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July 2010
Intern, intern, interns!
We have been delighted that this summer, we have been able to place six interns in the Copperbelt province of Zambia! These talented people have been working for LifeWraps, assisting our project whilst gaining valuable work experience and re-affirming their passion for maternal health.
February 2010
Egypt Dissemination
Director, Dr. Suellen Miller and LifeWraps Project Director, Elizabeth Butrick were in Egypt this month to disseminate research findings alongside Egyptian colleagues Dr. Mohommed Mourad and Dr. Mohamed Fathalla. The meeting was well attended by a variety of dignitaries, decision makers, NGOs, and facility-based providers and interested parties. The meeting was overwhelemed with press and media, receiving coverage by 5 different TV stations, newspapers and magazines! The presentations, which reported on the beneficial effects of the LifeWrap, from studies conducted in-country, were extremeley well received, after which followed a lively discussion with possible future directions being debated.
January 2010
Happy New Year!
This month we are pleased to have the support of Emily Mangone interning with us in Ndola, Zambia.
She will be working closely with Dr. Aminu who is also currently based in the Copperbelt region. Dr. Aminu Isyaku Mohammed is an
Ob/Gyn from Nigeria who has considerable experience working with the LifeWrap. He is in Zambia now, supporting and training providers as they learn how to use this invaluable device.
Former interns Yi-Ling (left) and Mari (right) show off the LifeWrap after a training led by Dr. Aminu Isyaku Mohammed (center)
Reporting on the LifeWrap at International Conference in Cape Town
LifeWrap staff and international colleagues were thrilled with the opportunity to share LifeWrap findings with colleagues from around the world at this prestigious forum.
Over 9000 representatives from many countries and organizations attended this conference, hosted by the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics in Cape Town,
South Africa. Many were interested to hear about a first-aid device that keeps women alive during transport to hospital and while awaiting treatment for obstetric hemorrhage.
Drs. Janet Turan and Amy Stenson enjoy Table Mountain with a friend while in Cape Town for FIGO 2009
We presented hard-hitting evidence of the LifeWrap's utility to people from influential organizations such as the World Health Organization, Health Ministers and policy officials, and a whole range of public health professionals who can help further the reach of such an important device.
November 2009
Bringing the LifeWrap to Zimbabwean clinics - Overcoming all obstacles!
This year has been a very difficult year for conducting research in Zimbabwe. With political and financial turmoil, staff at hospitals and clinics who had not been able to live on their meager and inconsistent salaries went on strike, leaving our small staff and study on hold. But, immediately upon re-opening of hospitals, women hemorrhaging received care with the LifeWrap. It is with an acknowledgement of the hard work and determination of the staff that the next phase of our work is now starting up in Zimbabwe.
This month, Safe Motherhood staff took the LifeWrap to clinics in Harare and trained providers in their use.
This final, multi-year phase will show us how much the LifeWrap can improve outcomes when used at the clinic level before transport to the hospital.
A midwife practices applying the LifeWrap at a training session in Zimbabwe
October 2009
Trainings in the Copperbelt
This month we trained health care providers in two of the largest hospitals in Zambia.
We took the LifeWrap and experienced trainers from the US and Nigeria to share skills with midwives,
doctors, nurses, anesthesiologists, and surgeons. Women who hemorrhage in these facilities will be resuscitated using this
life-saving device. In fact, immediately after the Copperbelt training there were two women with massive hemorrhage whose lives were saved by the
newly trained providers using the LifeWrap!
Dr. Miller and colleague treating a patient in Zambia
August 2009
Summer Interns and New Staff
This summer we are thrilled to have had a number of interns working on the LifeWrap project in Zambia, Zimbabwe, and here in the San Francisco offices.
Thank you to you all – your work is very much appreciated.
Intern, Yi-Ling Tan with a midwife in the Copperbelt, Zambia
Whilst we are sad to see the Regional Coordinator, Althea Anderson, MPH leave for a Doctorate Program, we are excited to have Kelly Winter, MPH joining our team in her place. Kelly’s MPH is in International Public Health from Boston University and she has experience working in health projects in Madagascar as well as various US public health programs and research.
July 2009
Dr. Miller trains in India
Dr. Miller spent time in India working as a consultant with Patherfinder International.
While there she trained in the use of the LifeWrap as well as assisted with other work on the maternal health ‘Continuum of Care,’
including filming an educational video on the LifeWrap for use in further trainings around the world.
Midwives in India learn to use the LifeWrap
February 2009
Phase 3 Training!
In February, Dr. Miller and LifeWrap’s Project Director Elizabeth Butrick, went to Zambia for an intensive three weeks in which they trained staff from all of the clinics involved in the study in the capital city of Lusaka. Nurses, midwives, and Sisters-in-Charge attended a full training on standard procedure for conducting deliveries, prevention and treatment of hemorrhage, and (for half of the clinics – chosen through random selection), use of the LifeWrap.
Over 300 staff were involved in this training which moves the project in the Lusaka site into the third and most important phase. It is from now on that we will
start to gather data which will show whether application of the LifeWrap at the clinic level improves outcomes for hemorrhaging women compared to application
at the hospital level.
Dr. Miller is the ‘unconscious patient’ for a LifeWrap training session
January 2009
Winter and Spring Interns
Throughout January to May Jessica Morris (Safe Motherhood Program Project Specialist) was based in the Copperbelt site in Zambia,
followed in May through July by Yi-Ling Tan (Columbia MPH graduate). These interns assisted local project Coordinators with the running of the project,
worked closely with staff at all participating clinics and hospitals to ensure everyone knew about the study and was fully trained in all procedures, as well as working with the data being collected.
Yi-Ling enjoyed her time so much that she returned in July to work for another three months in this region!
Jessica enjoying a weekend away from the hospitals at a chimpanzee sanctuary
2009 - Dissemination Of Findings In Nigeria
One of the most important parts of our work is making sure that findings are fully reported back to local stakeholders – this means all of the people involved in the research and collection of data, but also relevant people and groups who could be interested and/or affected by the results. Dr. Miller and Elizabeth Butrick recently travelled to Nigeria to report on the findings from the LifeWrap research conducted there.
This shows a 60% reduction in deaths and 85% reduction in morbidities (severe disabilities).
Not only were local staff in Nigeria pleased to hear the great results from their use of the LifeWrap,
but local government officials were also greatly inspired and moved to continue their work bringing the LifeWrap to more and more women in their country
(through ongoing work with Pathfinder International).
A Nigerian woman who survived hemorrhage because of her doctor's diligence and the LifeWrap