June 23, 2010
Meet AMREF Canada's New Executive Director: Susanne Courtney
Read here 

June 14, 2010
Maternal Mortality: Is it time for Sub-Saharan Africa to Celebrate? AMREF's Position on the New Lancet Estimates.
By: Dr. John Nduba
Read here

May 7, 2010
VIDEO - Meet Amina: HIV Positive Mother Thriving with New Life

 Watch here 

 Read more

January 11, 2010
Arming Southern Sudanese Clinical Officers and Midwives to Improve Health 

93 clinical officer and 42 midwives graduate from AMREF's Maridi Training Institue. 

Read more.   

 Current Volunteer Opportunities

AMREF is always loooking for volunteers. Please see the descriptions and instructions on how to apply below. As always we are also looking for volunteers to help with office administration and event organization.

Physician in Kitwe Uganda

AMREF is currently recruiting a volunteer medical doctor for a temporary posting at Kitwe Health Centre in Ntungamo District located in South West Uganda. Find out more.

Join the AMREF team!

Download a volunteer form. Please note that to volunteer for AMREF Canada, you must reside within Canada. For other AMREF office locations around the world, please click here.

After downloading the application form, simply fill it in and submit it to us via e-mail, fax or mail:

AMREF Canada
489 College St. Suite 407
Toronto, ON M6G 1A5
Canada
info@AMREFCanada.org
Ph: 416-961-6981

Fax: 416-961-6984 

Learn more about getting involved in AMREF's work;

At School
Become a Partner
Events
Merchandise
Speak Out
Careers

Volunteer with AMREF Canada

Thank you for your interest in volunteering with AMREF Canada.  

We couldn't do it without you!

View our current volunteer opportunities. 

Please note that to volunteer for AMREF Canada you must reside within Canada. For other AMREF office locations around the world please click here. 

Getting Involved: Michael Goldberg 

Michael began by saving $1.00 from his allowance every week. He also asked all of his friends to donate money to AMREF instead of giving him a present at his last birthday party. 

In total Michael raised $76.45! 

The money Michael raised was used to purchase a bicycle for a volunteer health worker in northern Uganda. Health workers depend on bicycles - their only form of transportation - to visit and help orphans and other children in their communities. 

AMREF Canada wants to thank Michael for all his hard work!

Way to go! You are helping to improve health in Africa. 

Find out how you can get inolved and donate here. 

If you want more information on AMREF Canada please contact us.

AMREF Canada
489 College St. Suite 407
Toronto, ON M6G 1A5
Canada
info@AMREFCanada.org 
Ph: 416-961-6981 
Fax: 416-961-6984

Learn more about getting involved in AMREF's work;

At School
Become a Partner
Events 
Merchandise
Speak Out
Careers 

 Careers

Thank you for your interest in AMREF Canada!

AMREF Canada is also currently recruiting for 7 CIDA funded internships. Recruitment closes on August 27, 2010. Find out more.

You can also visit AMREF headquarters website for additional career opportunities. 

Learn more about getting involved in AMREF's work;

At School
Become a Partner
Events 
Merchandise
Speak Out
Volunteer 

AMREF Canada's E-News

 Check out AMREF Canada's monthly electronic newsletter to get an inside glimpse into our  life-saving work in Africa.

2010

Now Recruiting Seven Interns to Work in Africa
AMREF Responds to 7.11 Explosions in Kampala
Canadian Minister Peter Kent Visits AMREF's Work in Africa
August 2010

Meet Susanne Courtney: AMREF Canada's New Executive Director
AMREF Cautiously Welcomes G8 Commitment to Mothers
AMREF Featured in Canada's Medical Post
July 2010

New! Improving TB Diagnosis and Treatment in Uganda
Running for African Mothers
Watch the Flying Doctors on World Travels this Sunday
June 2010

Every Day this May is a Mother's Day
Get Your AMREF Mother's Day Cards Today
African Marketplace this Thursday!
May 2010

Restoring Dignity After 20 Years: Meet Rose
Emergency in Mogadishu
New Photos! World Water Day 2010
April 2010

Celebrate Mothers on International Women's Day
New Partnership with EcoWater Canada!
Great Music and Hot Auction Items at Marketplace Gala
March 2010 

SAVE THE DATE: 2010 African Marketplace Announced
Ganze Girls Education Project
Maternal Mortality: Why It's a Crisis
February 2010 

Spotlight on Women and Newborns in 2010
Worst Health Inequality in the World: Mothers & Newborns
New Class of Midwives Graduate in Southern Sudan
January 2010

2009

Get Creative Name our E-News and Win!
World AIDS Day 2009 - Universal Access and Human Rights
New AMREF Video - Minimizing the Impact of HIV in Uganda
December 2009

Get Up Close to AMREF's Work in Africa 
AMREF's E-Nurses Shine Again
Watch the Flying Doctors in Action
November 2009

World Famous Pianist Joining Measha on Stage
AMREF's Groundbreaking Work in the Toronto Star
Visit an AMREF Clinic in Southern Sudan
October 2009

Saving Lives: Mutinid's Story
Call for Volunteers at An Evening with Measha
Inside Perspective: Epidemic Unveils Ethiopia's Health Challenges
September 2009

Tickets on Sale Now - An Evening with Measha Brueggergosman 
Entertain Your Group in Classic Style
Watch Measha in Action
August 2009

Just Announced! An Evening with Measha Brueggergosman in Support of AMREF Canada 
Inside Perspecitive: Life in an Ugandan IDP Camp
Good News from Africa: Health is Improving
July 2009

AMREF's Innovative Training Transforms Health
Letter From Uganda: Lab Technician Charles Thanks You!
Finding eSoluntions to African's Health Crisis 
June 2009

Think of Mothers Every Day this May
Success! Training Midwives in Southern Sudan
AMREF's African Marketplace Gala One Week Away!
May 2009

April 2009

Improving Health for Women
AMREF's Surgical Outreach Program in the New York Times
Maternal and Child Health Focus get Stronger
March 2009

Orphaned Children Report Better Health
Surgical Outreach Brings Healthcare Closer to Home
War Dance to Open Reel Politik Film Festival
February 2009

Exciting Changes in 2009
Ending Death During Birth in Southern Sudan
AMREF Canada in Recruiting
January 2009 

AMREF's 2010 CIDA Internships (applications closed)

AMREF Canada, in partnership with the Canadian Society for International Health, is now recruiting for 7 government-sponsored internships in support of Health Systems Strengthening in AMREF’s offices in Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia and Uganda in anticipation of final approval of the International Youth Internship Program (IYIP) of the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). 

Please see the internship descriptions below. 

Candidates must be willing and able to spend 6 months overseas beginning in late September and engage in awareness-raising activities on return to Canada. The deadline for applications is August 27th. Find out how to apply here.

Eligibility: Unless granted a specific exception, participants in all government-sponsored AMREF and CSIH internship programs must:

• Be 30 years of age or under at the time of application;
• Possess a university degree or college diploma by the time the internship starts;
• Be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or person granted refugee status in Canada;
• Be legally entitled to work in Canada;
• Not be in receipt of Employment Insurance benefits;
• Be in good physical and emotional health as attested to by a medical doctor;
• Agree to obtain appropriate immunizations and arrange for travel/health/life insurance;
• Agree to arrange travel to the host country and obtain the necessary visa and work permit, with the assistance of CSIH;
• Not be an active employee of any government department, agency or organization at the time of completing the internship;
• Be available and committed to working overseas full-time for the full duration of the internship;
• Have no other obligations or commitments which might interfere with the successful completion of the internship, as determined by CSIH.

Internship Descriptions

Strengthening Systems for Community Health - Ethiopia (2)

Project Administrative Officer
Project Support Officer

Strengthening Systems to Promote Women’s and Children’s Health and Address Inequalities - Tanzania (2)

Project Administrative Officer
Project Support Officer

Strengthening Systems to Reduce Health Disparities and Combat the Major Causes of Ill Health and Premature Death - Uganda (2)

Project Administrative Officer
Project Support Officer

Strengthening Systems to Improve Human and Institutional Health Care Resources - Kenya (1)

Project Administrative and Monitoring and Evaluation Officer

To Apply:
 
Please send the following information to internship@csih.org, preferably by email in MS Word format (please scan and email information when possible or indicate that it has been mailed):

• A brief statement demonstrating your interest in the internship(s), how you meet internship requirements and how the internship fits in your career plan;
  *Note: If you are interested in more than one internship, please state this in your cover letter. You can do a specific cover letter for each internship, or do one general one. Please rank the internships in order of preference.
• Resume;
• Birth certificate or passport (or other proof of age);
• Proof of Canadian citizenship or landed immigrant status in Canada (may be combined with proof of age)

Please note, should you be selected for an interview, the following will be requested:

Copy of your degree/diploma, letter from the registrar or recent transcript as proof of education and name and contact information of 3 references

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to email the Canadian Society for International Health at: internship@csih.org

Complete application packages can be emailed to: internship@csih.org

Or mail to:

CSIH International  Internships Program - 2010/2011 CIDA Internships
The Canadian Society for International Health
One Nicholas St., Suite 1105
Ottawa, Ontario, K1N 7B7

Learn more about getting involved in AMREF's work:

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Become a Partner
Events 
Merchandise
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Volunteer

August 18, 2010

The narrow crowded streets of Kawempe – a slum in Uganda’s capital city, Kampala – are a world away from the city’s Munyonyo resort hotel where Canada’s Minister of State of Foreign Affairs, Peter Kent was participating in the African Union Summit.

But Honourable Kent seems as comfortable in Kawempe as he is at the Summit. He graciously greets the community and asks how AMREF’s work is impacting their lives. 

Home to 300,000 people Kawempe has approximately the same population as Windsor, Ontario. Most people settled here after escaping the 20-year conflict in Uganda’s north.  The slum is on poorly drained land, which in combination with poor sanitary conditions and overcrowding leads to diseases such as malaria, cholera and diarrhea. 

Few people in Kawempe have access to decent paying jobs.  Women often resort to sex work to supplement their earnings, leading to a higher than national average rate of HIV and AIDS infections.

Honourable Kent and the Canadian team are warmly greeted at the AMREF office by staff and representatives from the local town council. They are first shown a water channel constructed by AMREF to prevent flooding. There are also AMREF built latrines which help to improve the community’s access to adequate sanitation. Minister Kent then visits an AMREF HIV/AIDS counseling and testing clinic, where he meets clinical officer Divina Aluka and peer educator John Okurut.

Finally, the team visits the centre where AMREF trains former commercial sex workers on hairdressing and tailoring to provide them with an alternative means of earning a living. At one of the project beneficiary’s salons, Honourable Kent speaks with her about the impact the AMREF training has had on her life.

Honourable Kent was pleased with the visit.

"I've watched AMREF evolve from the days of the East Africa Flying Doctors out of Nairobi's Wilson Airport,” he said on his return to Canada. “So it is wonderful to be able to drop in again to see a set of projects that are making a real difference in the lives of Africa’s disadvantaged,”

AMREF was honoured to host Minister Kent and his team in Kawempe. 

View additional photos from the visit.

You can help improve health in Kawempe - make a donation to AMREF today.

Photo Gallery 

AMREF Responds to Kampala Attacks						Minister Peter Kent in Kawempe
2010 African Marketplace Gala						One Goal Africa: 2010 World Cup
World Water Day - March 22, 2010						Indepth - Ganze Girls Education Project
An Evening with Measha Brueggergosman						A Health Clinic in Southern Sudan
Life in a Ugandan IDP Camp						2009 African Marketplace Gala

Frequently Asked Questions

Thank you for your interest in AMREF and our work empowering vulnerable communities towards better health care in Africa.

Below is more information on AMREF’s work, structure and expertise.

If you have any more questions please contact us directly at info@amrefcanada.org

Who is AMREF?
What does AMREF do? 
What kind of programs do you have?
What kind of research do you do?
What kind of lab work do you do?
How many people work for AMREF?
Where does AMREF get its funding?
What was AMREF Africa and AMREF Canada’s budget in 2008?
What does AMREF Canada do?
What makes AMREF different than other NGOs?
What does the Canadian board do?
How much of my donation dollar goes to fundraising and administration?
Does AMREF send doctors abroad?
I am a doctor/nurse/public health student; can I volunteer with AMREF in Africa?
Can I donate books/clothes/medical supplies for AMREF to send to Africa?
I will be traveling to East Africa and want to visit an AMREF project, could you please set this up for us?

Who is AMREF?
AMREF is the African Medical & Research Foundation. Founded in 1957 as the Flying Doctors of East Africa, AMREF is the world’s leading African non-governmental health development organization.

What does AMREF do?
AMREF improves health. We empower Africans to seek health solutions. AMREF works in communities, developing their strengths and abilities to play an active role in their own heath care. Instead of giving out aid – AMREF empowers communities and works with governments to find sustainable solutions to health problems.

We provide training and distance education programs, primary health care services, and community-based health initiatives – all devised and delivered by Africans.

What kind of programs do you have?
AMREF works closely with African communities and governments to best serve the most vulnerable people in the communities we work in. We work to: 1. Fight disease, 2. Create healthy communities, 3. Train health workers, 4. Strengthen Health Systems, 5. Advocate and Research.

What kind of research do you do?
Each project or program that AMREF implements is carefully tracked and documented to produce evidence, which is shared with communities, the health care system and organizations, whom we partner with to improve health.

For example, when we piloted our Personal Hygiene & Sanitation Education (PHASE) program in partnership with the Ministries of Health and Education in Kenya, – our evidence in safe water and personal hygiene education elicited a 40% increase in primary school attendance. This evidence was brought forward to the Ministries, who have now made PHASE compulsory in Kenyan Primary Schools.

What kind of lab work do you do?
AMREF’s laboratory services program works to improve the lab services run by the government, missions and NGOs in East Africa, and the promotion of laboratory testing. The result is more effective and precise testing for diagnosing and treating illnesses such as malaria, tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS.

How many people work for AMREF?
There are over 700 people working for AMREF worldwide. More than 600 are in Africa and more than 90 per cent are from the communities where they work. In Canada, AMREF has six full time staff members in its Toronto-based office.

Where does AMREF get its funding?
There are four groups that support AMREF: The Canadian government (CIDA, the arm of the Canadian government that financially supports international development projects), Companies (eg. GlaxoSmithKline and Barrick Gold), Foundations (eg. Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Stephen Lewis Foundation), and generous individual Canadaians.

What was AMREF Africa and AMREF Canada’s budget in 2008?
$65 million and $1.9 million, respectively

What does AMREF Canada do?
AMREF Canada supports AMREF in Africa to address critical health challenges by raising funds, providing project support, building capacity, raising awareness and engaging the Canadian public in African health development.

For example our annual fundraiser, the African Marketplace Gala, raises money to support our health projects in Africa. In 2008 the Gala raised over $315,000! Join us at Polson Pier for this year’s annual African Marketplace on May 14th, 2009 for another unforgettable night filled with African food, entertainment and live and silent auctions.

What makes AMREF different than other NGO’s?
All of our programs are focused on African led initiatives. We have a fundamental belief in Africa and optimism about the future – we celebrate Africa’s strengths and successes. Our staff understands the root of health problems in Africa and have unmatched local knowledge and cultural sensitivity that invokes trust and credibility. Lastly, we invest in Africa, we do not distribute aid.

What does the Canadian board do?
The Canadian board is responsible for governance of the activities of AMREF Canada.

How much of my donation dollar goes to fundraising and administration?
In 2007 AMREF Canada expensed 70% of its income to programmes and over 80% of our receipted donations to programmes. Therefore, if you make a $50 donation, over 80% will be directed to our health development work.

While we do everything possible to keep our overhead costs down (donated IT services, donated printing, donated professional services, donated computers & furniture, etc.) we also hold fundraising events and seek sponsorships in order to cover our administration and fundraising expenses. This enables us to direct more of our donations to supporting our health development work in Africa.

Does AMREF send doctors abroad?
We only send doctors if they fit certain criteria in their field of expertise and are available for an extended period of time. You can apply through our Volunteer Physicians Programme with the Flying Doctors.

I am a doctor/nurse/public health student; can I volunteer with AMREF in Africa?
AMREF does not have a formal volunteer overseas programme because we are not a volunteer sending organization. However, we do make considerations on a case by case basis and we welcome submission of a letter of intent and your CV.

Can I donate books/clothes/medical supplies for AMREF to send to Africa?
The cost of shipping makes such donations highly prohibitive; however we can suggest other organizations which do regular large shipments to developing countries.

I will be traveling to East Africa and want to visit an AMREF project, could you please set this up for us?
We can try but we need to be very considerate of the time required by our field staff in Africa to accommodate such visits. That being said, AMREF staff does make routine visits and we would be happy to share the schedule with you.

Learn more about AMREF Canada;

Annual Reports
Habari Newsletter
Field Diaries
Online Resource Centre 

The Kampala Explosions: AMREF’s Work Healing Invisible Wounds

AMREF Canada’s Melanie Sharpe was recently in Kampala for the African Union Summit and found herself in the middle of AMREF’s emergency response to the recent attacks in Kampala. View AMREF's response in PHOTOS here.

By: Melanie Sharpe
July 19, 2010.

Today is my third day in Uganda and I’m heading to Mulago National Hospital’s Ward A2. The ward set up to treat victims of the July 11 bombings in the capital city, Kampala.

It was during the final World Cup game between Netherlands and Spain that the bombs exploded. The first one happened during half-time at a popular Ethiopian restaurant in Kampala’s Kabalagala neighbourhood – an area known for its restaurants and night clubs that cater to the city’s party crowd.

The second two explosions happened in close succession at Kampala’s Rugby Club.

Over 70 people were killed and more than 80 seriously injured. 

It has only been a week since the attacks and yet, other than the heightened security at public places (shopping malls, coffee shops, hotels), Kampala is the bustling, lively city I remember from three years ago. Life must goes on. But, when I talk to my co-workers, taxi drivers and even the lady working at the café next to my hotel – everyone is horrified. Nobody saw the attack coming.

Mulago Hospital is one of the largest in Uganda – with more than 1,500 beds – but the bombing left it completely overwhelmed.

The hospital needed specialists - surgeons who could extract shrapnel from people’s bodies and who could perform brain, spine and reconstructive operations. So Uganda’s Ministry of Health has turned to AMREF’s Surgical Outreach team.

The team of ten, led by AMREF’s Head of Surgical Outreach Dr. John Wachira, arrived at Mulago Hospital to a warm welcome by Uganda’s Minster of Health, Honourable Dr Stephen Mallinga.  The team would provide expertise in neurosurgery, orthopedics, anesthesiology, and intensive care.

During the reception, Dr. Wachira pointed out that it’s often the injuries we can’t see that are most difficult to heal.

Healing the Body and the Mind

Like many public hospitals in Africa, Mulago is a huge, poorly lit cement building packed with people. As I walk towards Ward A2 patients wander through the halls while overworked doctors and nurses rush through the jam-packed wards.

What strikes me most in A2 is how young everyone is. The majority of patients are in their 20s. Like 21-year-old fine art student Julius who had an object from the explosion lodged in his chest or 20 year old Fiona whose foot has been torn apart. Twenty year old Chance lost hearing in his left ear and has a massive wound on his torso. There are hundreds of tiny marks on the left side of Chance’s face from the explosion. These guys are all younger than me and doing exactly what I was dong on July 11 – watching the final World Cup game with friends.

Luckily all three will recover with few problems. Julius and Fiona will be operated on by AMREF surgeons and Chance’s injuries will eventually heal with time.

But for all of the victims it’s often the trauma that takes the longest to heal – and AMREF is tackling this as well.

Along with the surgeons and critical care nurses, AMREF brought psychologist Jael Alaro and trauma counselor Kefah Marango to Kampala’s Mulago Hospital. 

“Many will suffer severely from trauma resulting in stress, sleeplessness, loss of appetite, phobias, paranoia. It will have a huge impact on their lives,” says Ms. Alaro.

The two specialists make their way through Ward A2 visiting around 16 patients every day. They encourage them to tell their story in a structured way, telling the patients it’s ok to vent out how the attack made them feel, their fears their worries their anger.

Patients are encouraged to write their story down – and continue to speak with the counselors every day.

Ms. Alaro explains that one patient she spoke to was at the Rugby Club during the attack. He was smashed in the head after the first explosion and was unable to get away before the second. The young man watched his friend die in front of him. There was nothing he could do.

“When you go through something like this you need support. Those who don’t have support don’t recover well,” says Ms. Alaro.

Long Term Support

AMREF has a long history of providing psycho-social care to trauma victims in East Africa. In 1998 AMREF assisted with victims of the American Embassy explosion in Nairobi that killed close to 300 people and injured 5,000.

AMREF’s two-person counseling team will only be in Kampala for a week, but in addition to treating patients they are also helping to set up a trauma centre so victims and their families can access to psycho-social support over the next year.  They have promised to return as often as they are needed.

As Africa’s leading health development organization, AMREF always emphasizes the importance of tackling health problems in an holistic comprehensive approach – during this tragedy this becomes even more clear.

Eventually all of the patients in Ward A2 will go home and their physical wounds will heal – but the trauma will still exist. Thankfully AMREF is dedicated to ensuring an entire recovery – both physical and emotional.

View a slideshow of AMREF's response to the Kampala attacks here. 
Back to Field Diaries main page 

At AMREF we want you to know how generous Canadians – like you - are saving lives by empowering people towards better health care in Africa.

Through these field diaries from AMREF’s good will ambassadors, staff and volunteers you get a glimpse into the communities and meet the people AMREF works with on the ground in Africa.

Take pride in the accomplishments you have helped AMREF achieve and share these stories with your fiends and family.

Flying Doctor Service

Emergency in Mogadishu
By: Dr. Dan Deckelbaum 

Ethiopia

Toilots and Clean Water Transform Community Health
By: Sabina Saini

AMREF in Action in Remote South Omo
By: Melissa Jennings

From Addis to Afar - Epidemic Unveils Health Challenges
By: Amanda Moore 

Bringing Health Care Closer to Home
Felicia Chang

When the Well is Dry, We Learn the Worth of Water
Felicia Chang

South Africa

Dining with Traditional Healers
Jennifer Page

Uganda

The Kampala Explosions: AMREF's Work Healing Invisible Wounds
Melanie Sharpe

Rebuilding Lives and Health Care after 21 years of Civil War
Measha Brueggergosman, Opera singer and AMREF Canada's Goodwill Ambassador

Visiting the most “Real” Place on Earth
Beth Colle

Bridges on the Road to Life – AMREF’s Groundbreaking Work with Commercial Sex Workers
Salima Pirani

Returning to Uganda with a Video Camera in Tow
Namugenyi Kiwanuka

Learn more about AMREF Canada;

Annual Reports
Habari Newsletter
Frequently Asked Questions
Online Resource Centre 

AMREF Welcomes AU Commitment on Maternal Health; Urges Leaders to Move from Declarations to Action

AMREF welcomes the renewed commitment from African governments towards maternal and child health. As Africa’s leading health development organisation and a voice of vulnerable communities across the continent, we laud this commitment but urge African governments to deliver on these promises to ensure no more mothers and newborns die needlessly.

African governments made a commitment to honour the 2001 Abuja Declaration of allocating 15 per cent of national budgets towards health spending. In an eight point draft declaration on maternal and child health, African leaders meeting at the 15th Ordinary Session of the African Union in Kampala committed to strengthening health systems - particularly primary health care, training community health workers and waiving user fees for pregnant mothers and children under 5.

The actions also called on the Global Fund for HIV/AIDS, malaria and TB to create a new fund for maternal, newborn and child health and the AU to establish a special task force on maternal and child health. Member countries also committed to launching the AU led Campaign on Accelerated Reduction of Maternal Mortality in Africa (CARMMA).

Following the G8 Muskoka Initiative to invest $5 billion USD in maternal and child health in developing countries, African governments have now also addressed this critical health issue.

“It’s time to move from declarations to real action. Now that African leaders have also prioritised maternal and child health throughout this summit, we urge them and the international development community to ensure adequate resources are made available and targeted to the mothers and children in Africa who need them most,” says AMREF in Uganda’s Country Director Joshua Kyallo.

With a commitment to many of AMREF’s key recommendations to leaders at the Summit, AMREF remains optimistic that the actions proposed today will translate into reduced child and maternal deaths across Africa and bring African countries closer to achieving Millennium Development Goals 4, 5 and 6.

“We know that access to basic health services will go a long way in saving the lives of mothers and newborns. We are pleased with the outcome of the Summit but remind leaders that it is critical that they deliver on these promises in a timely and transparent manner,” says AMREF’s Director General Teguest Guerma.

The biggest threat to the lives of teenage girls and young women in Africa is pregnancy and childbirth. According to WHO, a woman living in sub-Saharan African faces a 1 in 16 lifetime risk of dying due to pregnancy, and for every woman who dies, another 20 suffer from illness and devastating birth-related injuries.

Founded in 1957, AMREF is the world’s leading African health development organisation. With headquarters, history and feet on the ground in Africa, AMREF ensures good health for the most marginalised people in Africa. With their active involvement, AMREF develops and implements innovative solutions to critical health challenges facing the continent.

 For more inforamtion contact:

 Melanie Sharpe
AMREF Canada Communications Coordinator
msharpe@amrefcanada.org
416 961-6981

 Don't Stop Now! Leaders and Governments Urged at International AIDS Conference

The 18th International AIDS Conference opened in Vienna with a strong message to governments and donors to meet their funding obligations for treatment, care and support of people living with HIV and to ensure universal treatment.

Delegates from more than 185 countries are meeting at the magnificent Reid Messe Wien in the Austrian City from July 18-24, taking part in a wide range of activities including plenary sessions, workshops and satellite discussions, cultural activities in the colourful Global village, technical poster presentations and hundreds of exhibition stands where organisations and institutions are showcasing their work in HIV.

The opening session of the conference was a lively mix of beautiful music by the Vienna Orchestra, passionate official speeches, and noisy demonstrations for more HIV funding and recognition of human rights for marginalised groups. ‘No Retreat, Fund AIDS’, declared one huge banner that found its way to the main stage in between speakers. ‘Broken Promises Kill’, read dozens of posters held up by delegates in the massive hall. ‘Sex work is work!’ shouted a group of sex workers under scarlet umbrellas.

In his address UN Secretary-General Ban ki Moon noted that, although there has been significant progress in global HIV interventions, with a decline in new infections and more people on antiretroviral therapy (ART), there is a big threat to these advancements because some governments are cutting back on funding. “Recent gains must not be reversed,” he said, emphasising the importance of all governments to ensure that there was enough funding to maintain the momentum.

Ki Moon noted that increased funding for HIV interventions had been proven to be directly related to maternal health. One of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), he pointed out, was to reduce maternal deaths, but this could not be achieved if mothers kept dying from HIV because they could not access treatment or accessed it too late.

The theme of the conference is ‘Rights Here, Right Now’, which the UN Secretary General said was a call to the world to recognise and honour the human rights of people living with HIV, and especially those most marginalised and stigmatised, by ensuring that they have access to the prevention, treatment, care and support that they need to survive.

Conference Chair Julio Montaner expressed profound disappointment with the recent G8 and G20 meetings for their failure to take full responsibility meeting the pledge to provide universal treatment for HIV, and for being silent on a roadmap to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Said Montaner: “These countries could afford to pump millions of dollars into averting the financial crisis last year, but they choose to ignore a global health crisis such as this. Without universal access to treatment for HIV, we will not meet the MDGS by 2015. They must act, and they must act now.”

Montaner emphasised the direct co-relation between treatment and prevention. “ART is not just about treatment. It is also an integral part of prevention. There is evidence to show that there is a 90 per cent reduction of HIV transmission when an infected person is treated. Prevention is treatment; they are one thing, and they are the way forward.”

AMREF Director General Dr Teguest Guerma warns that the shortage of funding will have a profound negative effect in sub-Saharan Africa. “Because the G8 and other donors are not honouring their commitment to ensure universal access to HIV treatment, people are going to die. Without enough treatment, we will go back to the 1990s, when people in the North were getting treatment and those in the South were not.”

Treatment, said Dr Guerma, is an integral part of prevention. If we want to stop new infections, we must treat those who are infected. But there aren’t enough drugs; only 3 million people in Africa are currently on ART. This number is less than 40 per cent of those who need the antiretroviral. She added: “We would like to stop infection of newborns in a few years’ time, but this will not be possible if there is no treatment for pregnant women. I hope that some of the US$5 billion approved for maternal health by the G8 will go into prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV.”

AIDS Conference Co-chair Brigitte Schmied said shorting of funding forced health service providers to make agonising decisions of who lived and who didn’t because they could not meet the needs of all those who required treatment. “We must not let that happen,” she said, adding: “AIDS is not just about science. It is also about social justice. We must ensure that the human rights of people living with HIV and those who are most vulnerable yet marginalised to infection are met.”

The conference chairs urged delegates to sign the Vienna Declaration, a scientific statement seeking to improve community health and safety by calling for “the incorporation of scientific evidence into illicit drug policies.”

The statement declares that stigma towards people who use illicit drugs reinforces the political popularity of criminalising drug users and undermines HIV prevention and other health promotion efforts. “The criminalisation of illicit drug users is fuelling the HIV epidemic and has resulted in overwhelmingly negative health and social consequences. We are inviting scientists, health practitioners and the public to endorse this document in order to bring these issues to the attention of governments and international agencies, and to illustrate that drug policy reform is a matter of urgent international significance.”

Dr Guerma acknowledges that the stigma and discrimination are a major issue in Africa, particularly with regard to men who have sex with men and intravenous drug users, as these practices are both taboo and illegal. “To date 95 per cent of HIV infections in Africa are transmitted through sex, but they are increasingly being transmitted through intravenous drug use. Drugs like heroin used to be inhaled, but now they are being injected. Africa has also become a passage for drugs to and from Europe and North America. AMREF has experience in working with communities - be they of interest or practice - particularly those who are vulnerable and marginalised, and we are actively exploring ways of working with these groups because we realise that they are an increasingly important constituency in health interventions in Africa.”

Uganda’s Minister of Health Thanks AMREF for Sending Ten More Experts in Response to Kampala Explosions

July 21 2010 – Uganda’s Minister of Health Honourable Dr Stephen Mallinga welcomed and publicly thanked AMREF’s team of ten medical specialists who arrived in Kampala last night to help treat the influx of patients injured in the July 11 twin explosions.

“We would like to say thank you on behalf of the Ugandan government. Thank you for an exemplary job in treating these patients,” said Honourable Dr Stephen Mallinga.

The team, led by AMREF’s Head of Surgical Outreach, Dr John Wachira will work with the doctors and nurses at Kampala’s Mulago National Hospital. Mulago received an overwhelming number of patients after last week’s explosions that resulted in 76 deaths and at least 40 critically injured.

The team will provide expertise in neurosurgery, orthopaedics, anaesthesiology, intensive care and psychology as they work with a matching team from Mulago Hospital.

Honourable Mallinga further added that the partnership between AMREF and the Ministry of Health is a good incentive for East Africa as neighbouring countries of the East African community can indeed support each other to manage disasters of this kind.

At a joint press conference by the Ministry of Health and AMREF at the Mulago Hospital, AMREF in Uganda’s Country Director Joshua Kyallo explained that many of the experts have extensive experience in similar emergencies.

“AMREF learned a lot from the 1998 attacks on the American Embassy in Nairobi and many of the experts here were part of AMREF’s emergency response,” he said.

The team of ten is the second group AMREF has dispatched to support the Ministry of Health’s response to the Kampala explosions. On July 15, AMREF sent a team of four medical staff to assist at the hospital and assess the materials and personnel needed.

AMREF has since sent two shipments of medical supplies and equipment.

Over the next week, the AMREF team will operate on 10 – 15 patients, providing critical and reconstructive care. Along with treating physical wounds, AMREF has also sent along a psychologist and psychology counsellor to help patients deal with emotional wounds of living through this traumatic event.

“Even after all the patients leave the hospital, go home and their wounds heal, the emotional wounds and scars still remain. The people who lost loved ones and saw people die need our support,” says Dr Wachira.

Clinical care and emergency response has been at the heart of AMREF’s work since AMREF was founded 53 years ago. Each year, the AMREF Specialist Outreach Programme trains over 1,000 doctors and 3,000 nurses while carrying out almost 17,000 consultations in more than 100 remote hospitals in seven African countries. In times of emergency, AMREF mobilises doctors, nurses and paramedics to support these missions.

As long term partners, AMREF and Uganda’s Ministry of Health have worked closely together on strengthening health systems and bridging the gap between communities and formal health systems in Uganda.

The ten medical experts dispatched to the Mulago National Hospital are:

Dr Jane Carter – an internist and haematologist, she is the Director of the Clinical and Diagnostics Programme. She is currently in Uganda to guide and coordinate the AMREF-Ministry of Health emergency response. Dr Carter was pivotal to the AMREF response during the 1998 bombing in Nairobi.

Dr John Wachira - consultant surgeon and urologist. Dr Wachira has been the Head of AMREF’s Surgical Outreach Programme in eastern Africa for 20 years and comes with a wealth of experience working with and teaching other surgeons in some of the most remote areas of the eastern Africa region. He has been involved in several disasters and managed crises in the region including the 1998 Nairobi bomb blast, the Molo oil tanker explosion in Kenya, and the outcomes of the Rwanda genocide and DRC crisis.
 

Dr Meshack Onguti - a maxillofacial surgeon and former Director of the Kenyatta National Hospital, Kenya’s largest referral hospital. He played a key role in helping the victims of the U.S. Embassy bombings in Nairobi in 1998.

Dr Patrick Akuku - a neurosurgeon, who was also part of the first team that came to support the Mulago Hospital on July 16, 2010.

Dr Hezron Odondi Opele - an anaesthesiologist with a sub speciality in paediatric anaesthesiology

Lucy Kimemia – a Kenya registered Intensive Care Nurse with 6 years experience in ICU and 9 years experience as a community health nurse.  She is also a forensic nurse examiner.  She is currently working at Kenyatta National Hospital.

Bolivia Olasya - a Kenya registered Critical Care Nurse with experience in both critical care and high dependency nursing.  She has worked for the International Organization for Migration at a refugee camp clinic. 

Caroline Magiri – a Kenya registered Theatre Nurse with 6 years of experience. She was involved with the 2007 Kenya election crisis and participates in the AMREF Specialist Outreach Programme. She is currently working for the Ministry of Health in Nairobi Province.

Richard Mwangi – a Kenya registered Theatre Nurse with more than 10 years of experience, and a trained phlebotomist. He is currently employed at Nairobi Hospital.

Jael Alaro - a Kenya registered community health nurse and qualified psychologist. She was a major player for 4 years in the medical assistance programme for survivors of the 1998 bombings in Nairobi, and was also involved with the victims of the post-election violence in Kenya in 2007.
 

Kepha Maranga - a qualified psychology counsellor and trainer with more than 10 years experience who participates in the AMREF Specialist Outreach Programme. He has worked in trauma counselling and is a member of the Kenya Association of Professional Counsellors. 

For more information please contact:

Steve Murigi

AMREF in Uganda Communications Manager

Tel: +256 777 258 053

Email: steve.murigi@amref.org 

Susanne M. Courtney
Executive Director

Joining AMREF Canada in June 2010 as Executive Director, Susanne is a bilingual (English & French) seasoned public affairs and communications professional with experience in Canada and major international markets. Susanne brings global experience, critical functional business skills, public relations and advocacy expertise in such areas as reputation building, community building and stakeholder relations, visibility building for organizations and public issues, crisis management and advocacy training.  This breadth of experience is reflected in her wide lens for strategic planning, organizational leadership and creative marketing solutions.

A successful entrepreneur, Susanne built and subsequently sold a public affairs and public relations consultancy with offices in Canada and the United States.   

Susanne began her career in Canada’s Foreign Service where she was posted to Canada’s embassies in Paris and Abidjan.  In West Africa, she was responsible for liaison with the African Development Bank where she also participated in the establishment of the AfDB’s pioneering Women in Development initiative. 

Susanne lives in Toronto with her partner and dogs. Their three daughters currently live and study in Paris, France.

Salima Pirani
Communications and Fundraising Manager

Salima Pirani is the Communications Manager at AMREF Canada. With 10 years of experience in non-profit fundraising and management and a B.A (French, Sociology) from the University of Western Ontario, Salima also completed her Master’s Track in Fundraising with the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) and Advanced Marketing and Customer Value Optimization training with the Canadian Marketing Association in 2005.

Prior to joining AMREF Canada, Salima was the Proposal Developer at Sunnybrook & Women’s Foundation, where she developed major gifts strategies and proposals ranging from $10,000 to $40 million in scope. She has also gained a variety of experience in marketing, individual fundraising and special event planning working at Women’s College Hospital Foundation and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

At AMREF, Salima is responsible for raising funds and awareness from the Canadian public, through direct marketing, public relations, website and e-marketing, newsletters, a school program and the monthly International Coffeehouse Speaker Series.

When not at work, Salima is actively involved with various organizations, currently serving as Vice Chair for the Ismaili Social Welfare Board Canada.

Anne-Marie Kamanye
Programme Manager

Anne-Marie Kamanye is AMREF Canada's Programme Manager.

Anne-Marie previously worked for War Child Canada, where she was the Manager of International Programmes. She has 6 years experience in International Project Management with a focus on project implementation, monitoring and evaluation, and needs assessments. She has a long-standing interest in public health.

Born and raised in Uganda, Anne-Marie has worked in and traveled to several African countries, including Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ghana, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and Ethiopia. As the Programmes Manager in AMREF Canada, she is responsible for fund development, project management and public awareness.

In August of 2007, Anne-Marie was awarded the African Canadian Woman Achievement Award by the Endless Possibilities and Hope Development Organization.

Liz Doyle
Operations and Donor Relations Manager

Liz joined AMREF in July 2006 as the Database Manager & Administration Assistant.

Previous to her joining AMREF Canada, Liz worked for War Child Canada, where she was the Director of Marketing & Promotions, and was responsible for the production and distribution of documentaries, benefit music cd's, on-line merchandise, promotional materials, third party contracts and events.

Prior to her work with War Child Canada, Liz worked for Universal Music Canada for 15 years as the Director of Electronic Media. She was responsible for the marketing and publicity of Universal Music Group's artists/musicians on television. This included all advertising, promotional campaigns, video's, performances & interviews.

Currently, Liz manages the day to day operations at AMREF, including accounts receivable & payables, donor reports and donations. Liz also sits on the Marketplace Gala committee.

Melanie Sharpe
Communications and Fundraising Coordinator

Melanie Sharpe is AMREF Canada’s Communications and Fundraising Coordinator. She completed her undergraduate degree at Carleton University in Ottawa, graduating with a bachelor of journalism and political science in April 2006.

After university Melanie was awarded the Aga Khan Foundation of Canada’s media fellowship which included a reporting position with the Nation Media Group in Nairobi Kenya. Melanie worked as a print and broadcast journalist at Nation, reporting on health and environmental issues. After a year in East Africa she returned to her home town Toronto where she has worked as a communications professional for both public and non-profit organizations.

Some of Melanie’s main responsibilities are managing AMREF Canada’s website and e-newsletter, conducting media outreach, and assisting with fundraising and marketing initiatives.

Sarah Burdeniuk
Programme Coordinator

Sarah holds a B.A. in international devlepmnet and media studies from the University of Western Ontario, as well as an M.A. in international affairs with a focus on human security from Carleton University.

Sarah was inspired to join AMREF and ocntinue to contribute to health devlopment in Africa after volunteering in the HIV/AIDS sector in South Africa; more specifically, she collaborated with grassroots organizations in Cape Town and Johannesburg to strengthen their capacity in project management, fundraising and communications. Prior, she worked at the Permanent Mission of Canada to the United Nations. Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) and the Canadian Resource Bank for Democracy and Human Rights (CANADEM).

At AMREF Canada, Sarah supports a variety of activities related to project management, resource development and public awareness. 

Learn more about:

AMREF's Mission and Work
• AMREF's Innovative History
• AMREF's Achievements and Awards
  
• AMREF Canada's Staff
  
• AMREF Canada's Board of Directors 
  

Contact Us

AMREF Canada 
489 College Street West, Unit 407
Toronto ON
M6G 1A5 

The Situation

The biggest threat to the lives of teenage girls and young women in the developing world is pregnancy and childbirth.

According to the World Health Organisation, a woman living in sub-Saharan Africa faces a lifetime risk of dying due to pregnancy of 1 in 16 (compared with 1 in 30,000 in Western Europe). And for every woman who dies, another 20 suffer from illness and disability, like obstetric fistula, which without surgery to repair it leaves its victims incontinent social outcasts. This is the greatest health inequality in the world. More than 250,000 (of the 536,000) deaths among women and girls every year as a result of complications during pregnancy and childbirth are among African women. Sadly, Africa also contributes 60 per cent of the 9 million children under-five who die globally every year.

In most African countries the maternal and child death rates are actually getting worse, and it is unlikely that Millennium Development Goals 4 and 5 (reducing child and maternal deaths by 75 per cent by 2015 respectively) will be achieved without urgent action.

Call to African Leaders   

AMREF has been working for 53 years with communities to empower them to know more about their health and be able to demand better services from health facilities and providers. AMREF will continue to work to improve the linkages between communities and health facilities by increasing access to health information and providing communities with better knowledge of their health and health needs.

Recently, G8 leaders made a fresh commitment to invest US$5 billion to reduce maternal and child deaths in developing countries. African leaders should meet their commitment made 11 years ago through the Abuja Declaration (2001). African governments agreed to set aside 15 per cent of national budgets to go towards health spending.

For more information please contact:

Joshua Kyallo
Country Director - AMREF in Uganda
Email: joshua.kyallo@amref.org

Melanie Sharpe
Communications Coordinator - AMREF Canada
Email: msharpe@amrefcanada.org

Steve Murigi
Communications Officer - AMREF in Uganda
Email: steve.murigi@amref.org 

AMREF’s Katine project has won the Business in the Community (BITC) Coffey International Example of Excellence award.

AMREF UK's Executive Director Grace Mukasa with AMREF Patron and Business in the Community President HRH The Prince of Wales, and representatives from the project partners Barclays and The Guardian

Supported by the Department for International Development, the Coffey International Award recognises companies who have shown innovation, creativity and a sustained commitment to one or more of the UN Millennium Development Goals.

AMREF Chief Executive Grace Mukasa with AMREF Patron and Business in the Community President HRH The Prince of Wales, and representatives from the project partners Barclays and The Guardian
 
Together with Barclays and The Guardian, AMREF in the UK and AMREF in Uganda launched the project in 2007 to improve education, health, livelihoods, and sanitation in the village of Katine, a 25,000-strong community in north-eastern Uganda which has suffered civil war, drought and extreme poverty.

Charles Duff, Chairman of the International Award judging panel believed Katine showcased a strong partnership to effectively addressing the MDGs, lessons learnt which could be rolled out to other parts of Africa:

"It is easy to see that the work through this partnership has great potential for being scaled up and is replicable in other communities in Africa and beyond. Bringing together inclusive financial products and the power of the media with the expertise of an NGO is something very exciting."

Grace Mukasa, Chief Executive of AMREF in the UK said: ''By engaging the community from the start, we have ensured sustainability has been built into every level. It's an approach we hope will ensure continued progress towards the MDGs long into the future''.

Find out more about the award.

AMREF's Mission 

AMREF, the African Medical & Research Foundation, is the only international African NGO of its kind.

AMREF ensures access to good health for the most vulnerable and marginalized people in Africa. With their active involvement, we develop and implement innovative and sustainable solutions to critical health challenges facing the continent.

Our Mission in Canada

We support AMREF in Africa to address critical health challenges by raising funds, providing project support, building capacity, raising awareness and engaging the Canadian public in African health development.

Since 1957, AMREF has been working closely with rural and urban communities to empower people. Its work with African governments is improving health systems.

Why is AMREF so Successful?

Because we put people first. We start by asking the community what their major health challenges are. Then we work with them to find innovative and sustainable health solutions to address these challenges.  

We tap into the potential that already exists within the communities, and with training we empower community members to better their own health. Finally, we share the knowledge gained from our work to change government policies which in turn helps millions of people.

By working this way we have pioneered the community based approach to health, which is more effective and sustainable than "aid" or "handouts".

AMREF's innovative projects are run in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia, Southern Sudan and South Africa.

 Learn more about:

• AMREF's Innovative History
  
• AMREF's Achievements and Awards
  
• AMREF Canada's Staff
  
• AMREF Canada's Board of Directors 
  

Dear Supporters,

I am now is Week 5 at AMREF and our entire Canadian team is energized and inspired by two highly respected experts from our headquarters in Nairobi who were here visiting for the G8/G20 meetings. 

Dr. John Nduba, AMREF’s Director of Reproductive and Child Health and Victoria Kimotho a researcher in public health policy and a veteran of G8/G20 meetings.  With our track record in developing sustainable, community-based health development, AMREF was the leading African health development organization at these meetings.  We were at Direct Energy Centre advocating for continued investments from G8/G20 countries in maternal and child health in Africa. 

At the end of last weeks G8 meeting Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced
G8 member countries will commit $5 billion towards maternal and child health over the next five years of which Canada will contribute $1.1 billion of new funds. We welcome this commitment, however it is well below our expectations and in order to achieve real progress, previous commitments must be delivered and the total spend must be appropriately directed.

We know what works. Well designed and measurable investments in improving the health of mothers and children is an essential building block to prosperity and to tackling the underlying causes of poverty that lead to political instability.  AMREF is better than most at this, certainly in Africa, and we have an obligation to make our voice heard in Toronto. 

The G8/G20 Summit was my first multilateral meeting as the Executive Director of AMREF Canada, although it was not foreign territory to me.  I began my career in Canada’s Foreign Service and supported and attended many such meetings while posted to Canada’s embassies in Paris, France and Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire.  In the years since leaving the Government of Canada, I have worked primarily in consulting dealing with marketing, advocacy, issues and crises management and corporate communications.  Most recently, I worked with a talented partner and together we built and subsequently sold a well known public relations firm with offices in Canada and the United States.  While it may seem an unusual background to bring to AMREF, it seems to me like my professional life has come full circle.  I am back to where my heart lies and bring skills and experiences that I hope will contribute to strengthening an already strong team at AMREF Canada. 

It is an exciting time to be joining AMREF.  A new Director General has just arrived at headquarters who brings with her a singular focus on strengthening AMREF and spreading our expertise throughout the continent of Africa.  Dr. Teguest Guerma takes over AMREF following a successful career with the World Health Organization where she was most recently the Associate Director of the HIV/AIDS Department at WHO Geneva. A physician, Dr. Guerma is Ethiopian and has lived, studied, practiced and worked all over the world – literally. She brings strong leadership to our renowned agency and we welcome her to our family. 

 It is a critical time for Africa as the world struggles with economic uncertainty and security concerns. Healthcare access is essential to economic development. Canadians have the financial and intellectual resources to contribute to improving both the quality and accessibility of healthcare in Africa.  AMREF has the local knowledge and experience to deliver well designed programmes that have a lasting impact on Africans’ quality of life.

In the coming weeks and months, I will deepen my understanding of AMREF and our work improving the health of the most disadvantaged people in Africa, and of my understanding of the partners in Canada who share our goals.  I will keep you updated on our activities and would also encourage you to share with me your thoughts and ideas on AMREF. 

Sincerely,

Susanne Courtney
Executive Director AMREF Canada

7:40pm ET June 25, 2010  

Toronto, CANADA Friday, June 25, 2010 – Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced today that G8 member countries will commit $5 billion USD towards maternal and child health over the next five years of which Canada will contribute $1.1 billion CAN of new funds. This support is welcomed by the African Medical & Research Foundation (AMREF), a leading health development organization working in sub-Saharan Africa for over 50 years.  However this is well below expectations and in order to achieve real progress, previous commitments must be delivered and the total spend must be appropriately directed.

Canada and G8 partner countries need to direct these funds to basic, frontline health services in sub-Saharan Africa in order to significantly improve the survival of women and children. AMREF’s experience demonstrates that a community-based approach is the most successful strategy for reducing deaths of mothers and children and is essential to achieving all health Millennium Development Goals. Further, African governments need to be supported and held accountable for their part in the delivery of health interventions in the communities.

“We know that having access to frontline health facilities in Africa that are adequately staffed with trained health workers result in dramatic and immediate improvements in the health of mothers and children,” according to Dr. John Nduba, AMREF’s Director of Reproductive and Child Health. “Only healthy communities can begin to address issues of poverty and economic development.” 

Specifically, AMREF recommends integrating NGOs and ministries of health in the design and delivery of primary health care services. To be effective, strategies must include the following:

·         Address the crisis in shortages of health workers with training and support for the right mix of community health workers (midwives, nurses, health extension workers) who are paid a living wage and integrated into the formal national health systems

·         Invest and maintain basic health facilities (health centres, dispensaries and clinics) with essential medical and pharmaceutical supplies

·         Remove all direct and indirect user fees for women and children

·         Ensure communities are full participants in the management of their health services

AMREF’s extensive and lengthy work in health development demonstrates that to achieve successful outcomes, health services must be organized and developed around communities as key participants. This must include the training of community members to act as bridges and facilitators with the formal health service. This approach results in acceptance and strong community engagement in better health for all. 

“We must remember that Africa has 13 percent of the world’s population and 25 percent of the global disease burden but only 1.3 percent of the world’s health workforce,” said Dr. Nduba, “AMREF’s experience in strengthening health development in Africa demonstrates that  increasing investments in maternal and child health can achieve dramatic results.” 

Click here for downloadable copy

For more information please contact:Melanie Sharpe, AMREF Canada
Office: 416-961-6981
msharpe@amrefcanada.orgSalima Pirani, AMREF Canada
Office : 416-961-6981
spirani@amrefcanada.org

G8 Media Buzzing with Excitement around Leak

Follow AMREF's Updates on Global Health Council Blog

12:30pm ET  June 25, 2010

The Global Health Council will be including AMREF's news in it's Blog4GlobalHealth 

AMREF's Campaign showcased in Leading Canadian National Paper 

12:00am, ET  June 25, 2010

AMREF's Stand Up for African Mothers is showcased in leading Canadian newspaper, The Globe and Mail.

Read full story here

AMREF's 2010 G8 G20 Updates 

World Leaders Arrive in Toronto and AMREF Attends G20 Businees Leaders Event with President Zuma
June 24, 2010

Almost hourly today, world leaders and representatives began arriving at Toronto’s Pearson International Airport for the fast-approaching G8 and G20 Summits.

South African President, Jacob Zuma was among the first to arrive, followed by Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, one of several leaders from non G8-G20 countries invited to participate.

Both leaders attended the G20 Business Leaders Conference, geared at business investment in African markets. Dr. John Nduba, AMREF’s Director of Reproductive and Child Health, was among 200 guests who were present for President Zuma’s lunchtime keynote address.

President Jonathan stated with pride that South Africa hosting the 2010 World Cup is making world history and that once again, football is connecting countries and people around the world. Citing the AMREF–Unicef campaign – One Goal for Africa – Zuma stated his wish: that every South African child be enrolled in school and receiving education by the next World Cup in 2014 and that both South Africa and developed nations should invest in this vision. He then pronounced boldly, “Africa is open for business”.

At the same time, just a few kilometers south, AMREF’s Research Lead, Victoria Kimotho, explored the G8 and G20 International Media Centre, complete with a visit to the “Fake Lake”. Even sitting in the reportedly uncomfortable Muskoka Chairs couldn’t provide and idea of what it would feel like to be up north in cottage country with the G8 leaders.

But it was a busy day for Ms. Kimotho, who spent most of the day taking interviews with local media, stressing the importance of the G8 Summit in putting forth commitments and action to deliver on maternal health. This followed an early morning meeting that Dr. John Nduba had with G8 Sherpas to discuss Africa’s need for greater investment in this area. It was a productive meeting and AMREF hopes that it will be beneficial in putting forth a strong case for investment in mothers in Africa.

With just a few hours to go, all are excited and earerly anticipate the updates and announcements that come forth from the Summits.

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Canada Prepares for G8 and G20 Summits as Earthquake hits Southern Ontario
Wednesday June 23, 2010.

Toronto, usually known as a safe city has become a bunker in anticipation of the G20 Summit later this week. With thousands of police and security personnel converging on the metropolis, a 9 foot fence has been erected surrounding the perimeter of a no-go zone in the heart of the city.

With many citizens wisely avoiding the downtown core, the brave souls who live here or dutifully ventured to city-center offices felt a tremor Wednesday afternoon. The 5.0 earthquake, centered north of Ottawa, shook the CIDA headquarters where staff of AMREF were holding meetings.

Despite these reminders of security and safety threats, AMREF is excited to be heading into the G8 and G20 Summits, with two key health experts in Toronto for the week Dr. John Nduba, AMREF’s Director of Reproductive and Child Health and Victoria Kimotho, AMREF’s Research Lead have hit the ground running with presentations, interviews, meetings and events since Monday.

With Maternal and Child Health high on the agenda for the Summits, AMREF is getting its voice heard because of its leadership and expertise in the area.

“AMREF knows we must urge leaders to deliver basics health care for women in Africa,” says Dr. Nduba at Canadian offices of AMREF, located in Toronto, on Tuesday afternoon. “Infrastructure, human resources for health and working with communities and governments are all vital to stopping the unnecessary deaths of mothers and children.”

AMREF’s goal is clear – to do what it takes to ensure better health  for the most marginalized and disadvantaged in Africa, especially the one in 16 women who risk dying each year across Africa in pregnancy and childbirth. By training midwives and equipping health centres, AMREF has seen much success in places like Southern Sudan, where the maternal mortality rate is the highest on earth.

The AMREF Canada staff are enthusiastic and excited about the opportunities this week presents. With G8 and G20 leaders on Canadian soil, we have a great opportunity to help leaders understand the value and the significance of our work, and it’s an opportunity that we can’t pass up, even if it means staying in Toronto with the barricades and earthquakes.

In any case, the Muskokas which are situated a few hundred kilometers north and a popular and nature-filled weekend getaway for many southern Ontarians, will also be off limits in anticipation of the G8 leaders who kick off their two day Summit on Friday.

Stay tuned for daily G8 and G20 updates from AMREF Canada

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