[Malvern, PA - January 23, 2007] – The Association for the Advancement of Wound Care (AAWC) and Health Volunteers Overseas (HVO) have recently entered into a partnership to develop educational programs in the field of wound management. These programs will draw from the expertise of health care providers including nurses, physical therapists, physicians, podiatrists, dermatologists, and others. Multi-disciplinary team-based volunteer programs will be formulated, and volunteer sites are being explored in Asia and Latin America, with future prospects in Africa.

President of AAWC, John Macdonald, MD, FACS, explains that the partnership with HVO “will provide much needed infrastructure and support for the global arm of AAWC’s World Wound Care Alliance (WWCA), which will enable AAWC to take the program from concept to reality very quickly.” The AAWC has been cultivating plans for a global wound care initiative for nearly two years. Dr. Macdonald states, “HVO is a perfect fit for us. This is the first organized, wound care focused effort in the history of global health volunteerism, and we couldn’t be more enthusiastic about it.”
“We are delighted to be working with the AAWC in the development of training materials and programs that will address this critical health issue,” says Nancy Kelly, HVO Executive Director. “The problem of untreated wounds is one that affects literally millions of people around the world. From the child with a sore that will not go away to the adult with a diabetic foot – the impact of delayed or improper treatment can be devastating and life altering. By working with the AAWC, we will be able to initiate programs that will address this problem.”

Founded in 1995, the Association for the Advancement of Wound Care specializes in facilitating the highest quality treatment for those who suffer with wounds. The AAWC has built a collaborative community of nearly 1700 individuals domestically and globally. The Association encourages memberships from patients and medical professionals, all of whom benefit from the educational materials, clinical practices, public policy and research agendas of the AAWC. For more information about the AAWC, visit the web site.

A private, non-profit membership organization, HVO was founded in 1986 to improve global health through education. Made possible in part by organizations like AAWC, HVO is able to design and implement clinical education programs in child health, primary care, trauma and rehabilitation, essential surgical care, oral health, infectious disease, nursing education, burn management and wound care. In more than 25 resource-poor nations, volunteers train, mentor and provide critical professional support to health care providers who care for the neediest populations in the most difficult of circumstances. For more information about HVO, contact the HVO office at (202) 296-0928 or visit the web site.


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