Project HOPE Opens Disaster Preparedness Training

MILLWOOD, Va., April 19, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Project HOPE announced the opening of the Disaster Preparedness Training Center at the Wuhan University HOPE School of Nursing in China today. Through a partnership between Project HOPE and Wuhan University, the facility was created with the support of ASHA – the American Schools and Hospitals Abroad (ASHA) program of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). 

"Natural disasters can suddenly strike without warning as they often do in China, and a well-functioning health workforce as part of a disaster response system is crucial to an effective response.  Investing in preparedness, rather than simply reacting to disasters when they occur, saves lives and lowers the overall burden caused by natural disasters," said Tom Kenyon , M.D., M.P.H., CEO of Project HOPE.

The ASHA-funded program known as "Equipping Nurses to Respond to Disasters" was implemented by Project HOPE and the Wuhan University HOPE School of Nursing , which worked together to procure equipment and training tools for the Disaster Preparedness Training Center.

"Thanks to the generous support of ASHA (USAID), the Disaster Preparedness Training Center will improve disaster preparedness by training future nurses and doctors, building the capacity of health care workers, and raising community awareness," said Dr. Kenyon.

Since 2007, Project HOPE, in partnership with Wuhan University, has received four ASHA grants, which have supported the development of the HOPE School of Nursing Long-Distance Teaching Center, the School of Nursing Simulation and Research Center, the School of Nursing Comprehensive Simulated Rehabilitation Center, and the School of Nursing Disaster Preparedness Training Center.

Disaster preparedness workshops are taking place following the official opening of the Training Center, focusing on triage in disasters and managing changing priorities and challenges.  The current status of preparedness in China will also be addressed discussed and simulation exercises for Emergency Management Training will be carried out to provide 'real time' training.

The HOPE School of Nursing was established in 2002 in Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province, as a collaboration between Wuhan University and Project HOPE

"Thanks to our successful collaboration in the area of medical education, with a special focus on nursing, the Wuhan University HOPE School of Nursing has become one of the leading nursing schools in China and has a vision to achieve even more. And now, again, Wuhan University is building on its long-term commitment to the education of tens of thousands of nurses who are making a huge difference in the lives of so many patients," said Dr. Kenyon.

The HOPE School of Nursing has promoted American approaches and practices in nursing education in China through nursing education, curriculum reform, faculty development, and international exchange and collaboration.

About Project HOPE Founded in 1958, Project HOPE (Health Opportunities for People Everywhere) is dedicated to providing lasting solution to health problems with the mission of helping people to help themselves. Identifiable to many by the SS HOPE, the world's first peacetime hospital ship, Project HOPE now provides medical training and health education, and conducts humanitarian assistance programs in more than 30 countries. Visit our website projecthope.org and follow us on Twitter @projecthopeorg.

A photo accompanying this release is available at: http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=42324

USA: Geraldine Carroll Tel. +1-540-257-3746