CELEBRATING SOUTH SUDAN’S FIRST INDEPENDENCE DAY WITH HISTORIC STUDENT CLASS

July 9, 2012

Press Contact: Lilly Ghahremani and Fred Ascher

lilly@realmedicinefoundation.org

(310) 663-6756

INTERNATIONAL AID ORGANIZATION CELEBRATES SOUTH SUDAN’S FIRST INDEPENDENCE DAY WITH HISTORIC STUDENT CLASS

July 9, 2012 – LOS ANGELES, CA – Today internationally acclaimed humanitarian relief and development organization Real Medicine Foundation joins in celebrating South Sudan’s first anniversary of its independence day. The organization has a close history with the new nation, where its CEO and Founder Dr. Martina Fuchs has just returned from visiting with the students, faculty, and staff of Juba College of Nursing and Midwifery (JCONAM), the first ever accredited healthcare training institute there.

Fuchs visited with JCONAM’s first two classes of students in the 3-year Registered Nursing and Midwifery diploma program. The need for nurses and midwives is severe in South Sudan, which has experienced a destruction of its professional skilled care services as a result of more than two decades of civil strife and war in addition to experiencing one of the top maternal mortality rates in the world. The JCONAM school, co-Founded and Supported by Real Medicine Foundation, offers a crucial backbone for the healthcare system of the fledgling nation.

“For every 100,000 live births in South Sudan, 2,054 women die. The shortcomings in maternal and child care are affecting public health and the community,” Fuchs says. “With the JCONAM model, we have started to strategically close the gap on maternal healthcare in South Sudan with a plan that will continually bring highly qualified medical personnel into service.”

Even more impressive is the fact that the program’s model has been designed to be scalable to other regions throughout the nation. Real Medicine co-founded the College directly with the Ministry of Health of South Sudan and St. Mary’s Hospital Juba Link, Isle of Wight, UK, and in collaboration with numerous supporters including the UNFPA, UNICEF, UNDP, WHO, the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and in partnership with and with financial support from WCF. The organization is accepting private donations on an ongoing basis to support the long-term success of the school.

Dr. Fuchs says, “The JCONAM project is an example of the most crucial type of humanitarian work and Real Medicine’s unique approach – joining forces to save lives, protect families, and create permanent, sustainable solutions. There is so much to celebrate this year.”

ABOUT REAL MEDICINE FOUNDATION

Real Medicine Foundation is a 501©(3) nonprofit that provides healthcare and humanitarian support to people living in disaster and poverty stricken areas in 16 countries across four continents. Real Medicine’s acclaimed model of humanitarian relief focuses on offering both immediate relief and long-term sustainable solutions beyond limited definitions of medicine and inclusive of emotional, economic, social support, and elimination of root causes. Real Medicine forms partnerships with individuals and existing organizations throughout the world, creating efficient models and adaptable solutions currently available to over 8 Million people throughout the world. www.realmedicinefoundation.org

ABOUT DR. MARTINA FUCHS

Dr. Martina C. Fuchs is the Founder and CEO of Real Medicine Foundation. She is a physician, specialized in pediatrics, and holds a PhD in Pediatric Psychiatry along with a fellowship in Pediatric Intensive Care. Her international medical career has brought her through Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms- Universität Bonn, Germany; Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, California; Dr. Félix Bulnes Hospital, Santiago de Chile, Chile, and now to the helm of Real Medicine Foundation, which she founded in May 2005. Her work began with a children’s clinic in an area devastated by the December 2004 Asian tsunami, and continued when she realized that, while aid for immediate needs is often provided, people’s lives remain shattered long after physical trauma is no longer an issue and the disaster has moved off the front pages. In 2011 Dr. Fuchs was recognized as one of Lifetime Network’s Remarkable Women.