Global Health Corp Program Benefits from Expanded Chevron and Texas Children's Hospital Partnership

HOUSTON, Dec. 15, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --Chevron and Texas Children's Hospital today announced a $6 million, five year agreement to expand the Hospital's Global Health Corps program which provides life saving pediatric health care, treatment and training to the most medically underserved populations in Africa.

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"This new partnership with Chevron will allow us to put more critically-needed doctors on the ground in Africa, providing much needed health care to children and whole families and training hundreds of African physicians, nurses and other health professionals," said Dr Mark Kline, physician-in-chief at Texas Children's Hospital, chair of pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine and founder of the Baylor College of Medicine International Pediatric AIDS Initiative (BIPAI).

Chevron's contribution will support the recruitment and training of about 10 additional U.S. physicians on an annual basis to expand the program's focus into Angola and Liberia.  The program also has the goal of expanding into communities in Nigeria, as well as Latin America.

"The agreement with Texas Children's Hospital and BIPAI strengthens our current efforts in helping to better meet the healthcare needs of underprivileged communities in the countries where we operate, now and in the future," said Rhonda Zygocki, executive vice president, policy and planning, Chevron Corporation.

The Global Health Corps program recruits talented and committed pediatricians and family doctors for long-term assignments in Africa to care for thousands of children and families affected by serious or life-threatening medical conditions including sickle cell disease, malaria, tuberculosis, malnutrition, cancer and HIV/AIDS. Global Health Corps physicians also perform clinical research and train local health professionals to build capacity for pediatric health care.

"We value the opportunity to support remarkable doctors who provide critical day to day pediatric and maternal health care while training in-country care givers to help build a legacy of greater health expertise in the areas where they are located," said Ali Moshiri, president, Chevron Africa and Latin America Exploration and Production Company.

Texas Children's Global Health Corps will build upon the collaborative, mentoring relationships that exist with the Ministries of Health, local stakeholders, and local health professionals to help with professional training, capacity building, and community mobilization within the national health workforce.

"At Texas Children's Hospital, we have a strong record of creating public-private partnerships, working with local governments and private partners in tackling some of the most immediate medical needs in the countries of Africa," said Michael Mizwa, BIPAI's chief operating officer and senior vice president. "We are looking forward to expanding our work in these countries."

Today's agreement expands the partnership between Chevron, Texas Children's Hospital and BIPAI which was inaugurated with a $4 million gift to establish a sickle cell disease screening and treatment program created in partnership with  the Republic of Angola and announced in March 2011.

About the partners
Texas Children's Hospital is a not-for-profit organization committed to creating a community of healthy children through excellence in patient care, education and research. Texas Children's has recognized Centers of Excellence in multiple pediatric subspecialties including the Cancer and Heart Centers, and operates the largest primary pediatric care network in the USA. Texas Children's is completing a number of expansion projects and more information on Texas Children's Hospital is available at www.texaschildrens.org.

Chevron is one of the world's leading integrated energy companies, with subsidiaries that conduct business worldwide. The company is involved in virtually every facet of the energy industry. Chevron explores for, produces and transports crude oil and natural gas; refines, markets and distributes transportation fuels and lubricants; manufactures and sells petrochemical products; generates power and produces geothermal energy; provides energy efficiency solutions; and develops the energy resources of the future, including biofuels. More information about Chevron is available at www.chevron.com.

The Baylor College of Medicine International Pediatric AIDS Initiative at Texas Children's Hospital was established in 1996, and is the largest university-based program worldwide dedicated to improving the health and lives of HIV-infected children. BIPAI's Children's Clinical Centers of Excellence Network, which is staffed collaboratively by U.S. and local health professionals, is transforming pediatric HIV/AIDS care and treatment in the developing world. For more information, visit www.bayloraids.org. 

Available Topic Expert(s): For information on the listed expert(s), click appropriate link.
Mark Kline
https://profnet.prnewswire.com/Subscriber/ExpertProfile.aspx?ei=98916

Media contacts:
Christy Brunton, Texas Children's Hospital, +1 832-824-2645; cell: +1 281 684 3184; [email protected] 
Scott Walker, Chevron, +1 713-372-4923; cell: +1 281-221-5765; [email protected]

SOURCE Texas Children's Hospital