Jhpiego, a global nonprofit health organization affiliated with Johns Hopkins University, has been chosen to lead the U.S. government's flagship effort to end preventable maternal and child deaths around the world.
The Maternal and Child Survival Program, a five-year, $500 million agreement supported by the U.S. Agency for International Development, will accelerate the expansion of innovative, high-impact health approaches in 24 priority countries in an effort to save the lives of women and children in need.
Jhpiego has 40 years of experience targeting the leading causes of maternal mortality, including high blood pressure during pregnancy, infections, and uncontrolled bleeding after birth; newborn deaths, including birth asphyxia and low birth weight; and deaths of children under 5 owing to pneumonia, malaria, and diarrhea.
The new project will engage government leaders, policymakers, health care providers, and other key stakeholders to ensure that high-quality, integrated services reach women, families, and communities, particularly marginalized and vulnerable populations. It also will incorporate several cross-cutting approaches to this effort, including improving quality, engaging partners in the private sector, using innovative approaches to overcome previously insurmountable barriers, and mobilizing communities to identify local priorities, resources, and solutions.
The endeavor carries forward the momentum and lessons learned from the highly successful USAID-funded and Jhpiego-led Maternal and Child Health Integrated Program, which has helped improve the health of women and children in more than 50 developing countries throughout Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean. As part of the program, more than 4 million women have received family planning counseling, nearly 1.8 million babies have been delivered with the help of skilled birth attendants, and child immunization programs have been expanded in 14 countries.
"Jhpiego is honored to have been chosen to lead the U.S. government's largest global health program aimed at reducing maternal, newborn, and child deaths, a responsibility we proudly carry on behalf of the American people," says Leslie Mancuso, president and CEO of Jhpiego. "With strong leadership from USAID and support from our partners, we look forward to ensuring that where women and families live does not determine if they live."
"Jhpiego's ongoing commitment to connecting Johns Hopkins researchers and scientists to global practice enables transformational solutions around the world," says university President Ronald J. Daniels. "We are incredibly proud to be part of this new endeavor and look forward to supporting Jhpiego's lifesaving efforts."
