HEI/SBH Receives Thousands to Combat Maternal and Child Mortality in Rural Haiti

HEI/SBH has begun a project to increase child survival and decrease maternal mortality in rural Haiti.

The project is funded by a $540,000 grant from the W. K. Kellogg Foundation of Battle Creek, Mich.

“Funding from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation for this important program will allow us to build a new maternity center that will provide care for mothers and babies throughout our catchment area,” said Conor Shapiro, HEI/SBH President and CEO. “The center will allow us to provide an appropriate and dignified space for patients who rely on us for lifesaving care.”

Efforts will focus on finishing construction of an appropriate maternity center for women who rely on SBH for their obstetric care; increasing the average monthly number of women delivering at the hospital from 62 to 90 in the first year following the completion of the new maternity center; implement care and training methods for maternal and child health.

More specifically, by building adequate medical, training and administrative spaces for Haitian maternal and child health professionals, the project aims to develop the space into a central resource for Haitian health professionals and patients. The maternity center will meet Florida’s hurricane building codes and California’s earthquake building codes.

“The new maternity center will provide a crucial new space for the people we attempt to serve. We can’t thank WKKF enough for their support of this project,” Shapiro said.

About the W.K. Kellogg Foundation: WKKF, founded in 1930 as an independent, private foundation by breakfast cereal pioneer, Will Keith Kellogg, is among the largest philanthropic foundations in the United States. Guided by the belief that all children should have an equal opportunity to thrive, WKKF works with communities to create conditions for vulnerable children so they can realize their full potential in school, work and life.

WKKF is based in Battle Creek, Mich., and works throughout the United States and internationally, as well as with sovereign tribes. Special emphasis is paid to priority places where there are high concentrations of poverty and where children face significant barriers to success. WKKF priority places in the U.S. are Michigan, Mississippi, New Mexico and New Orleans; and internationally, are Mexico and Haiti. For more information, visit WKKF.org.