Dr. Miriam Rittmeyer, MD talks about Rotary's global project for Maternal & Child Health
Monday, July 24, 2023
By Marietta P. Olaivar- Lomboy DNP
Maternal and Child Health 

Joint Meeting with the Centerville Rotary Club plus some guests from Warner Robins Rotary Club.

We are honored to have Dr. Miriam Rittmeyer, MD as our Guest Speaker for  July 24th, 2023. Dr. Rittmeyer spoke about Phalarope's Manchichi Program, which provides medical training to indigenous midwives in Guatemala and Panama in an effort to reduce pregnancy-related deaths in rural communities.
“We invest directly in training the local people, while acknowledging the previous work these midwives have done for generations,” Rittmeyer said during the program.
Through the 12-month training, Dr. Rittmeyer said, midwives learn how to operate medical equipment and conduct prenatal care visits and physical exams, which can help them identify and refer high-risk pregnancies to doctors for treatment.
In addition, midwives are taught how to educate mothers themselves on unhealthy behaviors to avoid, such as alcohol consumption and smoking.
Dr. Rittmeyer also mentioned empowering women in Panama with the latest Hydrophonics Farming Project, allowing local women to be financially independent and improve the quality of their lives.
All programs are funded by the Rotary Foundation and Rotary Clubs in Georgia.
For more on the Manchichi Project, go to https://www.matchinggrants.org/global/project2658.html