Fuente: University of Washington

Pregnancy-related infections are one of the leading causes of maternal mortality worldwide, with the burden falling disproportionately on low- and middle-income countries. Bundled packages of interventions targeted at these different syndromes should be integrated into antenatal care at two time points: initiation of antenatal care and onset of labor. Affordable, point-of-service diagnosis and treatment, coupled with improved descriptive and microbiologic data, are urgently needed to further reduce deaths from pregnancy related infections.

Fuente: The Economist FROM a swimming pool halfway up Latin America’s tallest skyscraper, tourists and businessmen gaze out towards the fast-expanding fringes of Panama City. Off the Pacific coast, ships line up to enter the Panama Canal, ferrying Christmas presents from China to the east coast of the United States. In the background is the hum of construction work, as glass and steel buildings go up along the seafront.

Fuente: Latitude Magazine Latitude Magazine interviewed the Executive Secretary of the SM2015 Initiative, Emma Iriarte, after her talk in the prestigious forum TEDxPanamaCity. In her talk ‘1,000 Days for the Future of a Child’, Emma Iriarte highlighted the Mesoamerican challenges in maternal and neonatal health among the poorest 20 percent of its population and explained how we can contribute to change the life of millions who live in poverty with poor access to basic public health services.

Fuente: Impatient Optimists

A pregnant Kekchi woman arrives, clearly in pain, at a primary health center in Alta Verapaz, Guatemala. Her trusted midwife accompanied her on the three-hour ride from their village. Julio, a male Nurse’s Aide, receives the two women. He interviews the women in their native language, examines the patient, and jots down some notes for future reference. He writes on a single piece of paper: “Patient at term, early labor, blood pressure 110/70 (normal); fever (102 F).” The midwife adds that "her waters broke 15 hours ago."

Fuente: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Until recently philanthropic organizations mainly used two channels to achieve their goals. They could give money to charities aligned to their vision or they could jumpstart the launching of organizations that would carry out their vision.

Fuente: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation We recently visited the communities of Narganá and El Tigre, in Panama’s Kuna-Yala Territory. This particular Kuna People’s settlement is located in an archipelago of small islets on Panama’s Caribbean Sea, not far from the border with Colombia, and surrounded by impenetrable rainforest.

Fuente: Bill & Melinda Gates On a recent trip to Panama to look at innovative health investments, we visited the communities of Carti and Wichub-Huala, in the San Blas Islands archipelago, an autonomous territory of the Kuna Peoples.

New open position available for a Senior Technical Officer to join the SM2015 Initiative in Panama. For more information, see Job Description.

New open position available for an expert in impact evaluation to join the SM2015 Initiative in Panama. For more information, see Job Description.

Fuente: World Bank Having just returned from Dartmouth and meetings with the Center for Health Care Delivery Science, I’ve been thinking about the phrase “Delivery Science.” World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim’s use of the term in recent speeches is related to using evidence-based experimentation to improve poor health, education, water, and basic service outcomes in the developing world.