Partnerships

The Latifa Hospital was established in 1987 as the first specialised hospital for obstetrics, gynaecology and paediatrics in the country. The hospital is distinguished by the presence of a sophisticated and large intensive care unit for new-borns and premature infants in Dubai and the Northern Emirates.

The hospital was also awarded the "Baby Friendly Hospital" certificate by UNICEF for its efforts in promoting breastfeeding and implementing initiatives that protect the child. It has been accredited by UNICEF as a centre that promotes a “Positive Child Birth Experience”.

In line with our mission to developing projects for pre-term babies and their families in collaboration with hospitals, medical organisations, we have outlined the following areas of collaboration with the Latifa Hospital:

• Establishing a “Kangaroo Unit” as an extension of the NICU, by the use of one of the paediatrics’ wards. This will enable mothers to nurse their new-borns who fulfil the criteria of admission to NICU Level I & Special Care, with support from a healthcare professional
• Creating an NICU mothers’ support group
• Providing nutritional education and psychological counselling
• Providing lactation consultation and support
• Conducting group lectures for the mothers to raise awareness

In alignment with our core values of opening up the discourse and exercising responsible stewardship, technical collaboration with key entities engaged in developing cutting-edge methodologies forms a vital part of our endeavour.

We are proud to collaborate in a technical capacity with the Health Systems Collaborative- Oxford Centre for Global Health Research in the following undertakings:

• A landscaping of major global initiatives / stakeholders with the mission to improve care or the outcomes associated with pre-term birth
• A scoping exercise in focal geographies with existing Leo and Mia Foundation project partners (spanning up to 5 states in India and in Java and Bali in Indonesia)
• Outlining a possible strategy to work with institutions in focal geographies at the local level

Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences (MBRU) is Dubai Healthcare City Authority’s first medical university offering a range of undergraduate and postgraduate degrees. MBRU aims to be an internationally recognised provider of high-quality healthcare education and a center for healthcare research.  

The Leo and Mia Foundation is the Exclusive Sponsor for the MBRU to support and fund the MBRU’s Medical Education Symposium. The MBRU Medical Education symposium aims to engage plenaries to illuminate the exciting teaching opportunities for future health care providers; to further develop teaching skills with practical workshops and certified micro-courses (ACE Program). Foundation is contributing positively to support symposium in achieving goals envisaged.  

Aisyiyah is a Muhammadiyah women's organisation founded in 1917, dedicated to female empowerment through the facilitation of women's access to education, health care and social services. With thousands of branches across cities, districts and villages and experience in international collaborations with organisations including IPAS-USA, Global Fund, DFAT (previously Australia Aid) and John Hopkins University, Aisyiyah has long been doing pioneering work in Indonesia the field of family planning services, maternal and pediatric care, orphanages and educational institutions.

Our programs and activities, carried out with the support of Aisyiyah Muhammadiyah’s extensive organisational structure from the central to the village level, are aimed at different aspects:

• Developing Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta Hospital as a model hospital with complete NICU facilities in an urban area and Aisyiyah Muntilan Hospital to become a model hospital in rural area by strengthening NICU services
• Training for cadres/volunteer to prepare them to provide psycho-social and nutritional services, and to enable them to become the focal point of information in the community
• Educational seminars for couples and families, mothers with history of premature birth(s), pregnant women and women of childbearing age
• Social media campaigns, podcasts and YouTube videos.

Sanjeevani Vikas Evam Jan Kalyan Samiti is a non-profit, rural development organisation formed in 2000 by a group of social workers in Almora District in the state of Uttarakhand.

With a mission to eliminate poverty, unemployment, poor health and illiteracy, Sanjeevani provides voluntary services towards women’s empowerment, education, health, the creation of rural employment and the cultivation of a modern scientific spirit among the masses.

Our activities in collaboration with Sanjeevani are threefold:

• Improvement of the delivery of timely healthcare
• Increasing uptake of health services through empowerment of project staff, community leaders and people of all ages and denominations
• Direct delivery of care packages for mothers and children

SOMA, registered under Indian charity laws, is a not-for-profit organisation, founded in 1992 by a group of health professionals led by paediatrician and public health specialist Dr. V. Raman Kutty.

Over the years, SOMA has planned, designed and implemented many health care and child protection programmes across India. Their clients include governments, multilaterals, bilateral donors, international NGOs, private sector companies and NGOs.

At present, our collaboration with SOMA in the states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu is threefold:

A Hospital and clinical component (NICU focused support)

• Medical and clinical services to the mother and preterm babies or low birth weight babies
• Diagnostic support services to the mothers and children in association with medical institutions

Parental support (counselling, nutrition etc.)

• Nutrition support services to mothers and children
• Psycho-social support to the mother and family members
• Educational and skill development support to mothers/family members to take care of the preterm babies

Policy advocacy and capacity building

• Playing an active role in policy formulation relating to maternal and child healthcare
• Collaborating with government and other agencies to strengthen care giving systems

CARDTS (Citizens Alliance for Rural Development and Training Society) was established in 1992 in the state of Karnataka, India, as a non-profit, non-governmental organisation (NGO). CARDTS influences social change through building capacities of underprivileged communities, and organising and equipping the marginalised sections of our society to take part in the resource-sharing and decision- making processes at all levels.

With well-established links with stakeholders such as government agencies, service providers and local NGOs/CBOs, CARDTS works in the fields of policy advocacy and sensitisation, HIV/AIDS, children’s health, women’s empowerment, technical support services in projects, capacity-building and training and project evaluation, reporting and documentation.

In partnership with CARDTS, we have been enabled to work at the grassroots level in our project area in Karnataka. Our activities include:

• Liaising with district level health officials
• Providing medical support to ensure safe pregnancy and delivery such as medicines, consultations, treatment etc. to pregnant women
• Providing nutritional support to pregnant women
• Providing postpartum support for three months
• Capacity building of government health workers
• Neonatal care training for mothers, parental and spousal training especially for high risk pregnant women