Jhpiego Healthcare Initiative Works Toward Better Outcomes for Women

Amanda Moore, Director of Development with Jhpiego, detailed the history and mission of the healthcare initiative for Columbia-Patuxent Rotarians at their recent breakfast meeting. Jhpiego started in the 70s as the Johns Hopkins Program for International Education and gynecology obstetrics, aiming to train healthcare workforces globally, bringing them the University’s best practices and learnings.

Amanda said the urgent need for better healthcare can be found in daily statistics like these: (1) 810 mothers died from complications due to pregnancy and childbirth; (2) 13,800 children under the age of five will die from preventable causes; (3) 1,000 young women will be infected with HIV; (4) 852 women will die from cervical cancer, a preventable and treatable disease.

When it comes to women’s health, Amanda said: “Despite the many strides we've made in the past 50 years to uplift women and their families, pressing global challenges continue to require significant support.” Over the years, Jhpiego’s focus has expanded to meet evolving health challenges, from maternal and newborn health to infectious diseases and non-communicable diseases and health system strength.

“Our biggest work now is in maternal newborn health and child health, HIV, malaria, prevention and treatment,” Amanda said. “Our first international office opened in Kenya in 1993. With over 50 years of experience, we have had a historic footprint in 155 countries. We are currently in 35 countries. Right now, our greatest presence is in Africa.”

Jhpiego partners with countries, governments and communities to address three healthcare areas: the care itself, the caregivers and the care ecosystem. An average of 328 global and local partnerships are fostered around the world every year. For its partners, Jhpiego offers technical teams bringing expertise, solutions and ideas to redesign how essential health care is delivered, to expand access, and to make care more sustainable, effective and high quality at every stage of life.

“We are very much about integrating within communities. We believe the people on the ground in the country should be the ones leading those efforts,” Amanda explained. She said that federal cuts have impacted Jhpiego, which was historically funded 75% by the US government. Cuts have spurred the organization's efforts to secure alternative sources of funding. A number of agency offices in other countries were closed and about half the staff was let go.

“That means life saving programs around the world had, sadly, to close or be put on pause until we were able to find gap funding,” Amanda said. “The need for this work doesn't stop when the money stops. So we are continuing. We have right-sized our organization so that we can continue to work meaningfully with quality outcomes in the countries in which we remain. We really do want to be in every community that we can be.”

Guest speakers are featured weekly at Columbia-Patuxent meetings at JAM eateries on Friday mornings. The club is the largest and most active of Howard County’s seven Rotary clubs.