For Immediate Release

Raleigh, NC (January 16, 2012) - Curamericas Global, a Raleigh-based international health nonprofit, kicks off the New Year with a great start by accepting two grants from the Ronald McDonald House Charities. These grants will coordinate with and expand existing projects in Guatemala and Liberia. These grants are expected to reach 60,000 Liberian people and 23,000 Guatemalans.

Since 2008, Curamericas has been working with the local community in Nimba County, Liberia to decrease preventable deaths of children under the age of five. According to a survey conducted by the World Health Organization, the leading causes of death among children in Africa include malaria, pneumonia and diarrhea-related illnesses.

With the two-year grant for $169,043 awarded to the project in Liberia, Curamericas will use these funds towards increasing accessibility, availability and affordability of health services that work towards addressing these deaths that are largely preventable with timely, appropriate treatment. A previous grant provided infrastructure to provide access to clean drinking water and clean sanitation facilities to help prevent illness.

The second grant for $285,268, which will span the next three years, will support Curamericas’ work in Guatemala which began in 2002. These funds will go toward extensive training of health staff and the construction of two Casa Materna birthing centers in the Huehuetenango region of Guatemala. At these Casa Maternas, mothers will not only have a sanitary and comfortable location to give birth, but they will also have access to antenatal care visits and postpartum care.

ABOUT CURAMERICAS GLOBAL

Curamericas Global partners with underserved communities to provide measurable and sustainable improvements in their health and well-being. Learn more at www.curamericas.org.

If you’d like more information about this topic, or to schedule an interview, please call Stephanie McMillan toll-free at 1-877-510-4787 or e-mail at stephanie@curamericas.org.

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