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Rotary District 9570 Central Queensland

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Rotary Monthly Theme Each month of the calendar year is celebrated in Rotary with a different theme with the exception of May.

Each club throughout the Rotary world is encouraged to concentrate on programs to

promote each of these months.

Rotary focuses on Community Service and promotes International Peace and

Understanding. By celebrating each month and using these themes as a guide, Rotarians

can ensure that all of the various programs of Rotary are administered throughout the

entire year.

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APRIL is

Maternal and Child Health Month

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DG News Hi Everyone, Welcome to the April edition of our newsletter. March has come and gone and with it a large component of our official training is complete with PETS and District Officer training. Congratulations on all the participants who sacrificed their time and weekend to learn about Rotary and their roles and also preparing themselves for the year ahead. The District Conference in Biloela is about to commence and a big thank you to Chris Palmer from Bundaberg Rotary who has been the chair of the organising committee. Chris has done an outstanding job and has really demonstrated service above self in this role. The District Conference also signals amongst other things that the Rotary year is ending. Another year begins, another District Governor. But we (me, Michael, Adele and now Martii) work closely together working on the strategic plan so when the new year commences, its not a new plan it’s the same plan with some small modifications. This gives us consistency, continuity and confidence that we will continue to build clubs, build projects and contribute in a meaningful way to our communities. This year we have implemented the strategic plan and seen some changes in the District. Our communications is improving albeit I acknowledge there is some necessary changes here, our projects in our clubs are inspirational and contribute to our local and global communities ( we do need to promote these) and there is the drought where will continue to contribute and provide practical solutions to those people affected by years of drought. In other words, we are working together and connecting with our communities.

For me this is what Rotary is all about – helping others, making changes, inspiring each other. And the results in our District? More people are joining and staying. We started the year with with 986 members, 46 clubs and two Rotaract clubs. At the time of writing we have 1017 members, 47 clubs (another about to be chartered) and four Rotaract clubs. This has been possible due to your dedication, and work in Rotary. Thank you. This month is Maternal and Child Health month. This focus area, like many others, relates to others such as water and sanitation, economic development. Each year 303,000 women die from complications due to child birth. And the projects to assist in maternal and child care are diverse. Solar lamps are not the first thing that springs to mind in the context of maternal and child care. But one organisation provides solar lamps to assist in the safe delivery of babies in what was darkness. So, I urge you to think outside the box when it comes to projects within the Rotary areas of focus. Thank you for everything you are doing for Rotary Rod and Cathy Regards,

Rod Medew

February is Conflict Prevention and Resolution Month.

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Calendar of Events...

5-7 April District Conference in Biloela – The Power of Rotary

13 April Bundaberg West Rotary 50th Anniversary Dinner

30 April Applications due for District Grants

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CQ Rotary Roundup

Contents 2 Rotary Monthly Theme

3 DG News

4 Calendar of Events

6 Meet a District Officer

7 RAG - Healthy Pregnancies / Healthy Children

9 What is Preconception and Prenatal Care

11 The Rotary Foundation

12 District Conference

14 Retention of Members

15 News From Around the District

16 Rotary Adventure in Citizenship

17 PETS Program

18 Be The Inspiration

19 Thanks Daybreak

20 Boyne Valley Country Music Campout

21 Rockhampton Rotaryannes

22 RAM Update

23 District Governor Partner Project

24 Capture the Moment… in Hamburg 2019

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Meet A District Officer

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PRECONCEPTION CARE The Rotarian Action Group provides information, expertise and encouragement to Rotarians and Clubs / Districts to stimulate them in reducing child and maternal mortality and morbidity and to enhance disease prevention and treatment. The RAG HP/HC is particularly focused on prevention during the period before pregnancy: preconception care. RAG HP/HC would like to benefit from your views, expertise and local networks in implementing actions and seeking resources for campaigns, demonstration projects, feasibility and pilot studies in your area. HOW YOU CAN HELP Join as a member of RAG HP/HC. Be a (free) subscriber to our e-bulletin: RAGTIME. Create awareness in your community: ‘Letter to my dear daughter, dear son’, Yolo game. Contribute financially. Initiate an activity for your club or district: ‘Multi-stakeholder conference’.

HEALTHCARE BEFORE LIFE The period before pregnancy, the preconception phase, is crucial for a healthy pregnancy and for safe motherhood. A healthy pregnancy diminishes the big five of neonatal mortality and morbidity: early birth, small for gestational age, delivery trauma, infections and congenital anomalies. A healthy neonatal period paves the way for good growth and development. With a declining number of babies born per woman all over the world, we should focus on quality of life.

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Preconception care is based on a set of worldwide and scientifically sound recommendations regarding environment, lifestyle, nutrition and health. These recommendations may differ geographically and may be prioritized depending on political, social and economic circumstances and on the state of public health. They should be cohesive and lead to effective interventions with broad public and professional support. Preconception care starts with awareness to take responsibility for the next generation and is not only about nutrition, chronic diseases, medication, folic acid, intoxication and genetics, but even more dependent on safety and protection, hygiene, life-style, socio-economic circumstances and education, items too that influence one another and further health and well-being later on. PRECONCEPTION IN ROTARY The important factors in preconception care coincide with the focus areas of the Rotary Foundation: peace, health care for mother and child, disease prevention, hygiene, education and economic development. Actually, most projects of the Foundation have an impact on preconception care. Rotary is characterized by leadership in a great diversity of vocations all over the world. In Rotary we have the knowledge and skills for the various measures in preconception care and with our fellowship we can easily bring them together. We have the leadership quality and the skills to organize the local set of recommendations needed for preconception care in a community if local or national authorities fail in doing so. Preconception care is the ultimate prevention: relevant, sustainable, not expensive, and in details easy to incorporate in your Rotary projects. It is all according to the 2030 sustainable development goals of the United Nations.

To find out more go to:

https://raghphc.org/

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What is Preconception and Prenatal Care? Prenatal care is perhaps the most important factor which determines the outcome of pregnancy. It has long been endorsed as a means of providing an array of available medical, nutritional, and educational interventions to reduce the risk of low birth weight and other adverse pregnancy conditions and outcomes; prenatal care is also important for identifying mothers at risk for delivering a preterm infant. Today, prenatal care typically is initiated in the first trimester of pregnancy and has an increasing schedule of visits as the pregnancy progresses. The content of this care usually includes screening for a variety of medical conditions, physical exams, and educational or counseling services. Preconception care provides similar aspects but instead targets all women of reproductive age during adolescence and before the first pregnancy, as well as between pregnancies. The Center for Disease Control has defined preconception care as: “Interventions that aim to identify and modify biomedical, behavioral and social risks to a woman’s health or pregnancy outcome through prevention and management by emphasizing those factors that must be acted on before conception or early in pregnancy to have maximal impact.” Preconception care includes assessing and identifying: • Nutritional status: fortification or

supplementation of the diet with micronutrients such as iron, iodine, and folic acid;

• Preexisting medical conditions: treatment of conditions such as obesity, diabetes, epilepsy, hypothyroidism, and hypertension;

• Infectious diseases: vaccination against rubella, varicella, and hepatitis B; screening for HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections;

• Family planning for appropriately timed pregnancies;

• Genetic disorders: genetic risk assessment and

preconception counseling to reduce the risk of birth defects.

Disparities in Preconception and Prenatal Care In wealthy countries, the standard of care has risen to such an extent that maternal mortality has virtually disappeared. However, in many other parts of the world, the care of the mother before and during pregnancy may still be of low standard or may be nonexistent. This is evidenced by the fact that every year, approximately 300,000 women die of pregnancy-related causes, and 99% of these deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries. WHO estimates that only 29-36% of African, 20-61% of Asian and 69-89% of South American births have maternity care. Maternal mortality has decreased

by almost half over the past few three decades, yet in low- and middle-income countries, the ratio of mothers that do not survive childbirth to those who do (maternal mortality ratio) is 14 times higher than in wealthy countries. Furthermore, it is estimated that up to 15% of pregnant women develop complications related to pregnancy. In areas of the world with limited access to and poor quality of medical care, about three-quarters of maternal deaths are considered “direct,” that is, due to pregnancy and its complications.

The major direct causes of maternal mortality are hemorrhage, obstructed labor, sepsis, and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. The methods to prevent these deaths are also well known and, while modern medical care is needed to prevent most of them, this care does not require highly technical interventions. The challenge today is to close these vast disparities in health outcomes for mothers by improving access to prenatal and preconception care. Barriers to Care Many factors interfere with needed preconception and prenatal care in the Global South, including a

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shortage of resources, geographic barriers, lack of education and awareness, and cultural beliefs. Inadequate resources: In most low- and middle-income countries, there is gross shortage of doctors, midwives, and maternity units. The few medical workers available tend to practice in urban areas, leaving rural areas without access to care. Widely dispersed population: In some places, particularly in rural areas, the population may be widely dispersed because villages are far apart, the people are nomadic in nature, or because many women spend a great part of the year in farms assisting their husbands and cannot easily reach maternity centers, especially where roads are bad or impassable. Literacy and financial status: Illiteracy and poverty are important factors which contribute to the poor prenatal and preconception care in many developing countries. There is evidence that literacy plays a more important role in determining the standard of antenatal care in such a community than the degree of wealth. A study in 47 countries in Africa, the Middle East and Asia showed that infant mortality rates associated far more with literacy rates than with gross national products. Cultural and traditional practices: The care of women during pregnancy is determined to a large extent by the influence of cultural and traditional factors. Many communities tend to adhere to the traditional belief that pregnancy and delivery is the province of traditional birth attendants. No prenatal care is performed in many of these

cases. One study about the care of pregnant women in northern Nigeria showed that this influence is so strong in the population that even some educated patients do not go to the maternity centers during their pregnancy, preferring to remain at home and adopt traditional methods. In addition, the cultural pattern in some low- and middle-income countries is such that women

occupy a subordinate position in the community. The acceptance of modern maternity practices may therefore depend on husbands, who may prefer their pregnant wives to assist in the farms or perform household duties rather than attend maternity clinics. Some

traditional and cultural practices not only prevent a large number of women from utilizing maternity services but also can have harmful effects on patients. Interventions In order to eliminate disparities in health outcomes for mothers, increasing access and removing barriers to prenatal and preconception care is essential. Primary care should reach all women of reproductive age and incorporate the elements of preconception and prenatal care. Regardless of whether women are considering starting a family, it is important for them to be aware of the availability of services for preconception health. Currently, there is a lack of understanding about how to reach all target populations with needed preventive interventions, and there is also a lack of funding and policy support. Coordinated action is necessary for the implementation of large-scale programs that address the issue of maternal health in low-income countries.

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Dear fellow Rotarians, Imagine somewhere in the world, perhaps not far from where you are now, a Rotary Peace Fellow sits, listening to a lecture or learning about different paths to community development. And as they do, inspiration arrives. That idea – their solution to making the world a more peaceful, prosperous, and stable place – will move from thought to action one day. And when it does, when that fellow takes the skills and knowledge they learned out into the world, it might just change the world. Each year, The Rotary Foundation awards up to 100 fully-funded fellowships for upcoming social change leaders who want to study peace and development at one of our peace centers. Right now, we have 98 fellows studying in the U.S., Japan, the U.K., Australia, Sweden, and Thailand. So far in 2019, we have had more applicants than ever before. That’s because our strong reputation is spreading. And our growth continues: we have ambitions to set up more centers by 2030 to bring the unique benefits of the fellowship to more young leaders. The peace centers are just one of the many endeavors of The Rotary Foundation. Think about all that Rotary does, from ending disease to helping communities develop their economies, and you think of The Rotary Foundation. So let’s support our Foundation to help keep sparking those ideas and to keep making the world a better place. We set a comprehensive fundraising goal of $380 million for the year, and with your help and generosity, we will get there. If you value supporting peace and increasing our Foundation’s impact, then I invite you to make an outright contribution today. I also invite you be part of Rotary forever by setting up an endowed fund and creating your Rotary legacy. As the value of your investment grows, your gift will reap benefits far into the future, in ways we cannot even imagine. Sincerely, Ron D. Burton Rotary Foundation Trustee Chair, 2018-19

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How can you retain members in your Rotary Club?

Why not compare your club to a business. Ask yourself, “why do people continue to shop or go to a particular store?” Do you have good merchandise, reasonable prices, and friendly sales people? Compare your club to a restaurant. Do you serve what the customers want? Is the atmosphere appropriate? Is the menu variable, or do they serve the same thing all the time? Do you feel comfortable with the other customers? Does the management listen to your concerns? Would you go back there to eat? Those of you in business realize that a satisfied customer is better advertisement than any radio, TV, or printed ad. Should not the same ideas pertain to your Rotary Club? Now think about your club with the same questions. Is your ‘menu’ or agenda, the same at every meeting, or do you add other items to serve a wide audience? Do members leave the meeting satisfied with what they were served in your agenda? Do they leave the meeting knowing something they didn’t know when they came? Do they appear inspired or bored during the meeting? You might ask members why they stay in the club? Why would they leave? Have your members visited another club? What did they enjoy? What did they not like? Don't ask them to name the club, just tell the club about ideas that your club might use. When I was AG in my former district in the USA, I gave an award to each club that sent a car of four members to visit the other nine clubs in our cluster. Their sharing what they learned upon returning proved ‘beneficial to all. Hopefully this sharing may help you retain your members. Just consider them ‘customers’ and remember they are volunteers, not employees. Your members can either continue to ‘shop’ at your club or take their business elsewhere. Business people realize that retention of customers is easier and cheaper than developing new customers. In a similar manner, Rotary Clubs need to place as much emphasis on retaining members as they do on recruiting new members. It is the retention of experienced Rotarians that allow your club to better serve the needs of your community. Ron Nethercutt RC Mabalacat D 3790 Clark Freeport Zone Philippines

RETENTION OF MEMBERS IN A ROTARY CLUB From Breadbasket March 2019 http://www.roti.org/

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News From Around

the District

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The Rockhampton club recently sponsored Adelaide to Canberra for the Rotary Adventure in Citizenship program. Adelaide spoke at the club meeting in connection with her experiences and the program.

Our Exchange Student from Taiwan working in Gladstone

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March is always a busy month.

PETS is traditionally the first weekend of March and was well attended, its always inspiring to see an

enthusiastic and passionate group of Presidents Elect attend the training which is essential as Rotary is

continually changing and evolving especially in the area of policy.

March also seen the second District Officer training held in Rockhampton.

This is where all our District Officers for next year come together and plan the year ahead.

This was a great meeting and there were some new and innovative ideas discussed.

PETS in Gladstone

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Rockhampton Rotaryannes

The annual luncheon hosted by North Rockhampton Rotaryannes was a great success with Cathy attending. DGN Adele Hughes also attended. It was a great day, thanks also to Wayne Litherland for being managing the Bar. Congratulations to the Rotaryannes of Rockhampton North for such a fantastic event.

Cathy and Chris Ashton at the event

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Malaria Update: I am pleased to inform you that Federal Government Health Minister Greg Hunt today announced a funding grant of $500,000 to the Development of a Malaria Vaccine Project at Griffiths University. These very much needed funds will allow the human trials to continue in earnest. The granting of these funds evolved from a short conversation when Minister Hunt was in Mackay, and he immediately expressed an interest and requested a formal application. Minister Hunt was not only impressed with the vaccine research program itself but also recognised the hard work of Rotary in raising the $530,000 to date. However, it is still the goal of Professor Graham Jones and the fundraising committee to raise $1,000,000. To date District 9570 has give $14,000. Many thanks. Service before self, Bruce Howlett, Ambassador for the Vaccine Project and District 9570 RAM chair.

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Published by District 9570 Central Queensland

Please submit all articles for consideration to the

District Editor—1819editor@rotary9570.org