BURLINGTON, VT, US –The Board of Directors of Grounds for Health announced on June 11, 2014 that Guy Stallworthy, a Senior Program Officer at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, will be taking over as Executive Director in July from August Burns, who is retiring after having successfully led the organization for the past ten years.
“Under August’s leadership, Grounds for Health has contributed to transform the public health sector in many of the world’s coffee-growing regions,” said Frank Dennis, President of the Board. “We are thrilled to welcome Guy to our team, as we think he possesses the skills needed to help our organization continue and expand our global work and influence.”
Mr. Stallworthy is a strategic leader with 30 years’ experience in a wide range of mission-driven health and development activities. During the past 18 years, he has focused on developing innovative service delivery models that motivate the non-state sector to provide high-quality, pro-poor services in developing countries.
In this role, he has lived and worked in more than 25 countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
“I am incredibly excited to be joining this vital organization,” said Mr. Stallworthy.
“For nearly 20 years, Grounds for Health has been partnering with coffeefarming communities to create locally sustainable early detection and treatment programs that reduce cervical cancer in low-resource settings. I very much look forward to helping Grounds for Health achieve its long-term goal of decreasing the staggering human and financial toll of cervical cancer, a preventable disease.”
Mr. Stallworthy holds two master’s degrees from Johns Hopkins University, an MHS in International Health and Population Dynamics, and an MA in International Affairs and Economics. His experience in international public health, including his work with the Gates Foundation in funding and researching cervical cancer prevention, will enable Grounds for Health to remain and grow as a leader in community-based implementation of cervical cancer prevention programs.
Grounds for Health is grateful to Ms. Burns for her ten years of vision, expertise, and commitment. She has guided the organization from a fledging NGO with a service project in one country, to a global leader in cervical cancer prevention in low-resource communities with programs in four countries and collaborative partnerships with 17 coffee cooperatives.
Her vision and commitment to community partnerships as a key to truly sustainable development has served to make Grounds for Health a model of community-based development.
Ms Burns will continue to serve as a technical advisor to the World Health Organization on Cervical Cancer Prevention, and remains a stalwart champion of the women at the end of the road. On her successor Burns’ said “Guy Stallworthy has been a good friend of Grounds for Health for years.
His strong pro-poor values and knowledge base in cervical cancer prevention ensures a smooth transition and continuation of Grounds for Health’s mission. I am delighted to hand over the leadership of this important organization to such a capable and accomplished individual”.
About Grounds For Health
Established in 1996, Grounds for Health (GFH) partners with the coffee industry, coffee cooperatives, and ministries of health to establish sustainable cervical cancer prevention programs in coffee-growing communities.
Cervical cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among women in developing countries, yet it is one of the easiest forms of cancer to prevent through early detection and treatment.
Through its community-based partnership model, which includes training community health promoters to educate and recruit women from their communities, GFH is able to address barriers to access for rural women and improve health services.
To ensure its programs are sustainable, GFH uses simple, safe, and inexpensive technologies that are appropriate for low-resource settings.
The non-profit organization donates medical equipment and trains local medical providers so that they can continue to provide screening and treatment services after the initial campaigns.
As a result, in addition to the more than 45,000 women screened through Grounds for Health programs, many tens of thousands more now have access to these life saving services through local providers in their own communities.
