World Connect (formerly Infante Sano)

CONTACT:

760 Main Street, 2nd Floor
Waltham, MA 02451
781-894-8050
www.infantesano.org

Sarah Henry, Executive Director

DESCRIPTION:

IS was founded in 2002 by medical and business professionals associated with Boston’s Children’s Hospital, to offer healthcare provider training for maternal and newborn wards of hospitals and community clinics in the Dominican Republic. Since 95% of women there already were giving birth in hospitals with skilled attendants, IS does not build clinics or pay to staff them; rather, it focuses on training local staff to improve their existing systems. Their “train the trainers” model was so effective and replicable, that IS was incorporated in 2006, to disseminate the model to other Latin American and Caribbean countries. Partnering with the International Medical Equipment Collective (IMEC—Cat’98), IS has sent $680,000 worth of medical equipment (two full containers) to one of their partner hospitals in the DR for only$25,000. As a result of their introducing a neonatal resuscitation program, neonatal mortality dropped 17% in six months, and there has been a nearly 40% reduction in the province where they have been working. In 2007 IS impacted 2,821 deliveries, provided prenatal care in its two rural clinics to 677 women, and trained 98 health staff at a hospital in Baní, all with 15 local staffmembers. In 2008 their programs were extended to five hospitals and clinics. Here is a highly cost-effective, sophisticated and strategically significant international grassroots program you can take pride in supporting.

(2008: INTERNATIONAL: Human Services)