221115 Circle of Health International in the Middle East: Women's Health Care as an Agent of Change

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Leilani Johnson, MPH , Circle of Health International, Bolton, MA
Rachel Bedenbaugh, MPH , Circle of Health International, Bolton, MA
Sera Bonds, MPH , Circle of Health International, Bolton, MA
Circle of Health International (COHI) is a non-governmental organization dedicated to building the capacity of women's health care professionals in crisis settings throughout the world. COHI's Middle East Project brings together midwives from both sides of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict to expand their commitment to peace and promote professional development. Through joint professional development and relationship building opportunities, these midwives have developed working partnerships that effectively cross cultural and political barriers to work together on initiatives to improve women's health. COHI is providing opportunities for midwives to expand their skills through trainings, professional development, and field visits to experience the daily lives of their counterparts and promoting both separate and shared professional associations for these midwives. One of the major project successes has been a side initiative focused on “Kangaroo Care”, skin-to-skin contact for mothers and newborns. A true testament to coexistence, this collaborative project was initiated by a Palestinian and Israeli midwife who received travel grants to present together at a 2008 international midwifery conference in Sweden. In addition this joint effort, our project has also empowered participating midwives to become agents of change in their respective communities- offering staff trainings at Mithaloon, the only birth center in the West Bank, and providing maternity care to the Sudanese refugees living in Israel. By the end of the session, participants will be familiar with current midwifery practice in Israel and Palestine, and will also be able to describe COHI's successful approach to women's health advocacy and coexistence in the Middle East.

Learning Areas:
Diversity and culture
Provision of health care to the public

Learning Objectives:
Explain the mission of Circle of Health International Discuss current midwifery practices in Israel and Palestine. Describe Circle of Health International (COHI)’s successful approach to advocacy on behalf of women’s health and coexistence in the Middle East.

Keywords: International Reproductive Health, Women's Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I hold a B.A. in both Psychology and Sociology from Pitzer College in Claremont, CA, and Stockholms Universitet in Stockholm, Sweden. I then went on to pursue a Master of Public Health degree from Boston University. There, I concentrated on International Health, with a focus on complex humanitarian emergencies. After graduation, I volunteered for the United States Peace Corps, serving in Mombasa, Kenya from May 2004-July 2006 – where I was a technical adviser for public health matters and helped coordinate a drug abuse and HIV/AIDS prevention and care program. Upon returning to the United States, I further advanced my health related studies in nursing and science related classes, including becoming fully trained in the Minimum Initial Service Package (MISP) for Reproductive Health in Crisis Situations before returning to COHI full-time. I continue to work and travel in the public health field in various capacities including local volunteering opportunities through Boston Area Returned Peace Corps Volunteers, Boston University, Boston and Worcester Medical Emergency Reserve Corps, and Circle of Health International (COHI). In my role as Executive Director at COHI, I am working to continue the successful programs COHI has implemented in the past, as well as bring in new programs to help solidify COHI’s future- establishing a distinct place in crisis settings where COHI can create an environment in which disaster and conflict-affected women have better access to women’s health services.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 5014.0: Poster Session 8: Women’s Health