As part of a commitment to expand its portfolio of health-related programming, the International Youth Foundation (IYF) is pleased to announce its membership in the CORE Group – an association of over 40 international NGOs dedicated to improving the health and well being of children and women in developing countries.  IYF’s acceptance into the Group was decided in April at the CORE Group’s Spring Meeting in Atlanta, Georgia.

 

Says IYF’s President and CEO William S. Reese: “We are proud to become a member of such a prestigious group of NGOs whose mission we share.  We look forward to working together to improve the health of mothers and children in the nearly 70 countries that IYF serves.”  In 2007,  IYF launched “Planning for Life”, a USAID-funded effort aimed at  integrating reproductive health and family planning into the youth development programs of its global partner network.  Currently, IYF promotes HIV/AIDS prevention in three African countries, as part of its “Empowering Africa’s Young People Initiative.”  Now, as a member of the CORE Group, IYF and all of its partners will benefit from new collaborative activities and learning opportunities being carried out by the Group. 

 

“The fact that each year 15 million young women between 15 and 19 years of age are giving birth underscores the enormous health risks facing today’s youth,” says Susan Brock, MPH, Director of Health Programs at IYF.  “Joining the CORE Group gives us a great opportunity to strengthen our efforts in the adolescent health field while contributing to the ongoing global dialogue with these remarkable organizations.”     

 

About the CORE Group:

Established in 1997, CORE Group is a membership association of international nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) whose mission is to improve the health and well-being of children and women in developing countries through collaborative NGO action and learning.  Collectively, CORE Group members work in more than 180 countries.  CORE Group offers one-stop access to this network of skilled and effective implementers of maternal and child health programs.  To learn more, go to www.coregroup.org