 Health. Peace. Love - wishes for my family, friends and humanity; with health being number one. Whenever I speak with my mother-in-law and share with her the different projects I am doing, she always reminds me, "as long as you have good health, everything else is possible" and I agree. Health is the ultimate wealth through which great achievements and discoveries stem from for individuals, societies and nations. While good health is desired by everyone, globally millions are marginalized particularly women, children and youth especially in developing countries limiting their timely access to quality health services and information.
As health scientists and global health professionals adjust to leadership transitions and tackle re-emerging infectious diseases such as Zika virus and other public health priorities, the momentum to end preventable/treatable causes of maternal-newborn-child mortality and morbidity can lose traction as resources are rechanneled and health systems become overwhelmed. Working in the international health arena for over a decade, it is impressive to see the great strides made in improving access to health services, at the same time it's not hard to recognize more work needs to be done to reach the unreached with basic health services and information - the essence of Childbirth Survival International and CSI's Top Five Priorities. The painful cry of that mother who lost her child to diarrhea - a preventable and treatable disease, still rings in my ears; I carry with me the look of more than 200 adolescent girls eager to learn and understand menstruation, menstrual hygiene, and be inspired to aspire; the grandmother performing kangaroo mother care (skin-to-skin) to her premature grandchild as she mourns the death of her daughter who died giving birth; the three pregnant women who squeezed my arm with barely any energy left because they were tired of giving birth and desperately needed family planning; the midwives who said thank you repeatedly for donated childbirth kits to pregnant women; the overwhelming turnout when we did our first free community cervical cancer screening and the demand to return – we will on World Cancer Day; the toll of HIV/AIDS on families because stigma overpowered their will to take timely action. These experiences and more, humanize health and amplify the human need to strengthen and extend basic health services in several underserved communities especially in rural areas. Like a thriving forest, it is necessary to intentionally work with communities as key partners to create thriving societies and nations. In 2017, Childbirth Survival International will undoubtedly continue serving and impacting lives in Tanzania and Uganda by applying proven low-cost low-tech interventions. We also hope to get wheels in motion in Nigeria and South Africa focusing on pregnant women and young college females respectively. In collaboration with local and international partners, CSI programs will hone on successes of previous years to maximize impact from the community to the government level through advocacy, implementation, outreach and communication. CSI is headed in the right direction of increasing access to quality health services and information – Impact and Effectiveness, Reaching the Unreached. To my family, friends and humanity, I would like to wish upon you a wealth of good health. Tausi Suedi CSI Founder and CEO @TausiSuedi
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 Have you ever asked yourself what the leading cause of death is in children under five years old? Did you think pneumonia? malaria? Though pneumonia and malaria are among the leading causes of death in children aged 0-5 years, reports show premature birth and its subsequent complications has ranked as the number one cause of death. In 2015, over one million children aged 0-4years died as a result of prematurity and its related complications. Today, on World Prematurity Day, we acknowledge the significant number of young lives lost each year due to premature birth, and increase more awareness to scale up efforts and commitment from leaders to ensure services for premature babies are prioritized. Many of them can be saved but due to lack of equipment, medicines, access, specialists in some areas, millions die annually. Premature birth is defined as birth prior to the 37th week of pregnancy and with quality prenatal/antenatal care can be managed. Routine prenatal visits and the proper monitoring of the health of mothers and babies provides the opportunity for health care workers to detect maternal health risks, such as gestational diabetes and high blood pressure (pre-eclampsia and eclampsia). These risks can—if undetected—lead to prematurity, the underdevelopment of major organs, and the inability of the infant to thrive outside of the womb. Maternal smoking and substance abuse are also correlated with preterm birth. On November 7th, ten days before World Prematurity Day, the World Health Organization (WHO) updated their recommendation on the number of prenatal care visits suggested for expecting mothers from four visits to eight, in hopes that more frequent prenatal visits of higher quality can help prevent preterm birth and increase early detection of health risks. With this change, and the continued advocacy and support of organizations such as March of Dimes, Doris Mollel Foundation, and Childbirth Survival International (CSI), advocating for higher quality maternal and obstetric care, the coming years are sure to see a decline in the number of premature births worldwide. In 2015, CSI partnered with Doris Mollel Foundation and delivered socks and hats to keep premature babies at Muhimbili Hospital warm in addition to Kangaroo Mother Care. Doris Mollel Foundation delivered the remaining socks and hats in rural Tanzania. In Spring 2016, Mnazi Mmoja Hospital in Zanzibar requested basic needs assistance for 200 premature babies and CSI answered the call - socks, hats, and diapers. CSI Friends in Tanzania and Zanzibar, you are invited to join Childbirth Survival International, Doris Mollel Foundation, and partners to walk for preemies on Saturday, November 19, 2016 at Mnazi Mmoja Grounds. By Kimberly Sarvis, CSI Blog Writer
 Childbirth Survival International Cofounder and Country Team Leader, Tausi Suedi is also the President of Pikesville-Owings Rotary Club, District 7620. In the November 2016 issue, her letter titled Opening Doors not only resonates in Rotary but in so many other spaces where women and girls are often not fairly and equally valued as important and capable contributors in a male-dominated society.
"As the current President of Pikesville-Owings Mills Rotary Club and advocate for women and girls, President Ravi's message is my constant reminder that women have significant contributions they bring to the table in ensuring Rotary and our legacy live on." ~ Tausi Suedi |
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