CHIMPS continues to explore partnerships with organizations doing work with underserved communities in developing countries. CHIMPS was founded on partnerships with groups in El Salvador, but instability of local NGO partners and increasing violence resulted in terminating that work in 2015. In addition to some members starting to work in Guatemala, others shifted their work to Liberia where they have worked with Liberian pediatricians to develop a social and health support program for teen mothers and their infants that is currently operational at two sites in Liberia. With support from US pediatricians Dr's Elinor Graham, Maggie Wheeler and Patricia McQuilkin, Liberia's Enhanced Well Child Care (EWCC) Staff has put together a manual about how to establish an enhanced well child care program for teen parents and their infants which is found in the Resources section. CHIMPS has also functioned as the US fiscal agent to raise funding to expand this project to additional sites in Liberia. An overview of this project is found in this presentation that the Liberian staff gave to the International Pediatric Association. The CHIMPS-supported programs have continued through the pandemic at two main teaching hospitals for Pediatrics in Liberia and a similar program has been started at a third teaching hospital that hosts Liberian physicians who are training to become specialists in Family Medicine. The economy in Liberia has taken a downward spiral from the global impact of the pandemic and the EWCC staff report marked increases in malnutrition in the infants of teen mothers.
Developing Sustainable Programs to Support Liberian Teen Mothers and Their Infants