Today, on World Health Day, we have more than 70 reasons to celebrate—one for each grant-supported project that’s part of our ongoing Global Health Initiative (GHI). Health has been a pillar of our grantmaking for nearly 30 years, and beyond the GHI, a broad multitude of SNF grants have sought to expand access to quality health care. This World Health Day is dedicated to maternal and neonatal health, and one of these grants that holds a special place in our hearts is that to Greece’s Institute of Child Health to support its newborn screening program.
The National Newborn Screening Program for serious or potentially fatal diseases is one of the most important services provided by the Institute of Child Health, enabling early treatment, preventing the onset of disease, and safeguarding quality of life. In order to expand the program of free screening of all newborns born in Greece, our grant helped supply specialized medical equipment to cover the diagnosis of 33 diseases, including cystic fibrosis and congenital hypothyroidism. The neonatal heel prick used in the screening thus becomes the seal on the first and perhaps most important screening of their lives and the lives of a new family.
On this World Health Day, which shines a light on maternal and newborn health, we are happy and proud to be able to contribute to the work of such an important institution, helping to ensure that every child in Greece has equal access to high-quality health services.