HERHealthEQ Advances Women’s Health, Equality with Successful Completion of First Project

On Tuesday, October 24, 2017, HERHealthEQ, a nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering women’s health and equality in developing nations, brought strategic partners, donors and volunteers together at Hotel 48LEX in Manhattan to mark the organization’s official launch and to highlight the success of their first project. Secured by HERHealthEQ, the donation of a colposcope by Lutech Medical and an ultrasound machine by Easote North America to Savanna-la-mar General Public Hospital in Savanna La Mar, Jamaica, are expected to improve women’s health outcomes and save the lives of thousands in Western Jamaica through more regular screening for cervical cancer and enhanced monitoring during childbirth.
 
Working with local clinics, hospitals, and government agencies in developing nations, HERHealthEQ identifies gaps in women’s healthcare and secures donations of new or refurbished medical equipment from the world’s leading device manufacturers. Founder and CEO Marissa Fayer believes the key to HERHealthEQ’s success is in its project-based approach. “What sets us apart from other nonprofits is our goal-oriented and metrics-driven approach to giving,” said Fayer, “We are addressing unmet needs in women’s access to healthcare and equality in a targeted way that leverages strategic corporate partnerships and minimizes waste.”
 
This approach is appreciated by the corporations that donate their equipment to HERHealthEQ. Leanna Vachula, CEO of Lutech Medical, the company that donated the colposcope to Savanna-la-mar Hospital, feels strongly that lack of healthcare should never be driven by a lack of medical equipment. “When looking for a partner for such projects, we look for an organization that is driven by the same principles we adhere to,” said Vachula. “By working with HERHealthEQ, we continuously march toward a future where no woman will ever succumb to cervical cancer, a disease that is absolutely beatable when diagnosed early.”
 
According to Dr. Alfred Dawes, senior medical officer of Savanna-la-mar Hospital, the impact of the donations on women’s health outcomes in Western Jamaica will be vast. The country of 2.6 million people has a rate of cervical cancer much greater than that of developed nations, with 392 new cases diagnosed each year and 185 deaths per year. Dawes believes the addition of the colposcope, a device used as a secondary screening tool for cervical cancer screening following the Pap test, will change this. “At present, the screening rate at our hospital is only about 17 percent for women at risk due to the chronic shortage of supplies,” said Dawes, “We believe this donation will allow us to increase our focus on screening for women at the greatest risk for cervical cancer.”
 
The hospital is also ready to put the ultrasound machine to immediate use for the 2,500 women who deliver babies at Savanna-la-mar Hospital each year. “Our hospital is woefully understaffed and underequipped with monitoring equipment. This donation adds to the stock of equipment that will allow us to provide adequate healthcare for the women of Jamaica,” said Dawes.