Washington Nurse-Midwives Help To Save Lives Worldwide

American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM) Department of Global Outreach (DGO) staff teach health care providers in developing countries techniques to help reduce the staggering number of women (500,000) who die needlessly from childbirth related causes each year.

Washington, D.C. -- Department of Global Outreach staff nurse-midwives instruct local doctors, nurses, and midwives how to improve childbirth outcomes by using safer delivery techniques, preventing the transmission of HIV and other infections from mother to baby, improving the quality of prenatal and postpartum care, and strengthening family planning.

Department of Global Outreach staff have worked side by side with health care providers in more than 30 developing countries; training them in the management of obstetrical complications and supporting them as they care for their patients. ACNMs Department of Global Outreach, has helped to improve care for women and families in:

•   Indonesia
•   Vietnam
•   Eritrea
•   Ethiopia
•   Honduras
•   Tajikistan
•   Tanzania
•   Peru
•   Morocco
•   Honduras
•   Benin

•   Albania
•   Uzbekistan
•   Guatemala
•   Thailand
•   Ethiopia
•   India
•   Guinea
•   Nicaragua
•   El Salvador
•   Paraguay
•   Uganda

•   Cambodia
•   Zambia
•   Senegal
•   Ghana
•   Russia
•   Ukraine
•   Moldova
•   Armenia
•   Mali
•   Zimbabwe
•   Rwanda

One of the Department of Global Outreachs main goals is reducing the spread of HIV from mother to child, particularly in Africa. President Bush has set aside $15 billion for future AIDS prevention/treatment efforts in Africa. ACNM has also developed educational materials to improve maternity care in the West Bank and Gaza. DGO staff often work in areas where modern womens health care is otherwise unavailable.

ACNM has digital photographs as well as video of staff nurse-midwife Annie Clark, CNM working in 12 developing countries. Ms. Clark and the photos/video can be made available to the media upon request.

For more information, or to arrange an interview with Ms. Clark or another ACNM member, contact Shawn Farley by phone at 202-728-9876 or via email at sfarley@acnm.org.