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Dubna Women’s Wellness Center – a collaborative women’s and children’s health effort between La Crosse, Wisconsin, USA and Dubna, Russia
Goal: To improve the health of women and children in Dubna; to lower the overall abortion rate; to improve the educational and prenatal care offerings for women; to improve the overall health status of women and children
Major achievements: The Women’s Wellness Center opened within Central City Hospital in Dubna in March, 1999 to provide enhanced health services to Russian women and children. The center has focused on education of women in the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases, improved prenatal care, prevention of teen pregnancy, smoking cessation, stress management, family-centered birthing, and abortion prevention. The most significant achievements have included:
- Significant reduction in the overall abortion rate from 3:1 (abortions:live births) in 1992 to <1:1 in 1998.
- First family attended birth at Central City Hospital in 1996 with a 27% increase in family attended education sessions and births by 1998
- Establishment of family planning clinics in Hospital #9 and Central City Hospital to provide abortion prevention education, sexually transmitted disease education, HIV/AIDS education and prevention, TB vaccine education and awareness and counseling for teens
- Establishment of school-based sexual education curriculum taught in Dubna schools for the first time in May, 1995 (and continues today with ongoing evaluation and modification)
- Education program developed for pregnant women in stress management, smoking cessation, and prevention of fetal alcohol syndrome initiated in 1997
Impact: The greatest impacts have been felt in the overall health of women in Dubna. The percentage of women receiving prenatal care during the first trimester is more than 80%, better than the Russian average of 71.2%. The community wide education for women and children has become a model for other cities throughout the Moscow Oblast. The cities of Klin and Taldom have also adopted Dubna programs to enhance the health of their women and children.
Additional highlights: Women’s health strides were made possible through the generosity of La Crosse professionals, Organon Pharmaceuticals and through support from the American International Health Alliance (AIHA). The Women’s Wellness Center has been financially sustained by the Dubna community since its creation in 1998. The Center is recognized as a model site by AIHA and throughout the Moscow Oblast.
Funding: Staff of World Services of La Crosse, Inc. was responsible for the management of approximately $1.5 million in resources including grants from the American International Health Alliance (funding provided by U.S. Agency for International Development) to support this program and the Cardiac Rehabilitation project in Dubna, Russia.