Note: World Lung Foundation united with The Union North America. From January 2016, the combined organization is known as “Vital Strategies.”
(New York, USA) – World Lung Foundation (WLF) today announced that Dr. Nguke Mwakatundu has been appointed Project Director of World Lung Foundation’s (WLF) Maternal Health Program in Tanzania, effective immediately. Dr. Mwakatundu replaces Dr. Staffan Bergstrom, a luminary in maternal health who joined the program in 2008; Dr Bergstrom will continue as a Senior Advisor.
As Project Director, based in Dar es Salaam, Dr. Mwakatundu will lead and support WLF’s team in the strategic planning, design and implementation of the program. In addition, Dr. Mwakatundu will oversee all staff and finances, and manage WLF’s relationships with the Tanzania Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (MoHSW) and partners at the facility, district and regional levels as well as civil society.
Prior to joining World Lung Foundation, Dr. Mwakatundu was Reproductive Health Director at Population Services International (PSI) in Tanzania. Previously, he had served as Zonal Manager at PSI in Tanzania, and Project Manager of a World Diabetes Foundation funded project. Dr. Mwakatundu is a qualified physician who has served as a Medical Officer in hospitals and other health facilities throughout Tanzania. He also holds an MBA in International Business.
Peter Baldini, Chief Executive Officer, World Lung Foundation, commented: “Dr. Mwakatundu’s considerable experience will help the WLF team in Tanzania – and our partners – to implement and expand a program that has already saved thousands of lives. An endeavour of this kind requires much more than medical knowledge; it requires strategic leadership, program and people management, resource mobilization, advocacy and financial acumen; a mix of skills that Dr. Mwakatundu has shown he can deliver.
“We are also pleased that Dr. Bergstrom will continue his distinguished service to maternal health in Tanzania. Under Dr. Bergstrom’s leadership, thousands of families across Tanzania have been saved and systems have been put into place that we hope will last for generations to come.”
“We welcome Dr. Nguke Mwakatundu to the role of Project Director for the WLF Maternal Health project in Tanzania, that is supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies,” said Kelly Henning, Director of Public Health programs at Bloomberg Philanthropies. “He comes to the position with a strong leadership background in maternal health and in public health, and with strong skills in management and advocacy. We also thank Dr. Staffan Bergstrom for doing an outstanding job as Project Director, and for contributing to an effort that will save thousands of lives.”
Dr Helen Agerup, Head of the H&B Agerup Foundation, a donor to the Maternal Health Program, said, “It is with great enthusiasm that we welcome Dr. Nguke Mwakatundu as the new project leader of WLF’s Maternal Health Program. We are confident that his competence and expertise will allow him to successfully carry out the Program’s mission. In addition, we would like to thank Dr. Staffan Bergström for his outstanding work and contribution to the project. He has paved a road to excellence that will continue to save thousands of mothers.”
About WLF’s Maternal Health Program
Recently published data from WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA, and The World Bank estimate that Tanzania, which accounted for 3% of global maternal deaths in 2010, reduced its Maternal Mortality Rate by 47% between 1990 and 2010. Since 2006, WLF has been working to help reduce maternal and neonatal mortality in Tanzania by implementing a state-of-the-art maternal health program. The program, which has received financial support from Bloomberg Philanthropies, Fondation H&B Agerup, Merck and Ericcson, aims to improve women’s access to good-quality emergency obstetric care, particularly in rural and isolated areas.
World Lung Foundation can point to several accomplishments across geographically strategic health centers and hospitals in seven districts in the Kigoma, Morogoro and Pwani regions. Since 2006:
• WLF has actively upgraded, renovated or rebuilt 12 rural health centers and four district hospitals to safeguard the existence of life-saving comprehensive emergency obstetric care. Prior to the program, patients had to travel 3-4 hours to the nearest hospital. Now, emergency obstetric care is available in the community.
• More than 100 assistant medical officers, nurse-midwives, and clinical officers have been trained in comprehensive emergency obstetric care or anesthesia.
• Health center utilization for delivery care has increased substantially, from about 3,500 deliveries per year in 9 health centers prior to the program to about 9,000 in 2011 after the intervention.
• More than 1,000 C-sections have been performed.
• The Ulanga district, one of 7 districts where the program is operating, saw a 32% decline in maternal deaths after the program was implemented.