WASHINGTON - Thursday, February 23rd 2012 [ME NewsWire]
ExxonMobil Fellowships in Global Health Established
- Eight young professionals to be chosen for skills-based, year-long fellowships
- Fellows from diverse backgrounds work on the frontlines of pressing global health issues
- ExxonMobil has funded malaria prevention and treatment programs that have helped nearly 40 million people since 2000
The Global Health Corps provides opportunities for young professionals from diverse backgrounds to work on the frontlines of global health issues in skills-based, year-long fellowships. Fellows are drawn from various occupations, including medicine, supply chain and procurement management, engineering and education. Assigned to a non-governmental organization in a developing country, the fellows apply their expertise to disease management and simultaneously gain first-hand experience with pressing global health issues.
"We know that by mobilizing young leaders to commit their passion and skills to global health equity, we'll not only see better solutions, but also stronger leadership and great benefit to the overall health care infrastructure in these countries,” said Barbara Bush, CEO and co-founder, Global Health Corps. “The interest recent college graduates from around the world have shown in global health has been overwhelming and clearly impactful.”
Since 2009, Global Health Corps has placed 126 fellows to work in non-profit and government partners focused on healthcare delivery. Global Health Corps currently has 68 fellows working in Burundi, Malawi, Rwanda, Uganda and the United States. Fellows work on projects ranging from developing electronic medical record systems in Malawi, to counseling homeless youth in New Jersey, to constructing a world-class hospital in rural Rwanda.
Malaria is a major hindrance to economic development. The disease is estimated to cost Africa about US$12 billion annually in lost gross domestic product (GDP), slowing GDP growth by as much as 1.3 percent per year.
“Programs like this are invaluable in building health care capacity in countries struggling to deal with numerous challenges, including the plight of malaria," said Suzanne McCarron, president, ExxonMobil Foundation. “We are committed to doing our part to fight malaria and empower young professionals to make a difference in global health today and in the years to come.”
Since 2000, ExxonMobil and the ExxonMobil Foundation have contributed more than $100 million to the fight against malaria. This funding has helped with efforts to distribute bed nets, develop anti-malaria medication and provide early treatment and prevention programs, which have helped 40 million people, mostly in Africa.
For application information, visit www.ghcorps.org.
About ExxonMobil Foundation
ExxonMobil Foundation is the primary philanthropic arm of Exxon Mobil Corporation(NYSE:XOM) in the United States. Globally, ExxonMobil and the ExxonMobil Foundation provide funding to improve basic education, promote women as catalystsfor development, and combat malariaand other infectious diseases in developing countries. In 2010, together with its employees and retirees, ExxonMobil, its divisions and affiliates, and ExxonMobil Foundation provided $237 million in contributions worldwide, of which $110 million was dedicated to education. Additional information on ExxonMobil’s community partnerships and contribution programs is available at www.exxonmobil.com.
Contacts
ExxonMobil
Media Relations, 972-444-1107
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