Faculty
Mary Anne Mercer
Senior Lecturer
DrPH
Johns Hopkins University, 1987
Maternal and Child Health
Maternal and Child Health
MPH
Johns Hopkins University, 1981
International Health
International Health
Senior Lecturer, Global Health (primary appt.)
Department of Health Services Program Affiliations:
- Maternal and Child Health Track, (MPH program)
- Community-Oriented Public Health Practice
Mary Anne Mercer also works with the Department of Global Health MPH program. She specializes in maternal and child health in developing countries. Dr. Mercer was on the faculty of the International Health Department at Johns Hopkins University from 1981- 1994 where she directed a technical support program for HIV/AIDS prevention in Africa, and later was Deputy Director of the PVO Child Survival NGO Support Program. Dr. Mercer is also Deputy Director of Health Alliance International, an international health non-profit organization based in Seattle. She teaches Maternal and Child Health in Developing Countries at UW.
Contact Information
Health Alliance International1107 NE 45th Street, Suite 410
Box: 354809
Seattle, WA 98105
(voice) 206-543-8382 (fax) 206-685-4184
mamercer@u.washington.edu
(office) H664, Health Sciences Building
University of Washington
1959 NE Pacific Street
Box: 357660
Seattle, WA 98195
mamercer@u.washington.edu
Teaching Interests
Maternal and child health in developing countries; the international response to HIV/AIDS; community participation- HSERV 544
Maternal and Child Health in Developing Countries
Research Interests
International health, maternal and child health
Projects
East Timor Village Health Promotion Project
This project aims to improve basic health understanding and skills, including decision-making regarding the use of health services, in the Venilale subdistrict of Baucau District in the new nation of East Timor. Collaborators are the Salesian Sisters of Venilale, who operate a health clinic, and the local health center of the East Timor Ministry of Health. Villlage Health Promoters (VHPs) from rural areas surrounding Venilale have been trained in home care and indications for referral for diarrheal disease and tuberculosis, and in basic issues surrounding safe pregnancy/delivery and immunizations. The VHPs are supervised monthly and receive regular refresher training. If the project is found to provide significant benefits it may be expanded to other areas of East Timor.
Central Mozambique Child Survival and Maternal Care Project
The goal of this project is to bring about reductions in infant, perinatal and maternal mortality and morbidity in the two central provinces of Mozambique. The project interventions are maternal and newborn care, STD/HIV/AIDS prevention, and malaria control. The program design includes two main strategies: mobilizing communities to adopt better health practices and to use improved services, and strengthening the quality of the health-care delivery system so that services will meet newly-raised community expectations.
Maternal Health Care in Dili, East Timor
This project aims to provide basic maternity services (prenatal, delivery, and postnatal care) to women in Dili, East Timor, and to contribute to the ability of the East Timorese people to provide for their own health care needs. The project supported training and supervision of Timorese midwives and the upgrading of training and maternal care facilities at Bairo Pite Clinic in Dili, East Timor. Trained midwives expanded the prenatal care services to include outreach areas in Dili neighborhoods that were otherwise without access to care.
External Funding (sampling of current and past involvement)
Population Leadership for the 21st Century
Bill and Melinda Gates FoundationPI: Plotnick Dates: 09/2004 - 08/2007
This grant supports fellowships for a year of policy, management and research training for professionals from developing countries working in population, family planning and reproductive health policy and management.
Global Health Fellows Program
Public Health InstitutePI: Katz Dates: 07/2006 - 08/2007
The goal of this project is to develop a pipeline for future leaders in global health, to the professional development and support to emerging, mid-career and senior global health fellows, and related training opportunities to promote leadership development among global health professionals.
Mozambique Global Malaria Project
Association of Schools of Public HealthPI: Gloyd Dates: 10/2001 - 09/2005
The project is designed to improve the ability of the Mozambique Ministry of Health to better implement, evaluate, and manage malaria programs.
A University-Practitioner Partnership: Building Rigor into Reproductive Health Applied Research
Health Alliance InternationalPI: Gloyd Dates: 05/2001 - 04/2005
The goals of the PATH-collaborative partnership are aimed at improving the likelihood that the results of reproductive health research in developing countries will ultimately influence health policy and practice.
Selected Publications
Newman R and Mercer MA. Environmental Health Consequences of Landmines. Int J Occup Environ Health. 2000 Jul-Sep;6(3):243-8.
Gloyd S, Chai S, and Mercer MA. Antenatal Syphilis in Sub-Saharan Africa: Missed Opportunities for Mortality Reduction. Health Policy and Planning 2001; 16(1): 29-31.
Povey G, Mercer MA. East Timor in Transition: Health and Health Care. International Journal of Health Services 32(3):607-623, 2002.
Selected Dissertation, Thesis and Capstone Committees (recent graduates)
2009
Advisor, capstone for Erin Barry
Health census of the village of Bwiza, Rwanda
2009
Advisor, capstone for Carmen Washington
A process evaluation of the community of potters health and development project
2008
Advisor, capstone for Alison Moore
An Implementation Evaluation of Birth Friendly Facilities in Timor-Leste Collaboration with Health Alliance International, Dili, Timor-Leste
2008
Advisor, capstone for Colleen Osterhaus
A Documentary Video of Birth Friendly Facilities in Timor-Leste
Collaboration with Health Alliance International, Dili, Timor-Leste
2007
Chair, thesis committee for Bliss Castellano
Giving youth a voice: Identifying life concerns through photography
2007
Member, thesis committee for Anne Fiedler
A retrospective look at the sexual and HIV-preventive behaviours of Ugandan adolescents
2006
Advisor, capstone for Andrew Bryant
Community drama and street theater for maternal and newborn health promotion in Timor-Leste, East Timor
2006
Chair, thesis committee for Donna Denno
Risk factors for sporadic bacterial and parasitic enteric infections in children.
2006
Advisor, capstone for Zeynep Shorter
Working in two reproductive health programs, Istanbul, Turkey
2006
Member, thesis committee for Yingying Zhou
Impact evaluation for China Youth Reproductive Health Project-- The effects of the life-planning skills training program.
2005
Member, thesis committee for Bernice Dahn
A Situation Analysis of Care for Obstetric Emergencies in Three Counties in Liberia
2005
Member, thesis committee for Olimpio Mola
A cohort study of changing sexual behavior in two cities of central part of Mozambique
Links
Health Alliance International
