International project funding led by Rotary Club of Monterey Pacific
Thanks largely to money contributed by people in the Monterey Peninsula community, $15,000 has been sent to the Rotary Club of Sampaguita Grace Park in the Philippines to fund a medical testing program for newborn infants.
The testing follows a protocol established by a national newborn screening system that has been operating in the Philippines since 2004, and involves a simple procedure to find out if a baby has a congenital metabolic disorder that may lead to a chronic disability, or even death, if left untreated. Five tests will be conducted for each infant.
The initial funding came from the Rotary Club of Monterey Pacific. We raised the money at our annual Cioppino feed last January. More than 200 people from our local community attended the event, many as volunteers. It was combined with grants from our local Rotary district, the Rotary Foundation and from our partner in the Philippines.
| Disorder Screened | Effect if Not Screened |
Effect if Screened and Treated |
| CH (Congenital Hypothyroidism) |
Severe mental retardation |
Normal |
| CAH (Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia) |
Death | Alive and normal |
| GAL (Galactosemia) | Death or cataracts | Alive and normal |
| PKU (Phenylketonuria) | Severe mental retardation |
Normal |
| G6PD Deficiency | Severe anemia, kernicterus |
Normal |
That partner is the Rotary Club of Sampaguita Grace Park, which developed the project and is now carrying it out. They’ve purchased nearly 1,000 screening kits and are working with two maternity hospitals in the Caloocan district of Metro Manila to conduct the tests.
The program is very cost effective, thanks in large part to standards set by the Rotary Foundation. Money raised in our local community and spent on Foundation projects goes directly to materials and supplies for projects, and never pays for staff or other overhead.
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