August 10, 2016

Global WACh Announces 2016 Small Change Awards  

We believe that small changes have the power to make a big difference. The Global WACh Small Change Awards are given to improve the patient experience in low and middle income countries by improving clinical care, patient satisfaction, workforce empowerment, and health service delivery for programs befitting the health of women, adolescents and children. Our applicants described their vision for a small change at their site, our panel reviewed the ideas, and the highest quality proposals demonstrating tangible change were chosen. We are pleased to announce and congratulate eight outstanding proposals as winners of the Small Change Award for 2016!

Institution	Awardee	Award	Purpose
Aymba Clinic, Gondar, Ethiopia	Getnet Mequanint	$952	Beds and bedside cupboards for Aymba’s maternal waiting room.
Karen Health Centre, Nairobi County	Teresa Nderi	$1000	A freshly-painted waiting area, new exam-room curtains, and a fetal heart monitor.
Kenyatta National Hospital, Kenya Pediatric Studies	Hellen Okinyi	$964	Pulse oximeters, pediatric ambu bags, and nebulizers to better accommodate a high volume of patients.
Kenyatta National Hospital, Kenya Pediatric Studies	Daisy Chebet	$960	Diagnostic sets and pediatric blood pressure cuffs for the pediatric HIV care clinic.
Kenyatta National Hospital, Pediatric Intensive Care Unit	Dr. Rashmi Kumar	$900	Bedside cupboards, a nurse desk, and filing cabinet to decongest the small PICU.
Kenyatta National Hospital, Department of Mental Health	Dr. Josephine Atieno Omondi	$900	A child reflection room for engaging children aged 5-12 and preventing their boredom, anger, or disruption.
Kisumu East District Hospital	Sally Nyaboke Mogire	$1000	A computer, printer, and USP device for rapidly accessing digital HIV test results.
Seattle Somali Health Board	Ahmed Ali	$639	A laptop and scanner for keeping digital health records and accessing web materials.

The Small Change Awards are supported through private donations from people like you. You can make a gift on our website’s Small Change Award page or give through the UW Combined Fund Drive that supports more than 5,000 nonprofits in the UWCFD campaign (Charity 1481904).

Scroll down to learn about two of our awards, and read a full summary of each of our award recipients here.

Spotlight on Kisumu East District Hospital

Among our award recipients is Sally Nyaboke Mogire of Kisumu East District Hospital (KEDH) in Kisumu, Kenya. Sally is a PMTCT nurse at KEDH’s pediatric HIV care unit. This unit faces the difficult challenge of delayed time in receiving HIV DNA results. It takes about 8 weeks to get the final results, due to the difficulty of transporting results from a central laboratory located 60km away. This is especially hazardous for HIV-infected children and adolescents who need urgent antiretroviral therapy for survival and healthy outcomes. KEDH identified a need for accessing a web-based tracking tool for clinics, which can send results within 1-2 weeks. Sally requested a computer and printer to take advantage of the digital HIV result system. Global WACh is excited to partner with KEDH as they begin to provide faster, safer, and more complete care of children affected by HIV.

Spotlight on Aymba Clinic

Another small change award recipient will provide pregnant women travelling long distances with a comfortable place to wait to  deliver their babies. Genet Mequanint of the University of Gondar recognized transportation difficulties as one of the biggest detriments to women accessing the Aymba Clinic in Gondar, Ethiopia to safely deliver their babies. The Aymba clinic serves a rural, agrarian community of approximately 54,000, spread over a large area with very poor transportation. The Small Change at Aymba is beds and bedside tables to be used in the maternal waiting room for comfort and prolonged stay. This environment will improve the chance that a woman receives timely ANC services, delivers at a healthy facility, and utilizes a skilled attendant to ultimately reduce the risks of death and infection associated with childbirth. We’re proud to support this small change in helping to encourage more families to seek and receive comprehensive maternal, newborn, and child healthcare.

Congratulations to all!