Society of Jesus, Mary and Joseph : St. Mary’s Convent

Training nurses and midwives in Andhra Pradesh to improve village health care and provide employment to young women from rural areas

India's rural population, especially women, face the twin challenges of unemployment and inadequate health care. Johnson & Johnson is partnering with the Society of Jesus Mary and Joseph St. Mary’s Convent to support an Auxiliary Nurses and Midwives (ANM) Training program that is helping to address both issues.

Large numbers of girls, especially from rural villages, do not pursue their studies beyond secondary school due to poor economic conditions. By training well qualified nurses, these programs are helping to improve the quality of primary health care services for people in rural communities in India and prevent unnecessary deaths of infants and mothers, while providing nursing education and employment to disadvantaged young women. Every year around 30 women are selected for a scholarship. To date more than 109 nurses have graduated and been placed into employment in Government Primary Care Programs.