Inter Pares welcomes the Government of Canada’s new funding to improve women’s health in the Philippines

Inter Pares is proud to announce that the Government of Canada has just selected one of its programs to be an initiative of its Partnerships for Strengthening Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (PSMNCH).

Entitled Innovations to Reduce Maternal Mortality in the Philippines, the five-year program will benefit poor communities in typhoon-ravaged Eastern Samar and three urban slum communities in Metro Manila. With a five-year budget of $2.3 million, Inter Pares will work with its counterpart, Likhaan Centre for Women’s Health, to improve the delivery of basic maternal, newborn and child health services; expand access to the national health insurance program and other programs benefiting marginalized women; and raise awareness of safe motherhood practices.

“We are grateful to the Government of Canada for its decision to support maternal and child health in the Philippines, a country where the rates of maternal and infant mortality are amongst the highest in Asia. This new funding will allow us to build upon existing successful maternal health initiatives. A particularly innovative component of this program involves increasing poor people’s access to PhilHealth, a national health insurance program. When this funding ends in 2020, Canada will have established birthing clinics and women’s health centres that will be both models of care and self-financing,” says Dr. Junice Melgar, Likhaan’s Executive Director and co-founder.

“We are thrilled to be able to deepen and expand our collaboration with Likhaan, who have provided twenty years of expertise in compassionate and competent care in women’s reproductive health. This program will combine the very best in community health education and clinical services in order to improve the lives of women and their families in some of the most marginalized communities in the Philippines,” adds Rita Morbia, Inter Pares Executive Director.

Inter Pares draws on forty years of experience and a worldwide activist network to challenge inequality around the world. Known for a progressive and innovative approach to international cooperation, Inter Pares supports people’s struggles to build societies that are fair for all. Together with over 120 counterparts in Asia, Africa, Latin America, and here in Canada, they identify the root causes of injustice and act towards sustainable social change.

Likhaan is a national women's health organization that develops alternative, community-based primary health programs in impoverished urban and rural communities of the Philippines, with a particular emphasis on women's health. Likhaan’s clinics are models of cost-effective and high quality community healthcare. Likhaan also advocates at the national level for changes in health policy in the Philippines.

For more information :

Samantha McGavin, Communications Co-director
613-563-4801, ext. 141
smcgavin@interpares.ca

Rita Morbia, Executive Director
613-563-4801, ext. 131
rmorbia@interpares.ca

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