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President Clinton Highlights Hesperian's Commitment to Improve the Lives of Three Million People
Speaking at the Clinton Global Initiative’s New York summit President Clinton highlighted Hesperian’s commitment to empower communities in overcoming the death and disease that a lack of safe drinking water and sanitation cause.
Hesperian to Mobilize 100 Partners in 65 Countries and Improve Community Health as part of Clinton Global Initiative’s Global Health Action Area
New York and Berkeley – September 26, 2008 – Speaking at the Clinton Global Initiative’s New York summit President Clinton highlighted Hesperian’s commitment to empower communities in overcoming the death and disease that a lack of safe drinking water and sanitation cause. The commitment, led by Hesperian, brings together funding and support partners the Kind World Foundation, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and others, to arm communities with vital water, health and hygiene education.
At its heart, the commitment enables Berkeley, CA based Hesperian – a highly respected non-profit publisher and distributor of easy-to-understand materials that enable whole communities to better recognize, treat, and prevent most common health problems – to increase the number of local editions of its A Community Guide To Environmental Health, expanding the distribution of water and sanitation-related materials while also expanding the circulation of the updated community guide Where There Is No Doctor.
Since the first edition of Where There Is No Doctor, Hesperian publications have been translated into more than 80 languages and are currently used in more than 100 countries. These materials are used to train health workers in violence-torn areas of Colombia, create community-based care for refugees in Thailand, provide support to children affected by HIV/AIDS in Africa, combat toxic poisoning from mining in the Philippines and support a host of other public health needs across the globe, at the community level.
“Hesperian has always worked by bringing together community leaders and other partners, and tapping into their local knowledge,” noted Sarah Shannon, Hesperian’s Executive Director. “That’s allowed us to ensure that the books we produce are relevant, up-to-date and appropriate for individual communities. Now, with this commitment, we’re creating a far-reaching network that can further enhance the development and distribution of life-saving information in a way that is powerful, collaborative, and that reaches the largest number of people possible.”
The CGI commitment, which will run for up to five years, reflects that organization’s determination to dramatically improve global health with existing tools and knowledge. Hesperian is ideally positioned to support this goal, through the production and distribution of culturally appropriate, practical and powerful health information via its open copyright publishing model. To fulfill its commitment Hesperian will greatly expand the reach and impact educational materials, increase the number of local editions, and harness the power of digital publishing technologies.
Hesperian will work with a network of partners to update and test its resources in the field, and through a collaborative online portal. It will make seed grants and technical assistance available to upwards of 20 translation partners in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Materials developed by Hesperian will be distributed by PAHO, Populations Services International (PSI), Global Action, and other commitment partners.
“Producing and maintaining the content is the first vital step,” said Janice Tunder, Co-President of Hesperian’s Board. “We focus on local participation as we review, write, illustrate, translate and distribute the material. Hesperian has great experience in these areas, and we can now add greatly to the reach and impact of our materials. That’s why the commitment network is so important, and also why it fits so well within the Clinton Global Initiative.”
“This is a major global effort,” added Hesperian’s Shannon “It’s a chance to positively impact the health and wellness of over three million people around the globe. With the backing of our partners and the Clinton Global Initiative’s support, we are ready to embark on a vital venture that is truly international in its development, and global in its ambition.”
