Population Services International Board of Directors Elects New Chairman and Vice Chair

Posted Outubro 22, 2015

WASHINGTON, Oct. 21, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The Board of Directors of Population Services International (PSI), a global network of 65 nationally rooted health organizations, announced the election of J. Brian Atwood, Ph.D., and Gail Harmon, Esq., respectively as board chairperson and vice chairperson, effective immediately.

Dr. Atwood succeeds Frank Loy, who served as chairperson of the board of PSI for 11 years. “We thank Frank Loy for his 24 years of dedication and service, first as a member and subsequently as chairperson of the PSI Board of Directors,” said Karl Hofmann, president and chief executive officer of PSI. “His stewardship has contributed greatly to PSI’s success in growing our response to the challenges faced by those we serve, and in achieving measurable health impact.”

Mr. Loy will continue his association with the organization in his role as chairperson emeritus.

In welcoming Dr. Atwood and Ms. Harmon in their new roles, Mr. Hofmann added, “Brian Atwood and Gail Harmon have the respective knowledge and experience to help guide PSI in its cutting-edge work using market-based approaches to make it easier for people in the developing world to lead healthier lives.”

Founded in 1970, PSI is a leader in developing health programs that generate demand for and provide access to health products, services and care across the developing world. PSI operates programs in 65 countries, where it works in partnership with donors, governments and local organizations to implement cost effective, long-lasting solutions.

ABOUT DR. J. BRIAN ATWOOD
Dr. Atwood is professor emeritus and former dean of the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey School of Public Affairs. He is currently senior fellow at Brown University. Dr. Atwood served six years as the administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) during the Clinton Administration. He previously also served as assistant secretary of state for congressional affairs, and as a foreign service officer in Cote d’Ivoire and Spain. He is the founding president of the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI). From 2010 to 2012, Dr. Atwood chaired the Development Assistance Committee of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in Paris.

ABOUT GAIL HARMON, ESQ.
Ms. Harmon is a partner in the law firm of Harmon, Curran, Spielberg & Eisenberg. She is a nationally recognized authority on exempt organization law and brings strategic expertise on federal tax law, federal election law and other legal issues. In addition to her role on the PSI board, Ms. Harmon is chair of the board of trustees of St. Mary’s College of Maryland, and on the executive committee of the board of the DC Public Library Foundation serving as secretary. She is also a former president of the board of directors of the National Partnership for Women & Families (formerly Women’s Legal Defense Fund) and a founder and former steering committee member of EMILY’S List.

The PSI Board of Directors:

Chairperson
J. Brian Atwood, Ph.D.
Professor & Chair of Global Policy Studies
Humphrey School of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota

Vice-Chairperson
Gail Harmon, Esq.
Partner
Harmon, Curran, Spielberg & Eisenberg

David Bloom, Ph.D.
Professor, Department of Global Health and Population
Harvard School of Public Health

Niteesh K. Choudhry, MD, Ph.D.
Executive Director
Center for Healthcare Delivery Sciences

Kunle Elebute
Partner and Head of Financial Advisory Services
KPMG

Frans Engering, Ph.D.
Former Ambassador
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands

Kathryn A. Forbes, CPA
Vice President Administration and Chief Financial Officer
Electric Applications Inc.

Michael Goettler
Senior Vice President and Global Commercial Officer
Pfizer Inc. – Global Innovative Pharma Business

Punam Keller, Ph.D.
Professor of Management
Tuck School of Business, Dartmouth College

Salma Mazrui-Watt
Chief Executive Officer
Kibeni Ltd.

Bill Sanders
President and Partner
400 Capital Management LLC

Klaus Scharioth
Dean of the Mercator Fellowship on International Affairs
Former Ambassador

Governor Tommy Thompson
Chief Executive Officer
Thompson Family Holdings

Rebecca Van Dyck
Head of Consumer Marketing
Facebook

Beverly Winikoff, MD, MPH
President
Gynuity Health Projects

Chairperson Emeritus
Frank Loy
Former Undersecretary of State for Global Affairs

About PSI
PSI is a leading global health organization working in HIV, reproductive health, child survival, non-communicable diseases and gender-based violence. Partnering with the public sector and harnessing the power of markets, PSI provides life-saving products, services and communications that empower vulnerable populations to lead healthier lives. Learn more about PSI’s board.

SOURCE Population Services International

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In rural Ethiopia, women and girls often face significant barriers in accessing healthcare facilities, which can be located hours away. Moreover, there is a prevailing stigma surrounding the use of contraception, with concerns about potential infertility or the perception of promiscuity. To address these challenges, the Smart Start initiative has emerged, linking financial well-being with family planning through clear and relatable messaging that addresses the immediate needs of young couples—planning for the lives and families they envision. Smart Start takes a community-based approach, utilizing a network of dedicated Navigators who engage with women in their localities. These Navigators provide counseling and refer interested clients to Health Extension Workers or healthcare providers within Marie Stopes International-operated clinics for comprehensive contraceptive counseling and services.

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For example, in Mali, access to formal health services remains challenging, with four in ten people living several miles from the nearest health center, all without reliable transportation or access. In 2009, the Ministry of Health adopted a community health strategy to reach this population. The U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) Impact Malaria project, funded by USAID and led by PSI, supports the Ministry with CHW training and supervision to localize health services.

In 2022, 328 thousand malaria cases were recorded by CHWs); 6.5 thousand severe malaria cases were referred to health centers, according to the national health information system.

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Supervisors directly observed how CHWs performed malaria rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) and administered artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT). They recorded CHW performance using the digitized checklist, interviewed community members, reviewed records, and provided on-the-spot coaching. They also interviewed the CHWs and tried to resolve challenges they expressed, including with resupply of commodities or equipment immediately or soon afterwards.

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In IM-supported areas of Mali, 36% of CHWs in the first round were competent in performing the RDT, which rose to 53% in the second. 24% of CHWs in the first round compared to 38% in the second were competent in the treatment of fever cases and pre-referral counseling. Between both rounds, availability of ACT increased from 80 percent to 90 percent.

Supportive supervision with interviews and observations at sites improved the basic competencies of CHWs between the first and second rounds, and additional rounds will help to understand the longer-term programmatic benefits.

Taking a market-based approach to scale sanitation in Ethiopia

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By the end of 2022, there were 6,600 unique users on the Kassai platform and 31,000 course enrollments. PSI Angola’s partnership with UNITEL, the largest telecommunication provider in Angola, allows for free internet access to learn on the Kassai for all public health providers in Angola. Building on its success for malaria training, Kassai now also provides courses in family planning, COVID-19, and maternal and child health. This reduces training silos and provides cross-cutting benefits beyond a single disease.

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Population Services International Board of Directors Elects New Chairman and Vice Chair

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Digitalizing contraceptive counseling to reach rural women and girls in Ethiopia

Building community health worker capacity to deliver malaria care

Taking a market-based approach to scale sanitation in Ethiopia

Promoting self-managed care like Self-testing and Self-Sampling

Using peer coaches to counter HIV stigma in South Africa

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