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President Clinton Highlights Hesperian’s Commitment to Improve the Lives of Three Million People

Hesperian to Mobilize 100 Partners in 65 Countries and Improve Community Health as part of Clinton Global Initiative’s Global Health Action Area.

New York and Berkeley – September 26, 2008 – Speaking at the Clinton Global Initiative’s New York summit President Clinton highlighted Hesperian’s commitment to empower communities in overcoming the death and disease that a lack of safe drinking water and sanitation cause. The commitment, led by Hesperian, brings together funding and support partners the Kind World Foundation, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and others, to arm communities with vital water, health and hygiene education.

At its heart, the commitment enables Berkeley, CA based Hesperian – a highly respected non-profit publisher and distributor of easy-to-understand materials that enable whole communities to better recognize, treat, and prevent most common health problems – to increase the number of local editions of its A Community Guide To Environmental Health, expanding the distribution of water and sanitation-related materials while also expanding the circulation of the updated community guide Where There Is No Doctor.

Since the first edition of Where There Is No Doctor, Hesperian publications have been translated into more than 80 languages and are currently used in more than 100 countries. These materials are used to train health workers in violence-torn areas of Colombia, create community-based care for refugees in Thailand, provide support to children affected by HIV/AIDS in Africa, combat toxic poisoning from mining in the Philippines and support a host of other public health needs across the globe, at the community level.

"Hesperian has always worked by bringing together community leaders and other partners, and tapping into their local knowledge," noted Sarah Shannon, Hesperian’s Executive Director. "That’s allowed us to ensure that the books we produce are relevant, up-to-date and appropriate for individual communities. Now, with this commitment, we’re creating a far-reaching network that can further enhance the development and distribution of life-saving information in a way that is powerful, collaborative, and that reaches the largest number of people possible."

In Mozambique, more than half the population lives in extreme poverty without access to basic sanitation. The northernmost province of Niassa is one of the poorest and most isolated regions of the country. Most of its nearly one million inhabitants live in small villages dispersed throughout the province, which is as large as New England, yet has only 170 kilometers of paved road.

The CGI commitment, which will run for up to five years, reflects that organization’s determination to dramatically improve global health with existing tools and knowledge. Hesperian is ideally positioned to support this goal, through the production and distribution of culturally appropriate, practical and powerful health information via its open copyright publishing model. To fulfill its commitment Hesperian will greatly expand the reach and impact educational materials, increase the number of local editions, and harness the power of digital publishing technologies.

Hesperian will work with a network of partners to update and test its resources in the field, and through a collaborative online portal. It will make seed grants and technical assistance available to upwards of 20 translation partners in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Materials developed by Hesperian will be distributed by PAHO, Populations Services International (PSI), Global Action, and other commitment partners.

"Producing and maintaining the content is the first vital step," said Janice Tunder, Co-President of Hesperian’s Board. "We focus on local participation as we review, write, illustrate, translate and distribute the material. Hesperian has great experience in these areas, and we can now add greatly to the reach and impact of our materials. That’s why the commitment network is so important, and also why it fits so well within the Clinton Global Initiative."

"This is a major global effort," added Hesperian’s Shannon "It’s a chance to positively impact the health and wellness of over three million people around the globe. With the backing of our partners and the Clinton Global Initiative’s support, we are ready to embark on a vital venture that is truly international in its development, and global in its ambition."

About Hesperian
The Hesperian Foundation promotes health and self determination in poor communities worldwide by making health information accessible. Hesperian publications are written simply and include many illustrations so people with little formal education can understand, apply and share medical information. Developed collaboratively with health workers and groups from around the world, our books and newsletters address the underlying social, political, and economic causes of poor health, and suggest ways groups can organize to improve health conditions in their communities. As a result, Hesperian books encourage community health care providers to recognize, treat, and prevent most common health problems, saving lives and improving communities as a result.

For more details on Hesperian, please visit www.hesperian.org or contact Jennifer Ward at jennifer@hesperian.org

About The Clinton Global Initiative
Established in 2005 as a project of the non-partisan William J. Clinton Foundation, the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) convenes global leaders to devise and implement innovative solutions to some of the world’s most pressing challenges. Since 2005, CGI members have made nearly 1,000 Commitments to Action valued at upwards of $30 billion to improve more than 200 million lives in over 150 countries around the world. Through past Annual Meetings, CGI has brought together more than 80 current and former heads of state, hundreds of top CEOs and non-profit leaders, major philanthropists, and 10 of the last 16 Nobel Peace Laureates.

The CGI community also includes: CGI University (CGI U), a forum to engage college students in global citizenship; CGI Asia, the first in a series of regional CGI meetings; and, MyCommitment.org, an online portal where anybody can make their own Commitment to Action.
For more details on CGI and the 2008 Annual Meeting, please visit www.clintonglobalinitiative.org or contact press@clintonglobalinitiative.org.