IMBCO Regional RepresentativesEUROPE
Lucie Ryntova MA lucie.ryntova@aperio.cz, Mother of two daughters, Lucie is a birth advocate and Co-Founder and Project Coordinator of Aperio (Healthy Parenting Association), an NGO founded in 2001 in the Czech Republic to promote normal birth and informed choice in maternity care and equal opportunities for mothers and fathers in the family and society. Eliska Kodysova MA eliska.kodysova@aperio.cz, Czech Republic, Europe, mother of three, is a psychologist and childbirth educator, an advisor for choices in maternity services, and an expert in psychological counseling for parents and expectant parents. AFRICA Mandisa Singata MBA,RM,RN mandisa.singata@gmail.com Senior research midwife, Effective Care Research Unit, University of Witwatersrand, University of Fort Hare, Department of Health. Mandisa worked with the Department of health on the "Saving Mothers, Saving Babies" project running the Better Births Initiative in the Eastern Cape Province. She is currently completing her PhD in Nursing at the University of Cape Town, South Africa. ASIA-PACIFICA Rachael Austin, RN RM C&FHN IBCLC Adv. CBE, dnraustin@bigpond.com, author of "Feeding Baby: A Definitive Guide to the Science and Wisdom of Infant Feeding Choices" is a registered nurse, midwife, child and family health nurse, IBCLC and childbirth educator. She has been working in private midwifery practice since 2003 attending women who birth at home. Rachael and her husband have 3 young children and live on a property in rural Queensland. Rachael is committed to providing maternity care that is safe and sustainable whilst preserving the dignity and rights of women, so that future generations do not suffer unnecessarily because of the over medicalisation of childbirth. THE AMERICAS Flavia Previtali flaviaprevitali@gmail.com, doula, childbirth educator, and Executive Director of the Instituto Perinatal del Uruguay (Perinatal Institute of Uruguay). |
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Country Representatives Argentina
Dr Mara Mohedano, Tucuman maramohedano@hotmail.com is an obstetrician and mother of 5 sons. She has obtained a postgraduate Master's in the Creation of Health Care Systems, as well as taking postgraduate courses in Health Care Politics and Human Rights, and the Politics of Health and Gender. Mara gives talks on these themes in various counrties. From 2000 on, her official position has been Director of Perinatology and Maternity Care at Hospital Avellaneda in Tucuman. She has worked hard to make this hospital both mother- and baby-friendly. The hospital received their Baby-friendly designation a few years ago, and they are very interested in continuing to work to meet the IMBCO standards of Mother- an Baby-friendly care. Mara is also taking an intensive course in English! Bangladesh A.M.M.Samsad, samko1983@yahoo.com is the founding CEO of Movement for Peace and Progress, working for the humanitarian causes of maternal and newborn care in Bangladesh. He is the BFHI Committee member of Bangladesh Breastfeeding Foundation and one of the Master trainers of IYCF in Bangladesh. He is the working group member of HIV & Breastfeeding for the Asia Pacific. Also he is involved with IBFAN Asia Pacific. Samsad is actively engaged in One Asia Breastfeeding Group (one-asia-breastfeeding-network@googlegroups.com) activities and is one of the national coordinators of the AIDS International Candlelight Memorial. Brazil Ricardo Jones, MD, San Paulo, rhjones@bol.com.br, is physician in obstetrics, gynecology and homeopathy, an author, and an international spokesperson for the humanization of childbirth. He is a member and medical advisor of Humpar – Associação Portuguesa pela Humanização do Parto (Portuguese Association for Humanization of Childbirth), the medical advisor of ANDO – Associação Nacional de Doulas (National Association of Doulas), professor in the doula courses and perinatal education courses from ANDO (National Association of Doulas) in Brasil and Portugal. Ricardo is also featured as a birth expert in the documentary Orgasmic Birth. Cameroon Dr Asomba A.T asombacohecf@yahoo.com is a clinician and pharmacist, a father of two, and CEO of the Christian Community Heath Care Foundation (COHECF), an organization founded in 2000 in Cameroon to promote maternal health and improve youth RH. He has been practicing for the past ten years as the medical consultant for COHECF and is a trainer on the clinical care for sexual assault survivors. He is a member of the White Ribbon Alliance and thus assists in the advocacy for safe motherhood by encouraging better maternity care and safe delivery. He is a member of the International Hospital federation and the International pharmaceutical federation. He is actively involved in fostering good governance in the public sector in Cameroon through the International Governance Institute, Cameroon Chapter. Canada Susan Martensen, smartensen@sympatico.ca lives in Ottawa and is a DONA International Postpartum Doula Program mentor and trainer, a DONA birth doula trainer, and DONA’s Immediate Past President. She is a founder of LSAR/Doula CARE in Canada, a published author, and a noted North American speaker. Susan was the DONA International representative in Geneva for the first IMBCO technical advisory group (TAG) meeting. Chile Morella Contreras Ruvinskis CLD (CBI), mother of two, doula/breastfeeding consultant, health trainer and director of Mammalia: Women´s Support Center in Pregnancy, Labor, Birth, Breastfeeding and Childrearing in Valparaiso, Chile. Mammalia works for the empowerment of women through education and informed decision-making. Currently Mammalia is in the process of establishing a community doula program to provide access to a doula to as many women as possible in the community. Greece Anastasia Tania Zotou, taniazotou@yahoo.com, is a Psychiatrist, Orgonomist, and birth doula. Tania lives in Thessaloniki, but is active in promoting the MotherBaby model of care in all of Greece. Tania is currently the president of the Hellenic Association of Orgonomy, a member of Eutokia, an association that promotes natural pregnancy, birth and breastfeeding in Athens, and is participating in creating the Greek section of the European Network of Childbirth Associations (ENCA). Hungary Csomóné Lindmayer Katalin, katalin@lindmayer.hu, Hungary, Europe, is a doula and childbirth educator, student of midwifery, and leads Eszter-lánc Anyatejmisszió www.anyatejmisszio.hu - the Mother's milk Mission - which works to find donors and receivers of human milk and supports the breastfeeding and supplemental nursing. Katalin is a founding member of Család-Vár Alapítvány www.csaladvar.hu a non-profit organization that supports women and their families throughout the maternity process based on IMBCI's Principles and Steps, providing information and emotional support and promoting informed choice in maternity care. India Dr. Zinal Bhavsar, drzinal5@gmail.com, Dr. Zinal has been a practicing pediatrician for 9 years, and has recently become an IBCLC. With her extensive experience working as an intensivist in emergency services and in newborn care Dr. Zinal has attended over 5,000 deliveries. She is senior faculty in training paramedical and medical staff in breastfeeding and infant nutrition with the Breastfeeding Promotion Network of India (BPNI) in Mumbai. Dr. Zinal also conducts workshops for a UNICEF project under the supervision of Dr. Prashant Gangal, the co-coordinator of the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) Mother Support Task Force. Indonesia Robin Lim, CPM, iburobin@bumisehatbali.org is a certified professional midwife, founder and Executive Director for Yayasan Ibu Bumi Sehat (healthy Mother Earth Foundation) www.bumisehatbali.org, the author of several books and many educational materials, and lecturer. Bumi Sehat operates birth centers in Bali, Aceh, and Haiti. Robin has contributed to films, and received many awards. She works as well in disaster relief, and played significant roles in the recovery from the Tsunami in Aceh and the earthquakes in Sumatra and Haiti. She is and featured in the documentary Guerilla Midwife www.skwattacamp.com. Israel Carlos Rosenberg MD pregnant@netvision.net.il is an obstetrician/gynecologist practicing at Beilinson Hospital in Petah Tikva. Dr. Rosenberg is also the founder and director of “The Womb,” a holistic center that supports childbearing women and their families, and a teacher in the doula courses. He is also certified in Haptonomic accompaniment for pregnant couples from the CIRDH- FRANCE. Such accompaniment enables future parents to establish an emotional relationship with their babies in the womb. www.harechem.com Mexico Elena Carrillo, elena@erla.net is a Lamaze International Certified Childbirth Educator, a DONA International Certified Doula, and a Certified Lactation Consultant. In addition to serving on the CIMS International Committee and participating in the formation of IMBCO, Elena is the Founder and Director of the Perinatal Centre “Nabor Carrillo, founder of ANIPP (Mexican Childbirth Educators Association), and Program Director of Lamaze/Universidad Anahuac Certification Program. She has also served on the Board of Directors for Lamaze International and DONA International. New Zealand Denise Hynd, West Auckland, midwifedenise@vodafone.co.nz is an Australian general nurse, midwife, lactation consultant and activist with more than 30 years diverse clinical experiences in Australia, the UK, Papua New Guinea and now New Zealand (Aotearoa). Nigeria Nnanna Theresia Nwakaego theresiacharicare@yahoo.com is a community health care provider and a Teacher; she is a co-founder of Charitable Health Care Foundation (CHARICARE), an NGO formed to foster community welfare and health development. She is the SG and safe motherhood activist of CHARICARE; she has been actively involved in counseling the community women on birth spacing and timing; she has been actively involved in promoting the education and implementation of the MINIMUM INITIAL SERVICE PACKAGE FOR REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH IN CRISIS SITUATION (MISP), an educative module delivered by the Women’s Refugee Commission; and Theresia is aspiring to foster the ten steps of the IMBCO within local and national health settings in Nigeria. Peru Roxana Braschi, Lima, roxanabras@yahoo.com studied clinical psychology at The Catholic University in Lima, and obtained her Master’s degree in Education and Psychological Studies from the University of Miami. In addition to being a speaker and writer she is a certified childbirth educator (ICCE), and an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC). Roxana is a community leader and advocate for the humanization of birth, founder and director of “Prenatal” www.prenatal.com.pe and an expert in psychological counseling for parents and expectant parents. Philippines Cecilia Banca-Santos asec_santos@yahoo.com was born in Masapang Victoria, Laguna, the Philippines. She was the youngest among seven, all of whom were delivered at home by a traditional birth attendant (otherwise known as a hilot). She took an early interest in birth, always asking to watch deliveries. She received a Master’s in Public Health from the University of the Philippines in 1991. A midwife for many years, over the past two decades she has served as President of the Integrated Midwives Association of the Philippines, Chair of the Professional Regulation Commission for Continuing Public Education, a member of the Philippines Board of Midwifery, Assistant Secretary to the Dept. of Health, and as Consultant for Health Concerns for the Dept. of the Interior. She currently serves as National President of the Philippine League of Government and Private Midwives and as a Consultant for the Health Futures Foundation. She will advocate for the full implementation of the IMBCI in the Philippines in health facilities with maternity and newborn care services. Portugal Margarida Piló mgpilo@netcabo.pt. Mother of three, Psychologist, Doula and Lactation Councelor. Margarida is a founding member of Maternar www.maternar.pt, a non-profit organization that supports women and their families along the maternity process, based on IMBCI's Principles and Steps, providing information and emotional support and promoting informed choice in maternity care. Romania Slovenia Zalka Drglin, zalka.drglin@guest.arnes.si, is a cultural sociologist with a PhD in Women's Studies and Feminist Theory. She is the leader of alternative antenatal classes and leader of the programs in the Natural Beginnings Association, the only NGO dedicated to improving maternity care on the national level. In addition, Zalka is an author, researcher, coordinator and leader of the projects relating to midwifery, humanization of birth, breastfeeding, and pregnancy and postpartum mental health at the National Institute of Public Health in Ljubljana, Slovenia. The Netherlands Jetty Kuiper, info@JettyKuiper.nl is the past chair of the Dutch Association of Professional Doulas, a childbirth educator, and a doula. Jetty is the developer of www.geboortecursus.nl, and Circle of Life www.JettyKuiper.nl is her company. Jetty is a mother of three and proud grandmother of one lovely boy. |
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