Standards Alliance Awards Inteleos Foundation to Expand Ultrasound Training in Kenya
June 21 2024 - 3:43PM
The Inteleos Foundation, a public non-profit organization driving
positive health outcomes through education in medical imaging,
received a three-year, $180,000 subaward from the Standards
Alliance Phase 2 (SA2) Program; a public private partnership
between United States Agency for International Development (USAID)
and the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), to fund an
innovative ultrasound training program in Kenya.
The SA2 program implemented by ANSI aims to help
increase the capacity of developing countries to implement accepted
international best practices around National Quality Infrastructure
(NQI) and prevent or remove non-tariff barriers, and stimulate
economic growth, while also preserving and expanding markets for
U.S. businesses.
In collaboration with Inteleos, a non-profit
certification organization, the activity will support the Inteleos
Foundation’s efforts to establish standardized ultrasound education
and certification at a national scale to increase access to
essential ultrasound services across Kenya. This initiative aligns
with SA2's focus on improving maternal health outcomes through
expanding access to point-of-care ultrasound, including developing
training curriculum and certification for midwives and nurses.
“We are grateful for the generous support of ANSI
and USAID. The subaward will allow us to make significant strides
in building the ultrasound workforce capacity in Kenya,” said
Pamela Ruiz, chief business development officer at Inteleos. “This
funding enables us, with local partners, to develop a standard
level of proficiency and certification for primary maternal
clinicians for high-quality ultrasound care, ultimately improving
maternal and fetal health outcomes.”
The Standards Alliance funding will be distributed
over three years to fund the following key initiatives:
- Establish a national task force to
recommend policies for ultrasound practice by nurses, midwives and
maternal clinicians
- Develop a standardized ultrasound
curriculum in partnership with educational institutions
- Implement ultrasound training and
certification programs, targeting 90 trainees in the first
year
- Expand ultrasound training to reach
more healthcare providers across multiple regions
- Evaluate the impact of training on
clinicians and patients
- Develop a sustainable financing model
to ensure program continuity
“Developing an activity to work in the health
sector in Kenya was a natural fit under the Standards Alliance’s
goals, and we are pleased to be working with Inteleos, as their
expertise in the field will help improve maternal health in Kenya
and foster development,” said Leslie McDermott, senior director for
the International Development department at ANSI.
“The collaboration between USAID-ANSI’s Standards
Alliance and Inteleos in Kenya is playing a vital role in helping
our partner country achieve its development goals,” said Daniel
Vazquez, USAID's senior standards specialist. “This work under the
Standards Alliance exemplifies our Agency's ability to work in
innovative ways with the U.S. private sector to achieve sustainable
development results. Leveraging its expertise and localizing it
within Kenyan partners is critical to our approach.”
Inteleos will work closely with the Kenyan Ministry
of Health, healthcare facilities, academic institutions like Amref
International University and professional associations to execute
this comprehensive program, as well as the USAID local Mission in
the country. The project aims to address the critical need for
accessible and skilled ultrasound services, particularly in regions
with high maternal mortality rates.
“For the five years Amref International University
has actively trained on Point of Care Obstetric Ultrasound
screening (OPOCUS), there is evidence that this is the gateway to
mitigating risks that are associated with preventable maternal
deaths in developing countries,” said Dr. Micah Matiang’i,
principal investigator, OPOCUS training at the Amref International
University.
The ultrasound training initiative in Kenya aligns
with USAID's regional health priorities and commitment to
strengthening healthcare systems and improving access to quality
care highlighted in their Kenya Country Development Cooperation
Strategy.
Learn more about the Inteleos Foundation and its
global health initiatives.Learn more about the Standards Alliance
Phase 2 program.
About InteleosInteleos™ is a
non-profit organization that fuels the global health community to
ensure access to quality care. Inteleos is the overarching
governance and management organization for the American Registry
for Diagnostic Medical Sonography® (ARDMS®) the Alliance for
Physician Certification & Advancement™ (APCA™) and the
Point-of-Care Ultrasound Certification Academy™ (PCA) which
together represents more than 141,000 certified medical
professionals throughout the world.
About the Inteleos FoundationThe
Inteleos Foundation accelerates the global expansion of the
mission-driven work of Inteleos, ARDMS, APCA and the POCUS
Certification Academy through its philanthropic efforts.
Contact: Stacia Momburg
stacia.momburg@inteleos.org