AWARD

Kalimati Clinic in Nepal Receives EngenderHealth Partnership Award


October 25, 2002

Women and children receive health care services at Kalimati Clinic in Nepal.

EngenderHealth, an international nonprofit agency that works to improve the health of individuals in resource-poor countries and the United States, has named the AWON Kalimati Clinic of Kathmandu, Nepal as the recipient of the EngenderHealth Partnership Award. The award, which includes a $10,000 grant, was presented to the clinic in recognition of its successful contributions, in partnership with EngenderHealth, in the delivery of health care services to the underserved poor of Kathmandu.

The EngenderHealth Partnership Award was created by the agency in direct response to receiving its own prestigious accolade, the 2002 United Nations Population Award honoring EngenderHealth's half-century of accomplishments in the field of population and development worldwide. A key element of the agency's global success is its commitment to local partner organizations whose staff are trained and supported by EngenderHealth. Through these partnerships with local hospitals, clinics, and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), EngenderHealth is able to build local commitment, ownership, and capacity, therefore contributing to long-term sustainability in the delivery of health services. In recognition of the invaluable role of these local partners, the EngenderHealth Partnership Award was created using $10,000 derived from the UN Population Award's monetary prize. This gives the agency the opportunity to "give back" by using the UN Population Award prize money to fund crucial programmatic work.

The award's nomination procedure involved EngenderHealth's staff in nearly 30 countries. Program staff were asked to nominate partner organizations whose collaboration with EngenderHealth had made a measurable difference in their communities, and who also had a documented need for funds to carry out specific programmatic work. An internal review process led to the selection of the AWON Kalimati Clinic. "We are extremely grateful to EngenderHealth for this generous award," stated Kiran Adhikari, manager of the clinic. "This much needed infusion of funds will allow the clinic to upgrade its technological capacity so that we can provide many more clients with much-needed services."

A Nepali NGO, the Kalimati Clinic provides a broad range of general health care services for poor families, particularly women and children. The range of services includes general medical checkups, family planning, pathological tests, immunization services for children and adults, health education, and testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections. Every year the clinic serves more than 12,000 clients, 85% of whom are mothers and children.

The Kalimati Clinic has been a partner of EngenderHealth since 1996, when the agency began to support the clinic's family planning services. "EngenderHealth has provided invaluable support," cited Adhikari, "and since our collaboration began in 1996, the number of family planning clients has increased dramatically." More information about the Kalimati Clinic is available at www.awonkalimaticlinic.org.np.

Founded in 1943, EngenderHealth is a nonprofit organization that has been working internationally for over 30 years to support and strengthen reproductive health services for women and men worldwide. Since its inception, its work has improved the health and lives of more than 100 million individuals in 90 countries.