Published: June 09, 2010
Direct Relief International Commits $100,000 to One Heart World-Wide for Qinghai University Hospital Maternal-Child Health Project in China
SAN FRANCISCO - (BUSINESS WIRE) - One Heart World-Wide (OHW) announced that it has received a commitment
of at least $100,000 from Direct Relief International (Santa Barbara) to
launch a maternal and child health program in partnership with Qinghai
University Hospital in Xining, China. The agreement will help One Heart
provide life-saving services to at-risk women and children in Tibet who
have been devastated by the recent 6.9 earthquake that killed an
estimated 2,000 people and damaged almost every structure.
"Our goal is to strengthen the web of care for Tibetan women and
children by helping One Heart mobilize available resources and implement
their highâ€impact program throughout rural Qinghai," said Direct Relief
International President and CEO Thomas Tighe. "We're pleased to take the
lead funding role to support One Heart in China on this effort. We've
worked with One Heart before, and their team has a history of
implementing successful programs and saving lives."
One Heart World-Wide is the only U.S.-based non-government, non-profit
organization chosen by the U.S. Ambassador to the People's Republic of
China to provide maternal and newborn care to the impoverished Yushu
Region in Tibet's Qinghai Province. As there is little or no access to
transportation, medical facilities or trained health personnel, 100 out
of every 100,000 pregnant women dies in childbirth and 20 out of every
1,000 newborns dies in infancy. Qinghai University Hospital provided
on-site maternal care and some outreach to remote Tibetan communities
for obstetrical emergencies before the earthquake. However, it is now
faced with severely damaged facilities, depleted resources and few
uninjured medical personnel. One Heart's programs will address the core
components of the local healthcare system that directly impact maternal
and infant survival.
"Direct Relief International's support enables us to rapidly implement a
program that has been proven to work in this very fragile environment,"
said Arlen Samen, executive director and CEO of One Heart World-Wide.
"During our ten years in Tibet, we developed a replicable, sustainable
model that saved the lives of thousands of pregnant women and newborn
babies. We can now begin our work in China to do the same."
About Direct Relief International
Founded in 1948, Direct Relief [www.DirectRelief.org]
is a Santa Barbara, Calif.-based nonprofit organization focused on
bringing critically needed medicines and supplies to local healthcare
providers worldwide. Direct Relief has provided more than $1 billion in
privately funded humanitarian aid since 2000, including more than $150
million in assistance in the U.S. It has earned a fundraising efficiency
score of 99 percent or better from Forbes for the past eight
years and is ranked by the Chronicle of Philanthropy as
California's largest international nonprofit organization based on
private support.
About One Heart World-Wide
One Heart World-Wide [www.oneheartworld-wide.org]
is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to saving the lives of
women and children. Founded in 1998 by Arlene Samen, the organization
works with disadvantaged communities to raise awareness and teach good
birth practices. In the 10 years that the One Heart program was active
in Tibet, the number of women who died in childbirth annually dropped
from 33 to zero. One Heart recently relocated its corporate offices to
San Francisco, Calif. and manages close to $1 million in donations to
support maternal-child health programs in China, Mexico and Nepal.
For One Heart World-Wide
Laurie Garvey, 408-375-6552
lauriemgarvey@comcast.net
Copyright © 2012, Business Wire, Inc., All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2012, NewsBlaze,
Daily News
Search News
