ROCKVILLE, Md., June 21, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Inteleos Foundation, a public non–profit organization driving positive health outcomes through education in medical imaging, received a three–year, $180,000 subaward from the Standards Alliance Phase 2 (SA2) Program; a public private partnership between United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), to fund an innovative ultrasound training program in Kenya.

The SA2 program implemented by ANSI aims to help increase the capacity of developing countries to implement accepted international best practices around National Quality Infrastructure (NQI) and prevent or remove non–tariff barriers, and stimulate economic growth, while also preserving and expanding markets for U.S. businesses.

In collaboration with Inteleos, a non–profit certification organization, the activity will support the Inteleos Foundation’s efforts to establish standardized ultrasound education and certification at a national scale to increase access to essential ultrasound services across Kenya. This initiative aligns with SA2's focus on improving maternal health outcomes through expanding access to point–of–care ultrasound, including developing training curriculum and certification for midwives and nurses.

“We are grateful for the generous support of ANSI and USAID. The subaward will allow us to make significant strides in building the ultrasound workforce capacity in Kenya,” said Pamela Ruiz, chief business development officer at Inteleos. “This funding enables us, with local partners, to develop a standard level of proficiency and certification for primary maternal clinicians for high–quality ultrasound care, ultimately improving maternal and fetal health outcomes.”

The Standards Alliance funding will be distributed over three years to fund the following key initiatives:

• Establish a national task force to recommend policies for ultrasound practice by nurses, midwives and maternal clinicians
• Develop a standardized ultrasound curriculum in partnership with educational institutions
• Implement ultrasound training and certification programs, targeting 90 trainees in the first year
• Expand ultrasound training to reach more healthcare providers across multiple regions
• Evaluate the impact of training on clinicians and patients
• Develop a sustainable financing model to ensure program continuity

“Developing an activity to work in the health sector in Kenya was a natural fit under the Standards Alliance’s goals, and we are pleased to be working with Inteleos, as their expertise in the field will help improve maternal health in Kenya and foster development,” said Leslie McDermott, senior director for the International Development department at ANSI.

“The collaboration between USAID–ANSI’s Standards Alliance and Inteleos in Kenya is playing a vital role in helping our partner country achieve its development goals,” said Daniel Vazquez, USAID's senior standards specialist. “This work under the Standards Alliance exemplifies our Agency's ability to work in innovative ways with the U.S. private sector to achieve sustainable development results. Leveraging its expertise and localizing it within Kenyan partners is critical to our approach.”

Inteleos will work closely with the Kenyan Ministry of Health, healthcare facilities, academic institutions like Amref International University and professional associations to execute this comprehensive program, as well as the USAID local Mission in the country. The project aims to address the critical need for accessible and skilled ultrasound services, particularly in regions with high maternal mortality rates.

“For the five years Amref International University has actively trained on Point of Care Obstetric Ultrasound screening (OPOCUS), there is evidence that this is the gateway to mitigating risks that are associated with preventable maternal deaths in developing countries,” said Dr. Micah Matiang’i, principal investigator, OPOCUS training at the Amref International University.

The ultrasound training initiative in Kenya aligns with USAID's regional health priorities and commitment to strengthening healthcare systems and improving access to quality care highlighted in their Kenya Country Development Cooperation Strategy.

Learn more about the Inteleos Foundation and its global health initiatives.
Learn more about the Standards Alliance Phase 2 program.

About Inteleos
Inteleos™ is a non–profit organization that fuels the global health community to ensure access to quality care. Inteleos is the overarching governance and management organization for the American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography® (ARDMS®) the Alliance for Physician Certification & Advancement™ (APCA™) and the Point–of–Care Ultrasound Certification Academy™ (PCA) which together represents more than 141,000 certified medical professionals throughout the world.

About the Inteleos Foundation
The Inteleos Foundation accelerates the global expansion of the mission–driven work of Inteleos, ARDMS, APCA and the POCUS Certification Academy through its philanthropic efforts.

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