Midwives Standing Strong: COHI's emergency obstetric care training in Sudan

One in nine woman are at risk of losing their lives during pregnancy in Sudan. From 1985 to 2005, Sudan was ravaged by armed internal conflicts and continues to feel the aftershocks to this day. The ensuing civil strife has resulted in thousands of refugees being driven to neighboring countries and the most severe internally displaced persons' situation the world has ever seen. As a result of decades of conflict, extreme poverty and an overall lack of development, millions of Sudanese women are being deprived of life-saving health care everyday.

Girls at school, Sudan

As is true to COHI's global practice, we are working in partnership with a local organization: The Sudan Fertility Care Association. COHI's area of focus in Sudan is training midwives and nurses in the Khartoum region. The objective of the training is to improve clinical skill development arming these committed providers in the areas of emergency obstetric care. Participant midwives will be from Khartoum, the local internally displaced people (IDP) camps, and the rural areas up to 100 KM outside of Khartoum, to include midwives from diverse settings, all areas of high need.

COHI recently completed a needs assessment and our Project Manager, Erica Meadows, MPH, is currently in the field in Khartoum. To learn more, please email Erica at ejohnson[at]cohintl.org.

New Interim Executive Director: Changing of the Guard at COHI

Mary Drake, new COHI Interim Executive Director

COHI Founder and Executive Director Sera Bonds will be leaving COHI for her maternity leave in the middle of September. In her place, Mary Drake will be taking the reigns. Mary served as a COHI Board of Directors member for two years, is primarily responsible for establishing and managing COHI's partnership in Tanzania, and visited the field in Tanzania last year as part of COHI's field team. She has a strong background in both regions of Africa and in Latin America. She has worked with women with HIV/AIDS in Uganda, to improve integration of HIV and family planning services in Tanzania, and with traditional birth attendants, nurses, nurse midwives, doctors and women seeking access to quality family planning services in El Salvador. She is from a loving family and is making one of her own with her wonderful husband, Ahmed. Mary is a Master Angler certified by the Province of Manitoba, Canada, a registered nurse and has a MPH in International Health. Mary will nurture and tend the flourishing COHI garden from Washington DC as interim director until mid-December when it will be her turn to take maternity leave, and she plans to help produce many fruits in the coming months.

To reach Mary directly, please call COHI, 512-517-3220, or email her at maryldrake[at]cohintl.org.

Circle of Health International is a 501c3 nonprofit organization supporting the empowerment of conflict- and disaster-affected women through the provision of women's health initiatives. Learn more and get involved at www.cohintl.org.