One Heart Worldwide (OHW) is a 501(c)(3) registered non-profit organization with more than 20 years of experience implementing maternal and neonatal health programs in some of the most remote areas of the world. Our mission is to end all preventable deaths related to pregnancy and childbirth worldwide. Our vision is to improve access to, and utilization of quality healthcare services to reduce the risk of maternal and neonatal mortality in remote rural areas where mothers and their newborns are most vulnerable. Our theory of change is based on direct partnership with local authorities and communities to create a continuum of care that will increase access to safe delivery options and encourage the adoption of healthy, culturally appropriate behaviors. What we strive for is lofty, incredibly difficult, and yet very simple: we believe all women and newborns should receive the quality healthcare services they deserve during pregnancy and childbirth, anytime and anyplace.
Maternal and perinatal mortality are key indicators for health and development. As such, OHW specializes in improving the access to, and the delivery of essential healthcare services in regions where the need is the greatest. We work in remote areas with the lowest human development indexes, where other organizations rarely operate. Pregnant women in these high-risk regions often have little to no access to appropriate medical care. In these areas, geographical and socio-cultural barriers, limited personal resources, lack of information, and inadequate healthcare services often prevent pregnant women from receiving the essential care they need to have a safe pregnancy and childbirth. OHW addresses these barriers by improving access to healthcare services in the world’s hardest to reach places. We deliver results and drive systemic change, saving lives now and in the future.
Each year in Nepal, there are 630,000 deliveries, many of which take place at home without the support of a skilled birth attendant. Each year in Nepal, 1,500 women die during childbirth and over 13,000 babies die within their first month of life. Many of these deaths happen in the more remote rural areas of the country and One Heart Worldwide is one of the few international organizations partnering with the Nepali government and local NGOs to cover these areas of desperate need.
Since 2010, One Heart Worldwide has successfully shared the Network of Safety with several other organizations around the world. We have provided technical assistance to programs in China, Ecuador, Liberia, Mexico and Peru. Our focus now is to scale our model in Nepal. OHW is currently implementing the Network of Safety across 15 districts, we have transitioned 3 districts to local ownership, and have reached over 147,000 pregnancies in Nepal alone.There are many other underserved districts in Nepal that need help in the area of maternal and neonatal health. We are planning to add three new districts each year in order to take our model to scale and cover all the districts in need.
