Infant Young Child Feeding Symposium June 3, 2009 Atlanta, GA

Helene D. Gayle, MD, MPHPresident and Chief Executive OfficerCARE USA

•Founded in 1945 as Cooperative for American Remittances to Europe (CARE)

•The CARE Package®"Every CARE Package is a personal contribution to the world peace our nation seeks. It expresses America's concern and friendship in a language all peoples understand.“

- President John F. Kennedy, 1962

CARE: From the past to the present

From giving people fish…

To teaching them how to

fish…

To dealing with the factory upstream.

CARE’s Approach to Development

2009: Programs Around the World

Staff of 13,000 people – 90 percent localServing more than 55 million in 66

countries

Education

Agriculture

WaterHealth

Microfinance

Emergency response

Improved Family NutritionHigher Income

Lower Population Growth Rates

Source Ritu R. Sharma, Women’s EDGE

Each year of school boostslater wages 10-20%

Lower Population Rates

Greater skills

Higher Income

The importance of investing in women

Children of educated mothers 40% more likely to live past 5

Better Quality of Life for Families and

Communities

Pathway to Empowerment

Mothers Matter Program Strategy

GLOBAL COMMITMENT

EMPOWERED COMMUNITIES

POLICY ACTION

RESPONSIVE HEALTH SYSTEMS

maternal mortality reduction

Reducing maternal mortality in Peru

•CARE working in Peru since 1970

•Ayacucho, Peru – very high maternal mortality rate: 1999: 240/100,000 births

•Women not accessing emergency obstetric services

•Reasons: economic, cultural and traditional barriers; lack of transportation; misinformation; barrier of language and culture; women and hospital staff felt disrespected

•Program provided equipment, training, transportation; improved quality of service and women gained confidence in health system

•Led to national policy changes

Link Between Mothers Matter and Nutrition

Infant and child

Pregnant and lactating women

Pre-pregnancy

Improving Child Nutrition in India

© 2004 Josh Estey/CARE