Kybele Launches Ukraine Project Site

By Elizabeth Colburn, Kybele Administrative Assistant

Kybele has officially expanded its focus into Ukraine and launched a project site in the country! In April 2019, a Kybele team spent two weeks in Ukraine and accomplished an incredible amount of work while forging strong partnerships with providers throughout the country. During the first week of the trip, the team worked with the Ternopil National Medical University and rotated between two hospitals in Ternopil. Team members were able to collaborate with leaders at the university and identify areas of future concentration — blood availability and emergency obstetric readiness. In the second week of the trip, the team visited regional centers and attended critical meetings with the health minister and governor of the Ternopil region. Throughout the time spent in Ukraine, the team deepened its impact by connecting with the community through press interviews and conference presentations, which were attended by 163 participants.

Kybele is looking forward to beginning the new year with a return trip to Ukraine in January 2020. The team is planning to follow up with the initiatives introduced in the April trip while also developing emergency obstetric protocols with medical leaders in the country. Additionally, the team has plans to teach critical emergency drills to providers. We are excited Kybele has the opportunity to enhance delivery experiences for patients and providers in a new country, and we are looking forward to seeing the incredible future work of our Kybele team!