Cindy, Joshua, Jen and Dr. Givano, along with Global Strategies volunteers Tony and Shelly, recently returned from a visit to Monrovia, Liberia. Global Strategies has worked in Liberia for 8 years and returned this time to look into ways to lower Liberia's infant mortality rate. The most recent data shows that Liberia has one of the highest infant (under 1 year old) mortality rates at 74/1000. Liberians are eager to improve the health of their children and we met with many potential partners.
How do you impact the care of newborns thousands of miles away? This is a question that Global Strategies is hard at work to answer.
The first step is shoulder-to-shoulder mentoring to teach providers the critical hands-on skills needed to care for newborns--neonatal resuscitation, feeding of infants, appropriate use of antibiotics to treat infection.
But what happens after that step to maintain quality? Global Strategies, in partnership with Bay Area company Metrodigi, is working to find an innovative solution. Using technology to create case-based learning, remote monitoring and clinical applications, Global Strategies aims to change the way healthcare workers learn how to care for babies.
