24th Physicians

for Peace outreach mission to the West Bank. The team worked

alongside local surgeons and, for the second year, delivered

hands-on training for burn care professionals in Nablus, including

a workshop that introduced face mask technology to in-country

providers. The masks significantly reduce the traumatic scars

of burn patients and promote faster healing.

n An outreach in February gave VonZipper, one of our corporate

sponsors, the opportunity to deliver more than 2,400 donated

prescription eyeglasses to partner sites in the Philippines – a

gift that supports our efforts to eliminate avoidable blindness

in the country by 2020. VonZipper’s president and Physicians

for Peace-Philippines trainers also worked with local teachers

on pre-screening techniques to identify children with vision

impairments. Without treatment, common vision problems

often prevent children from succeeding in the classroom.

n This spring we worked again with our friends at ReSurge

International to improve the short- and long-term care provided

to Nicaraguan patients suffering from traumatic burn injuries.

Support update

n Board Chairman Dr. Ed Karotkin was named a 2012 “Health

Care Hero” by Inside Business in Norfolk, Va.

n The American Burn Association invited longtime international

medical educator Carolyn Ramwell, RN, of Charlottesville,

Va., to present on burn care in under-resourced settings at

the group’s annual meeting in Seattle. Her talk focused on

care in several Central American countries – and the need for

innovation, collaboration and education.

n This spring, we welcomed several new Board Directors: Huda

Ayas, MBA, EdD, founder and Executive Director of the Office

of International Medicine Programs at The George Washington

University in Washington, D.C.; Shelley Mishoe, PhD, dean of

the College of Health Sciences at Old Dominion University in

Norfolk, Va.; Christine Neikirk, community philanthropist, of

Norfolk, Va.; and Jayne T. Keith, community philanthropist, of

Palm Beach, Fla., who rejoined our Board after a brief hiatus.

I’d also like to thank the dedicated Board Directors who have

stepped down recently due to term limitations or professional

obligations. Thank you!

n In addition to Korinne Chiu, Director, Program Evaluation, we’re

proud to have the following talented members join our team:

Homer Babbitt, Director, Major Gifts; Dana Doan, Coordinator,

Global Health Programs; Dawn Dikun, Executive Assistant; and

Natalie Klinkenberger, Director, Global Health Programs.

Our newly redesigned website at www.physiciansforpeace.org

offers more extensive information on our field updates, along with

an outreach mapping project and video library. While you’re there,

we invite you to explore all that we have to offer online through our

social media communities on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. We

always value your feedback and questions, and our online portal is

one more way to become even more engaged with us.

Best wishes for a happy, healthy summer. Thank you for your

support.

Sincerely,

Ron Sconyers (USAF, Ret.) President and CEO

1

2011 Maternal & child health

by the numbers

NUMBER OF HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS WE TRAINED:

179

NUMBER OF VOLUNTEER HOURS WE INVESTED: 1,070

NUMBER OF AT-RISK MOTHERS MENTORED

THROUGH THE RESOURCE MOTHERS PROGRAM: 299

In the Dominican Republic, one in four women will have at least

one pregnancy by the age of 20. Many of them drop out of school

or are kicked out of their homes. Launched in 2005, the Physicians

for Peace Resource Mothers program aims to give these young

women a trusted advisor. Through the program, we pair at-risk

mothers with experienced, local mentors for prenatal, antenatal

and early childhood education and assistance.

The program started in 2005 with 10 Resource Mothers serving

92 teens in five barrios. By last year, the program had 20 Resource

Mothers paired with 233 clients in 10 barrios. In seven years,

hundreds of young mothers have moved through the program,

getting the support, education and guidance they need to have

healthier pregnancies, healthier babies and brighter futures.

Among teen mothers who participated in Resource Mothers:

• 52 percent breastfed for at least one year.

• 90 percent completed more than 6 prenatal checkups.

The program also empowers the Resource Mothers themselves,

giving them the chance to see themselves as agents of change.

“Because of this program, I feel more like a leader,” said Resource

Mother Reyita Caraballo. “My children see me as a leader, too.”

Looking Ahead: With seven years of experience to draw from, the Resource Mothers program is now ready to be expanded and replicated.

POSTParTuM heMOrrhageS account for 34 percent of maternal deaths in Africa, and they’re a leading cause of death among new mothers in Asia and the Americas.

In Pampaida, Nigeria, Physicians for Peace has provided training on

a diverse range of topics, from clinical skills – identifying signs of

pre-term labor – to administrative tasks – scheduling midwives for

365-day coverage at the clinic and improving communication among

clinic staff, traditional birth attendants, village leaders and expectant

mothers. This education has helped the clinic staff improve care

for mothers. In fact, the United Nations reports that pregnancy-

related visits to the clinic in Pampaida increased threefold

between 2007 and 2009.

The uptick indicates that more women are coming to the clinic

for care, rather than laboring through dangerous health conditions

at home. That’s good news for mothers and babies, but it’s also a

cultural shift that can improve the lives of whole communities.

“The health of mothers and babies impacts the entire world,”

said international medical educator Robin Jones, RN, CNM, of

Chesapeake, Va. “If we don’t have healthy women and children, we

all suffer.”

In late 2011, Physicians for Peace introduced Nigerian health workers

to Helping Babies Breathe, the American Academy of Pediatrics’

neonatal resuscitation curriculum for resource-limited regions.

Seven months after the initial training, additional staff members at

two clinics in Nigeria have been trained in the life-saving technique,

and at least 10 babies have been successfully resuscitated. Those

lives were saved as a direct result of education we delivered.

Standing together for MotherS and BaBieS South ASiA: EducAtion to SAvE infAntS’ l ivES

West AfricA & southeAst AfricA: trAining Providers to helP Mothers thrive

With a population of more than 1.2 billion, the health needs among

communities in India can vary dramatically. Our most recent

training efforts in Sawangi, Nagpur and Kochi focused on adding

to the skill sets of the nurses, doctors and medical students who

care for infants in distress. With these partners, our aim is clear:

train the trainers, so that, ultimately, we can help save as many

newborns as possible. Armed with the curricula we present,

including Helping Babies Breathe, Pediatric Advanced Life

Support (PALS) and the Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP),

local hospital teams are then empowered to train local community

health workers. In this way, the education we deliver can help

bridge the significant gap between healthcare services available

in rural and urban India.

Despite the wide variety of needs, one factor remains consistent:

the health needs at our partner sites rarely go unmet because of

a lack of ability or passion. During an international conference on

life-threatening pediatric diseases in Nagpur, Chris Foley, MD, was

struck by the rapt attention of 50 pediatric faculty members and

residents and their expressions of gratitude.

“Their appreciation seemed exaggerated for what I was doing,

something I do back here at home on a regular basis,” explained

Foley, an assistant professor of pediatrics at Eastern Virginia

Medical School in Norfolk, Va. “But their reaction reminded me

how voracious their appetite is for knowledge, and how limited

they are in resources.“

Team approaches for patient-centered care also is a focus of our

outreach in India. Volunteers often center their training efforts on

the specific roles that healthcare providers – especially nurses –

play within a team.

Marsha Scott, NP, trained health workers in Malawi during a 10-week outreach in 2010.

In Kochi, India, Dr. Bonnie Dattel led a group workshop focused on resuscitating newborns.

Caribbean: Mentors for Young Mothers

In many places, giving birth is still a life-threatening activity. The World Health organization estimates that for every woman who dies in child-

birth, 20 more suffer injury, infection or disease. That’s 10 million women every year. Babies are at serious risk, too. Four million newborns

die in the first four weeks of life each year, according to USAID. This is a tragedy. Most of these women and babies live in the developing

world. We believe the answer to this health crisis is better care through trained, in-country providers. Since 2005 Physicians for Peace has

delivered targeted education to healthcare professionals and community health workers serving mothers and babies in countries in

Africa, Asia and the Caribbean. In 2011 alone, we trained nearly 180 health workers, ensuring that the youngest members of the next

generation, and the women caring for them, have the best possible chance for a safe and healthy life.

Among partners in Africa, clinics often lack sophisticated

equipment and sufficient materials. In these situations,

“high-touch, low-tech” approaches can provide an answer.

In rural Malawi, Marsha Scott, NP, of Atlanta, Ga., saw many

effective low-tech education tools aimed at community

health workers and expectant mothers, including posters

illustrating warning signs of pre-term labor. She also saw

the health issues of women and babies compounded

by misinformation (or the absence of information) on

breastfeeding, HIV and contraception. But Scott believes

there is reason for hope.

“With more training, health workers could easily use

simple guided questions to generate better diagnoses,”

said Scott, who will resume training efforts in Malawi later

this year.

Looking Ahead: Physicians for Peace will introduce Helping Babies Breathe to teams of health workers in Rivers State, Nigeria, in July 2012.

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32

2012 international charity benefitGet ready to celebrate better health for all people. On Oct. 27, 2012,

hundreds of our supporters will gather in downtown Norfolk, Va., for

the Annual Physicians for Peace Gala. Proceeds from this fun-filled

fundraiser benefit our training programs around the world. The evening

includes silent and live auctions, a seated dinner and the presentation

of our 2012 Volunteer Awards. This year we’ll honor J. Morgan Davis,

president and chief banking officer of TowneBank in Hampton Roads,

Va., with our special President’s Award for his longtime support and

volunteer service. Sponsorship opportunities and tickets are available.

In March, Samuel W. Hill retired after nearly two decades with

Physicians for Peace. In his honor, we’ve established the Sam Hill

Scholarship Fund to support healthcare professionals, including

nurses, occupational therapists and physical therapists, who lack

the funds to fully support their travel and mission-related costs.

for more information, please visit www.physiciansforpeace.org or call 757.625.7569.

founding MeMberS of The SaM hill ScholarShiP fund

— robin Jones, rN, CNM, who has worked alongside Dr. Ojo euitayo and his team on training in Pampaida, Nigeria, since 2009.

Looking Ahead: While many NGOs focus exclusively on maternal morbidity, newborns now account for 40 percent of preventable child deaths worldwide. To reverse this devastating trend, Physicians for Peace will continue to train health workers in critical resuscitation and life-saving techniques.

“As a doctor, Dr. Ojo has committed himself to improving care in Nigeria. He’s a real role model to the community, and he deserves our support.”

A Big CElEBrAtiOn and a Fond Farewell

our MaTernal and child healTh PrograM in acTion

Resource Mothers program begins in Santo Domingo,

Dominican Republic

Partnership with Eritrea graduates its first class of

pediatricians. Maternal and Child Health outreach to India

begins.

Maternal and Child Health outreach begins in Malawi, Mali

and Nigeria. Midwifery training in Liberia.

Physicians for Peace begins introducing Helping Babies

Breathe to partner sites. The award-winning neonatal

resuscitation curriculum emphasizes skilled attendance

and specific assessment techniques within “The Golden

Minute” after birth.

Sam Hill escorting Medical Diplomat Award Winner Emily Tinsley, RN, MSNEd, during

the 2011 Physicians for Peace Gala.

2005 20092006 - 2007 2011 - 20122004

Physicians for Peace collaborates to launch the Partnership

for Eritrea to assist in development and implementation of

post-graduate medical programs in pediatrics, surgery and

gynecology.Ph

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be a champion

Physicians for Peace believes every woman deserves a champion. Because of your support, we’re helping mothers and babies lead healthy

lives and giving community health workers and educators the chance to become leaders in their communities. Join the chorus of Physicians

for Peace supporters calling for better care and more education for women and children. Your investment will allow us to build up our time-

tested model and reach out to even more mothers and babies in need.

MEntOrs: Strong Women for Strong Communities “When you look at what makes the biggest impact on communities, it’s making sure that women and girls are healthy and educated, and that is an immediate need that Physicians for Peace can help fulfill.” — Carmen hooker Odom, President, Milbank Memorial Fund

Watch how lives are changed: www.physiciansforpeace.org Mr. John M. Berkley

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J. Morgan DavisPresident and Chief Banking Officer, TowneBank

54

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Send One. Train Many. Heal the World.

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