HOPE’s Global Leaders Gather

Project HOPE’s 2017 Global Health Leadership Conference opened Monday, Feb. 27 at HOPE’s headquarters in Millwood, Va., with Dr. Tom Kenyon, CEO, outlining HOPE’s mission and strategy, followed by President Rabih Torbay’s thoughts regarding the challenges and opportunities for Project HOPE under the new White House Administration.

After the initial kick-off, the week included training and informational sessions covering topics such as emergency response and preparation, innovations in treatment adherence, working with volunteers, as well as success stories shared from China, Kazakhstan, Namibia and India.

Regional teams were challenged to develop an innovative concept utilizing technology to help fulfill their goals. The Americas team won, and received a $20,000 award from Project HOPE to be used toward the implementation of their idea: improving access to the “5 Stars” essential health services using a bi-directional telecommunications platform to link pregnant women to health workers.

Representatives from 20 of Project HOPE’s program offices around the globe were in attendance, in addition to headquarters staff.

“This is the first HOPE leadership conference I’ve attended,” says Erushka Pillay, Country Director of South Africa. “I’ve enjoyed the engagement with colleagues from across the world and I am excited about the strategic direction the organization is taking.”