810 – that’s how many women die each day around the world due to complications from pregnancy and childbirth. What makes this number even more tragic – many of the causes are preventable and even treatable. Maternal mortality is not just a problem in developing countries, it remains a challenge to families, health systems and communities in North Carolina.

Raleigh-based Curamericas Global is committed to providing hope to these families through long-term partnerships, life-saving care and education. This month, the global health nonprofit kicks off its annual fundraiser – Mom-A-Thon – a virtual race to save the lives of women and children.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated an already dire situation and, now more than ever, there is an immediate need for families around the world and right here in the Triangle who deserve access to quality healthcare,” said Andrew Herrera, Executive Director of Curamericas Global. “It’s our mission to help connect families to critical care and create a more sustainable healthcare environment both abroad and in our own backyard.”

Mom-A-Thon aims to raise $500,000 in 2022. A play on a traditional marathon, the virtual race asks each participant to contribute at least $28 – about one dollar for every mile of a traditional marathon. Each $28 donation provides care for one mom and her family for a whole year. Every year, students, businesses, families and local churches, like Umstead Park United Church of Christ (UPUCC), create teams, raising awareness and donations for the Community Health Workers and families that Curamericas’ project sites serve around the world.

“We have partnered with Curamericas Global since 2016, participating in volunteer trips in Guatemala where we have witnessed first-hand the life-saving work done by local nurses and Community Health Workers at local birthing centers,” said Reed Altman of UPUCC. “These centers, located in the remote highlands of western Guatemala, offer maternal-child healthcare to families who would not receive it otherwise due to extreme poverty, lack of health insurance, and the rough terrain and poor roads, which make reaching a hospital difficult and dangerous.”

Curamericas’ mission is also executed locally across the Triangle. In 2022, Curamericas joined the Durham Vaccine Equity Advisory Coalition (DVEAC), which provides an opportunity to address inequities experienced by historically marginalized populations in Durham County. The coalition’s goal is to increase vaccination rates in Durham County to 70 percent to improve health and quality of life for individual and community health and wellness.

Anyone can join Mom-A-Thon to provide hope through health to forgotten communities around the world and right here in the Triangle. Visit www.run.curamericas.org to donate or start a team today.

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