BIPAI, partners start new mother and child health program in Argentina

October 18, 2016

101916bipai640Chevron, the YPF Foundation, Baylor College of Medicine International Pediatric AIDS Initiative (BIPAI) at Texas Children’s Hospital, and the Health Ministry of Neuquén province are pleased to announce a new program to support maternal-child health care, focusing on the public health center in the town of Añelo.

Neuquén’s public health system is nationally recognized for its high quality and efficiency. The public-private partnership proposed in this program seeks to create mutual collaboration, with the support of various institutions in the Neuquén health system, including Castro Rendón Hospital, Añelo Health Center, Sanitary Zone V, Health Under-Secretariat, Health Ministry and the Municipal Government of Añelo.

“At Texas Children’s Hospital, we have a long history of public-private partnerships,” said BIPAI Chief Operating Officer Michael Mizwa. “We are very excited about starting up a new project in Latin America, and about working together with the Neuquén health system to improve health and welfare conditions for children and their families.”

The program is funded by Chevron over a three-year period and will leverage additional contributions from the YPF Foundation and YPF to support housing and logistics for physicians and to further development of the program. The initiative also creates a non-government organization for BIPAI in Argentina, which will employ Argentinian physicians to reinforce the program, create alternatives for training, and facilitate professional exchanges among health care specialists in the province.

“We believe this joint maternal-child health program could be very important to improve the quality of life for families in Añelo,” said Silvina Oberti, YPF Foundation executive director. “Health is one of the main pillars in the sustainable development plan we have been working on with the municipal and provincial government for the city.”

The signing ceremony was attended by Neuquén Health Minister, Ricardo Corradi Diez; Neuquén Minister of Energy and Public Utilities, Alejandro Nicola; Mayor of Añelo, Darío Díaz; Chief Operating Officer, BIPAI, Michael Mizwa; Chevron Argentina General Manager, Chris Stevens; YPF Foundation Director, Silvina Oberti; and other dignitaries.

“This agreement will allow for the improvement and extension of maternal and child health care in a zone where we are expecting a high family migration,” said Corradi Diez.

This initiative will be implemented mainly in Añelo, the closest municipality to the Loma Campana development area, currently the second largest oil field in Argentina and the largest unconventional oil field in the world outside of the United States.

“For Chevron, community support, particularly involving health care, is one of the values behind everything we do. We are delighted to be part of this project and to help benefit the community of Añelo,” said Stevens.