Stories

Lusine was looking forward to giving birth to a baby girl in April, but in February she woke up in the middle of the night bleeding. Scared for her life and for the life of her unborn child, she rushed to Vayk Medical Union, which serves the southern region of Armenia’s Vayots Dzor province. In the past, doctors at Vayk preferred to refer patients such as Lusine “because they were uncertain what to do.” Now, thanks to NOVA’s trainings in emergency obstetric and newborn care, they were well prepared to manage Lusine’s hemorrhage.

“The Leadership Development Program has taught us shared vision, collaborative approach and enhanced team spirit. Teamwork has replaced the historical differences between the hospital administrator, the matron and the medical superintendent, and we all work to achieve results,” says Leonard Dlamini, hospital administrator at Raleigh Fitkin Memorial (RFM) in Swaziland. (More . . .)

Change is occurring rapidly in Southern Sudan, which became an autonomous region in 2005 after decades of conflict. The country’s growing population is estimated between 6.5 and 11 million as many Southern Sudanese are returning from years of dislocation. While the country has had a relatively low prevalence of HIV, the increased migration and trade across its borders present a high risk for the spread of disease. With funding from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), IntraHealth has teamed up with the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) and local organizations to reduce the impact of HIV/AIDS and support the country’s need to rebuild its decimated health care system.