Overview

The Center for Research on Maternal and Newborn Survival, housed within the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, was established in 2005 through a grant from the Robert W. Woodruff Health Sciences Center (WHSC) of Emory University. The Center's primary goal is to contribute to the global effort to reduce the tragic high levels of maternal and newborn mortality in the developing regions of the world through a focused program of research.

The WHSC of Emory University is unique in the State of Georgia in having schools of Nursing, Medicine, Public Health and a Department of Anthropology. In the nation, it is unique that these entities have close relationships with each other, and between the national centers addressing global public health issues, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Carter Center. In addition, there are relationships with a number of volunteer agencies that are striving to improve the health of vulnerable populations, such as CARE. Not only is the WHSC of Emory University uniquely positioned with respect to global health, it has a strong commitment to engage in global health in a multiversity context. Recently adopted as a University-wide strategic theme, "Global health is a theme that can connect all parts of Emory University in its mission of research, teaching and service." Engagement in global health is inherently transformational, educational, moral, and practical.

The Center for Research on Maternal and Newborn Survival is responsive to Emory University's mission and emphasis on internationalization and global health. Moreover, the Center specifically seeks to address two goals of the WHSC Strategic Plan for Research: develop a critical mass of outstanding faculty scientists at all levels through enhanced recruitment, retention, and career development programs; and enhance institutional culture and infrastructure to support, promote, and develop creative programs that build excellence in the areas of interdisciplinary and translational research. Finally, the Center embraces the broader global imperative to achieve Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) that aim to reduce maternal, newborn and child mortality by the year 2010. Addressing maternal, newborn and child health is a priority not only for saving lives but also critical to advancing human welfare, equity and poverty reduction. Collective responsibility and collaboration among governments, assistance agencies, the academies and civil society are necessary to achieve these goals.