The GE Foundation announced today a new Commitment to Action with the
Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) to expand the ImPACT (Improving
Perioperative & Anesthetic Care Training) Africa program in Kenya.
ImPACT Africa is a sustainable training program that aims to address
maternal and infant mortality related to surgical intervention during
childbirth through ongoing training of skilled healthcare workers. This
Commitment to Action, announced during the 2014 Clinton Global
Initiative Annual Meeting, expands the existing program to train 25
nurse anesthetists and clinical officers, and its services to four
additional hospitals.
GE Foundation’s commitment also includes developing a comprehensive
perioperative care training Center of Excellence at Kisumu Regional
Hospital to address each stage of surgical care and provide ongoing
training to obstetric and anesthesia care teams. Additionally, the
commitment will expand to include 4 additional hospital sites in Western
Kenya. Program commitment over the next three years is $2.6 million for
the expansion.
“Improving maternal health is a main focus of Developing Health
Globally™, and without access to safe anesthesia, maternal and infant
mortality cannot be eliminated,” said Deb Elam, President, GE Foundation
and Chief Diversity Officer, GE. “This program supports
capacity-building for safe surgery and anesthesia through training and
educational infrastructure. We hope to see this anesthesia education
program spread beyond Kenya to support reduction of maternal mortality
globally. We are proud to align the expansion of ImPACT Africa with
CGI’s mission of gathering global leaders in philanthropy, business,
government and academia to create and implement innovative solutions to
the world's most pressing challenges.”
The program employs a “Train the Trainer” approach by selecting top
graduates to become trainers to help achieve far-reaching, scalable
impact. Typically, more than 50 percent of the graduating classes are
women; hence the program is not only expanding skills training but can
lead to long-term economic opportunities for female healthcare workers
in Kenya. Training will be at Kenyan Medical Training College-Kisumu
(KMTC) and Maseno University.
“Access to safe anesthesia is crucial to lowering maternal mortality
rates, yet only 6% of maternal wards in Africa have proper anesthesia
skills for Caesarian section or treatment of post-partum hemorrhage,”
said Dr. David Barash, Chief Medical Officer & Executive Director,
Global Health for the GE Foundation. “The opportunity to reduce the
burden of disease, disability and mortality with safe surgery in Kenya
and other developing nations is substantial. That is why we joined with
our academic, NGO and Ministry partners to develop a scalable and
sustainable program that addresses maternal mortality, builds skills for
local healthcare workers, and can eventually be managed by local teams
in country.”
Only 13 of approximately 120 anesthesiologists in Kenya work in public
hospitals, and it is estimated that in rural areas, there is only 1
anesthesiologist for every 13 surgeons.1 A 2012 survey
conducted by the Center for Public Health and Development and the
Ministry of Health in Kenya found that there were only 12 trained
anesthesia providers supporting approximately 36 operating rooms in the
region. Addressing the shortage of workers trained in anesthesiology
will ultimately drive greater access to additional critical healthcare
services, such as surgery and emergency obstetrics, and will lead to
lower mortality for mothers and infants.
Through their CGI Commitment to Action, GE Foundation is partnering with
the Ministry of Health in Kenya, Assist International, Center for Public
Health and Development (CPHD), Kijabe Hospital, and Vanderbilt
University to leverage a unique combined in-country footprint to build a
sustainable anesthesia program for the Government of Kenya. This program
will likely serve as a model for other countries in East Africa and
globally.
About Developing Health Globally™
Established in 2004, GE’s Developing Health Globally™ (DHG) aims to
improve access to quality healthcare for some of the world’s most
vulnerable populations by upgrading equipment and infrastructure, and
providing training and support to ensure success and sustainability. GE
has invested more than $120 million in more than 250 hospitals and
health centers throughout Africa, Latin America and Southeast Asia,
making an impact on clinical practice, patient outcomes and community
well-being in 15 countries. In total, the program has reached more than
12 million people globally.
About GE Foundation
The GE Foundation, the philanthropic organization of GE, is committed to
building a world that works better. We empower people by helping them
build the skills they need to succeed in a global economy. We equip
communities with the technology and capacity to improve access to better
health and education. We elevate ideas that are tackling the world’s
toughest challenges to advance economic development and improve lives.
The GE Foundation is powered by the generosity and talent of our
employees, who have a strong commitment to their communities. We are at
work making the world work better. Follow the GE Foundation at www.gefoundation.com
and on Twitter at @GE_Foundation.
About CGI
Established in 2005 by President Bill Clinton, the Clinton Global
Initiative (CGI), an initiative of the Clinton Foundation, convenes
global leaders to create and implement solutions to the world’s most
pressing challenges. CGI Annual Meetings have brought together more than
180 heads of state, 20 Nobel Prize laureates, and hundreds of leading
CEOs, heads of foundations and NGOs, major philanthropists, and members
of the media. To date, members of the CGI community have made more than
2,900 commitments, which are already improving the lives of more than
430 million people in over 180 countries.
CGI also convenes CGI America, a meeting focused on collaborative
solutions to economic recovery in the United States, and CGI University
(CGI U), which brings together undergraduate and graduate students to
address pressing challenges in their community or around the world. For
more information, visit clintonglobalinitiative.org and follow us on
Twitter @ClintonGlobal and Facebook at
facebook.com/clintonglobalinitiative.
1 The World Journal of Surgery.
Copyright Business Wire 2014