Morbidity &Treatment Bill Brieger | 29 Jan 2014 04:23 am
Ronald McDonald House Charities Awards Jhpiego Grant to Reach Thousands of Children with Lifesaving Malaria Services
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: 410.537.1829; www.jhpiego.org
Baltimore, Md. (January 28)—Jhpiego, an affiliate of Johns Hopkins University, received a $150,000 grant from Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) to strengthen and expand malaria prevention and treatment services to vulnerable pregnant women and children in Chad.
Jhpiego, a global health non-profit working in more than 50 countries, was among nine organizations selected by the global office of RMHC to improve the skills of health care workers through innovative approaches that directly benefit the health and welfare of vulnerable children around the world. The RMHC grant will build on Jhpiego’s current work in Chad to reduce deaths from malaria, the leading cause of death of children under five in the central African country.
“Jhpiego is thrilled to begin this new relationship with RMHC to ensure that children receive quality health care services in Chad and survive,’’ said Leslie Mancuso, President and CEO of Jhpiego. “More children under five in Chad die from malaria than from any other cause. In cooperation with the government, we will build the capacity of community health volunteers to educate families on malaria prevention and promote home use of insecticide-treated nets. These volunteers who go door to door are often the first line of care in many countries, providing basic health messages and connecting families to health facilities.”
The goal of the project funded by RMHC is to allow more children under five and pregnant women to receive much-needed services by training 10 Master Trainers, who will then educate and train 100 community health volunteers in malaria prevention activities. This approach will build a sustainable method for serving pregnant women and children in their communities. Jhpiego will target 109,571 children under five and 25,466 pregnant women who live in malaria-endemic districts in the East Logone region of Chad.
Through its Global Grants and matching grants program to local U.S. RMHC Chapters, the Charity has awarded nearly $97 million in grants in the last 11 years. “Child mortality rates around the globe continue to be alarming. There is a need to invest in resources and training to create lasting change,” said David C. Herman, MD, MSMM, President and CEO, Vidant Health, and RMHC Board of Trustees member. “For 40 years, RMHC has been part of the solution in helping to eliminate some of the barriers that make it more difficult for families and children to get the health care they need.”
For more information about Jhpiego and its lifesaving mission, contact Melody McCoy, 410-537-1829 or melody.mccoy@jhpigeo.org.
About Jhpiego: Jhpiego (pronounced “ja-pie-go”) is an international, non-profit health organization affiliated with Johns Hopkins University. For 40 years, Jhpiego has empowered front-line health workers by designing and implementing effective, low-cost, hands-on solutions to strengthen the delivery of health care services for women and their families. For more information, go to http://www.jhpiego.org.
About Ronald McDonald House Charities: Ronald McDonald House Charities® (RMHC®), a non-profit, 501 (c) (3) corporation, creates, finds and supports programs that directly improve the health and well-being of children. Through its global network of local Chapters in 58 countries and regions, its three core programs, the Ronald McDonald House®, Ronald McDonald Family Room® and Ronald McDonald Care Mobile®, and millions of dollars in grants to support children’s programs worldwide, RMHC provides stability and resources to families so they can get and keep their children healthy and happy. All RMHC-operated and -supported programs provide access to quality health care and give children and families the time they need together to heal faster and cope better. For more information, visit www.rmhc.org, follow us on Twitter (@RMHC) or like us on Facebook (Facebook.com/RMHC Global).
The following trademarks used herein are owned by McDonald’s Corporation and its affiliates: Ronald McDonald House Charities, Ronald McDonald House Charities Logo, RMHC, Ronald McDonald House, Ronald McDonald Family Room and Ronald McDonald Care Mobile.