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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contacts:
Schecter, Kate
Program Officer
AIHA/Washington, DC
Tel. 202.789.1136
kschecter@aiha.com

Russian Garden in La Crosse’s International Gardens Dedicated to Sister City, Dubna, Russia

WASHINGTON, DC, July 20, 2007 — The American International Health Alliance (AIHA) announces that partners and their supporting organizations received the President’s Volunteer Service Award in recognition of their healthcare work in Russia, Georgia, Ukraine, and other former Soviet Union countries. Partnership activity in these regions was supported by AIHA and World Services of La Crosse, Inc. and World Learning with funding from USAID and the Open World Leadership Program.

Brock Bierman, USAID Europe and Eurasia Chief of Staff presented awards honoring individuals and supporting organizations during two ceremonies on July 12 in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Bierman commended volunteers and their affiliated organizations for their “courage, generosity, compassion, and extraordinary efforts.” He thanked the efforts of Sandy McCormick, President and CEO of World Services of La Crosse, Inc. “for her important contributions and for coordinating the day’s special events.” AIHA Program Officer, Kate Schecter, presented special recognition awards to the Russian guests and delivered closing remarks.

In conjunction with the awards ceremonies, the La Crosse Dubna Friendship Association dedicated the Russian Garden and the David Bell Rotunda in La Crosse’s International Friendship Garden in Riverside Park. The Honorable Mayor of Dubna, Valeriy Prokh attended the events. World Services has been involved in planning and implementing community development projects in Dubna since 1992. Volunteers in the La Crosse area have worked closely with their Russian counterparts on various projects that included more than 300 exchange visits.

In Georgia, La Crosse partners helped develop primary care and rural health services in the Guria region. The community-oriented primary healthcare partnership focused on family medicine, clinical, and training capacity development through training in more than 25 percent of the regions. Primary health care providers were certified as family medicine physicians and nurses. The Regional Family Medicine training center was established and successful community health interventions that focused on healthy lifestyle promotion, health education, prevention and control of common chronic diseases were implemented.

According to Bierman, volunteers receiving the awards “have lent their considerable professional talents to realize the bold vision of a healthier future for communities clear across the globe.” He noted that “many of these successes have been achieved through the many USAID-sponsored AIHA partnerships which have improved the health of millions of people in the region by leveraging additional, much-needed resources for development and facilitating peer-to-peer exchange of technical expertise.”

Created in 1992 by a consortium of major healthcare provider associations and professional medical education organizations, AIHA establishes and manages twinning partnerships between health-related institutions in the United States and their counterparts in Africa, Asia, Eurasia, and the Caribbean. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), funded by the American people, provides economic and humanitarian assistance in more than 100 countries to provide a better future for all.

For more information about AIHA, visit our Web site at www.aiha.com.

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