One Heart Worldwide Announces Appointment of Dr. Sibylle Kristensen and Mr. Surya Bhatta as Co-Chief Executive Officers

KATHMANDU, Nepal [August 22, 2025] – The Board of Directors of One Heart Worldwide (OHW) is proud to announce the unanimous appointment of Dr. Sibylle Kristensen and Mr. Surya Bhatta as Co-Chief Executive Officers, effective immediately. 

Dr. Kristensen and Mr. Bhatta have been with OHW since the organization first began work in Nepal in 2010, each bringing over 15 years of experience, leadership, and deep commitment to maternal and newborn health. Their appointment marks a new chapter for OHW as it embraces a Co-CEO leadership model, first introduced when they stepped into their interim roles in 2024. 

The Co-CEO model is a deliberate commitment to shared leadership that pairs a Nepali public health leader with a female global health expert. This approach ensures that decision-making is inclusive, grounded in lived experience, and responsive to the realities of the communities OHW serves. 

Dr. Sibylle Kristensen, formerly the Chief Operating Officer of OHW, has been a driving force in advancing maternal and newborn health globally and in Nepal. With extensive technical expertise, decades of experience in global health, and a lifelong commitment to maternal health, she has shaped OHW’s strategy and global partnerships. Dr. Kristensen earned her Doctorate of Public Health (DrPH) in Maternal and Child Health (Perinatal Epidemiology) in 2006, a Master of Public Health (MPH) in Epidemiology (Infectious Diseases Epidemiology) in 1998, and a Master of Science in Public Health (MSPH) in International Health in 1994, all from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She also holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology, Anthropology, and Social Sciences from Troy State University (1992).

Mr. Surya Bhatta, formerly OHW’s Executive Director, brings a wealth of local knowledge and leadership rooted in his own experience growing up in rural Nepal, where he first witnessed the challenges of inadequate maternal health care. His leadership has been instrumental in building trusted partnerships with every level of the Government of Nepal, institutional funders, and key MNH players both locally and globally, as well as with local health systems. He holds a Master's in Health Care Delivery Science from Dartmouth College (2018) and completed the Global Health Delivery Intensive at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (2021). 

Together, Dr. Kristensen and Mr. Bhatta have guided OHW through an era of growth and impact. Under their leadership, OHW has expanded its reach into new provinces, upgraded over 800 health facilities, trained more than 20,000 healthcare workers, and partnered with 100% of local governments where programs are implemented. Their shared leadership has helped reduce maternal and neonatal deaths in some of Nepal’s most underserved regions. 

“This leadership model represents a significant milestone for One Heart Worldwide,” said Dr. Kirsten Meisinger, Chair of the Board of Directors. “Dr. Kristensen and Mr. Bhatta bring complementary expertise and a shared vision for equitable, sustainable healthcare. We are confident they will continue to strengthen OHW’s mission and impact across Nepal.”

One Heart Worldwide looks forward to this new chapter under the guidance of Dr. Kristensen and Mr. Bhatta as Co-CEOs, reaffirming the organization’s mission: to ensure that every mother and newborn receives quality care before, during, and after childbirth. 

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About One Heart Worldwide

One Heart Worldwide (OHW) is a global health organization dedicated to improving maternal and newborn health in remote and underserved regions. Through its "Network of Safety" model, OHW strengthens local health systems, improves access to skilled care, and partners with governments and communities to ensure sustainable impact. Since beginning work in Nepal in 2010, OHW has renovated more than 800 birthing centers, trained over 20,000 healthcare providers, and supported safe deliveries for more than 400,000 mothers.

Media Contact
Katie Dyas
Communications Manager
One Heart Worldwide
katie@oneheartworldwide.org

Launch of the new simulation-based modular training for Skilled Health Personnel And Skilled Birth Attendants (SHP/SBA)

[Paropakar Maternity and Women’s Hospital, Kathmandu, Nepal, April 21, 2025] - Another historic moment for maternal and newborn health in Nepal began today with the launch of the new simulation-based modular training for Skilled Health Personnel (SHP) and Skilled Birth Attendants (SBA). Held at Paropakar Maternity and Women’s Hospital (Prasuti Griha), this pilot training program is led by the National Health Training Centre (NHTC) and financially supported by One Heart Worldwide (OHW) through a grant from the International Foundation to enhance the quality of care for mothers and newborns throughout Nepal. This pilot batch includes 12 participants across Madhesh, Karnali, and Lumbini provinces. 

In response to a slower-than-expected decline in maternal and newborn mortality despite steady increases in institutional births, Nepal launched the Safe Motherhood and Newborn Health Roadmap 2030 and the SHP/SBA Strategy 2020–2025 in 2019 to raise the quality of maternal and newborn care offered in Nepal. This new training program is a direct result of these two initiatives. It is the culmination of years of dedicated effort, technical input, and alignment with government priorities, with significant contributions from partners such as UNICEF, WHO, Nick Simons Institute (NSI), Green Tara Nepal, and OHW.  

The training program comprises several modules ranging from foundational topics in maternal and newborn health to emergency obstetric first aid, physiological birth, and the identification and management of complications. Each module varies in length (between 4 and 20 days) and is targeted to specific cadres, such as auxiliary nurse midwives, staff nurses, doctors, and paramedics, depending on their roles and service levels.

"This modular training is expected to address critical gaps in the quality of service delivery, particularly as access and coverage continue to expand. We are very grateful to all our partners for their support."

- Dr. Bibek Lal, Director of Family Welfare Division

Today’s milestone event signals a nationwide shift in how maternal and newborn health providers are trained in Nepal.

"This is a major milestone for the SHP/SBA training program. The simulation-based learning modality and modular approach are two key strengths that will help improve the quality of care. After all, there is no health care without quality care."

- Dr. Tanka Prasad Barakoti, Director General of Ministry of Health and Population

The modular training package strengthens the capacity of MNH service providers through simulation-based learning, helping them apply clinical skills in diverse healthcare settings. One Heart Worldwide is honored to support the launch of this inaugural cohort, which lays the foundation for nationwide scale-up. 

"This pilot training ensures that quality care extends to those who need it most. It brings simulation-based learning and respectful maternal care to the forefront, while ensuring that participants from provinces like Karnali and Madhesh are not left behind."

- Surya Bhatta, Co-Chief Executive Officer of OHW

The broader training development lasted over 2.5 years and was driven by close collaboration with NHTC, Family Welfare Division (FWD), and many stakeholders across sectors, including OHW.

"This training package is a transformative strategy to revolutionize the quality of care in Nepal. UNICEF is committed to supporting its rollout nationwide."

- Dr. Buddhi Setiawan, Chief Health, Nepal Country Office, UNICEF

The opening ceremony was chaired by Ms. Yasodha Aryal, Director of NHTC, and featured distinguished guests including hospital staff, trainers, trainees, and partner representatives from OHW, WHO, NSI, Green Tara, and UNICEF.  

"This pilot is a significant step in reforming training programs in Nepal. We are preparing to launch a second pilot in Gandaki Province for which a detailed training implementation plan is currently being developed."

- Yasodha Aryal, Director of the National Health Training Center

Mr. Chetan Nidhi Wagle, Senior Public Health Administrator, presented an overview of the training package and its development process, highlighting its three key features: its strong focus on quality, its structure tailored to the roles and work settings of health providers, and the adoption of simulation-based learning methods.

This training program will be rolled out nationwide and adopted as the official standard for SHP and SBA training. It is designed to strengthen the capacity of maternal and newborn health providers across diverse healthcare settings. The nationwide adoption of the training program represents a major move towards ensuring safer deliveries and better outcomes for mothers and babies throughout Nepal.

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About Paropakar Maternity and Women’s Hospital

Founded in 1959, Paropakar Maternity and Women’s Hospital is Nepal’s first maternity hospital and a leading center for maternal and child health located in Thapathali, Kathmandu. It provides comprehensive services, including obstetric, neonatal, gynecological, and family planning care, serving thousands of women and newborns every year.

About One Heart Worldwide

One Heart Worldwide is an international non-governmental organization that has been implementing maternal and newborn health system-strengthening programs in Nepal since 2010. Their programs target every aspect of the local health systems, including health facilities, government authorities, and communities, to ensure that every woman and newborn can access quality health services no matter where they live.

For further information, please contact:

One Heart Worldwide (OHW)

Mr. Surya Bhatta, Co-CEO

surya@oneheartworldwide.org

Maternal and Neonatal Health Simulation Lab - Center of Excellence Inaugurated at Paropakar Maternity and Women’s Hospital

[Kathmandu, Nepal – April 15, 2025] – Nepal’s first Maternal and Neonatal Simulation Lab - Center of Excellence was officially inaugurated today at Paropakar Maternity and Women’s Hospital by the Honorable Minister of Health and Population, marking a milestone initiative to enhance skills in maternal and neonatal health care service providers. Established with the support of Paropakar Maternity and Women’s Hospital and One Heart Worldwide (OHW), in partnership with Rippleworks, USAID, and Laerdal Global Health, the lab is the first of its kind dedicated to enhancing clinical skills in maternal and newborn care through hands-on simulation-based training in a structured learning environment.

Key stakeholders from the Ministry of Health and Population, various divisions and centers of the Department of Health Services, Paropakar Maternity and Women’s Hospital, development partners, maternal and neonatal health experts, and media personnel attended the inauguration ceremony. 

“Simulation labs like this will be available in all seven provinces—not just here in Kathmandu. Looking ahead, we are committed to making that a reality through continued collaboration. By expanding access to high-quality clinical training, we can work toward reducing Nepal’s maternal mortality rate from 151 per 100,000 to 70 by 2030—and ultimately, to zero.”

- Mr. Pradip Paudel, Honorable Minister of Health and Population

The lab was developed to address the gap in clinical practice opportunities and continued education, particularly among nurses, midwives, obstetricians, pediatricians, and medical students. This need was identified through multiple consultative meetings with key stakeholders, including hospital leadership, Ministry of Health and Population experts, and technical partners. 

The lab, equipped with high-fidelity maternal and neonatal mannequins, medical equipment, and audiovisual tools for real-time debriefing and feedback, will provide training in essential and emergency obstetric and newborn care, including postpartum hemorrhage management and neonatal resuscitation.

“This simulation lab allows our healthcare workers to learn by doing —recreating real-life medical scenarios, they can build confidence, sharpen decision-making, and strengthen their clinical skills in a safe, supportive environment where no real lives are at risk. It’s a powerful step forward for maternal and newborn care, and I extend my heartfelt thanks to One Heart Worldwide, USAID, the Nick Simons Institute, and everyone who helped bring this vision to life.”

- Dr. Shree Prasad Adhikari, Director, Paropakar Maternity & Women’s Hospital

As a Center of Excellence, this lab is expected to become a model for future simulation-based education initiatives across the country. This initiative supports Nepal’s commitment to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) related to maternal and newborn health through education, innovation, and clinical excellence.

“Strengthening our maternal and neonatal healthcare workforce is critical, and this lab plays a key role in that effort. As we prepare for future challenges, I urge all stakeholders to ensure the effective utilization and maintenance of this lab and to continue investing in this important work.”

- Mr. Hari Prasad Mainali, Secretary, Ministry of Health and Population

OHW originally planned to support the establishment of seven simulation labs across five provinces. However, a recent funding cut from USAID has paused this broader rollout. OHW urges the government, development partners, and all stakeholders to invest in this critical initiative as the need for these resources continues to grow.

“This simulation lab is more than just a facility—it is a center of excellence where practice becomes precision, and learning becomes life-saving. We believe it can serve as a national model—helping us build a resilient health system and meet national and global goals for reducing maternal and newborn mortality.”

- Mr. Surya Bhatta, Co-Chief Executive Officer, One Heart Worldwide

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About Paropakar Maternity and Women’s Hospital

Founded in 1959, Paropakar Maternity and Women’s Hospital is Nepal’s first maternity hospital and a leading center for maternal and child health located in Thapathali, Kathmandu. It provides comprehensive services, including obstetric, neonatal, gynecological, and family planning care, serving thousands of women and newborns every year.

About One Heart Worldwide

One Heart Worldwide is an international non-governmental organization that has been implementing maternal and newborn health system-strengthening programs in Nepal since 2010. Their programs target every aspect of the local health systems, including health facilities, government authorities, and communities, to ensure that every woman and newborn can access quality health services no matter where they live.

For further information, please contact:

Paropakar Maternity and Women’s Hospital

Dr. Shree Prasad Adhikari

shreeprasad2063@gmail.com

One Heart Worldwide (OHW)

Mr. Surya Bhatta, Co-CEO

surya@oneheartworldwide.org

Collaborative efforts to strengthen healthcare for Nepal’s mothers and newborns

[Kathmandu, Nepal, 1 October 2024]

In a significant move to improve maternal and neonatal healthcare (MNH) in Nepal’s most underserved areas, the Karnali Academy of Health Sciences (KAHS) and One Heart Worldwide (OHW) formalized their collaboration by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on September 27, 2024. 

The signing took place in the USA during Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s official visit, underscoring the importance of this partnership. With this agreement, both organizations aim to address critical gaps in healthcare for mothers and newborns, marking a transformative step in improving access and outcomes in Nepal’s remote regions.

The MOU was signed by Dr. Mangal Rawal, Vice-Chancellor of KAHS, and Kirsten Meisinger MD MHCDS, Board Chair of OHW. 

This partnership aims to strengthen local initiatives at the provincial and municipality levels. Their focus will be in Karnali and Far-Western Provinces, which are home to some of the most underserved communities. 

Prime Minister Oli, who witnessed the signing, highlighted the government’s commitment to ending the issue of brain drain and encouraged medical professionals to return to Nepal or continue serving their country from abroad. 

Key components of the agreement include:

• Fellowship Programs: Designed to train healthcare professionals from rural districts to better serve their communities, where access to trained professionals is extremely limited.

• Joint Research Initiatives: KAHS and OHW will collaborate on research projects aimed at addressing healthcare issues unique to rural Nepal, such as maternal and neonatal mortality, and the challenges posed by the lack of infrastructure and difficult geographical conditions.

• Knowledge and Skill Exchanges: The partnership will foster exchange programs that benefit healthcare workers, promoting the sharing of skills, expertise, and best practices to bridge the healthcare gap in these regions.

• Capacity Building and Sustainability: Both institutions will work together to raise funds for healthcare infrastructure and long-term programs, ensuring sustained impact in districts, where health services are often limited to basic care.

Karnali Academy of Health Sciences (KAHS) is a health institution dedicated to improving healthcare in Nepal’s remote regions. It provides essential services and education across nine underdeveloped districts. KAHS addresses significant challenges in access and quality of care, leading to meaningful improvements in health outcomes throughout the Karnali and Far-Western provinces.

One Heart Worldwide (OHW) is an international INGO committed to enhancing maternal and neonatal health in Nepal’s underserved areas. Through its robust Network of Safety, OHW supports healthcare providers to ensure families receive timely and quality care, ultimately empowering local communities and strengthening healthcare systems across Nepal.

This collaboration between KAHS and OHW is expected to help Government of Nepal make a difference in the healthcare systems of Karnali and Far-Western provinces by offering long-term solutions to the region’s most pressing health challenges. The MoU will remain in effect for five years, with an annual review to ensure it continues to meet its objectives.

For further information, please contact:
Karnali Academy of Health Sciences (KAHS)
Dr. Mangal Rawal, Vice Chancellor
Email: vc@kahs.edu.np/drmangalkahs@gmail.com  

One Heart Worldwide (OHW)
Mr. Surya Bhatta, Executive Director
Email: surya@oneheartworldwide.org

Noora Health Expands into Nepal & Announces Partnership with One Heart Worldwide

Photo by Laxmi Kaul
A Female Community Health Volunteer providing a check-up for an infant and his mother near their home in rural Nepal

[Kathmandu, Nepal, 13 September 2024] - Noora Health and One Heart Worldwide (OHW) are pleased to announce their new partnership to introduce and implement the Care Companion Program (CCP) in select hospitals across Nepal. The CCP currently trains nearly 15,000 caregivers throughout India, Bangladesh, and Indonesia every day. This expansion into Nepal is a significant milestone as the model scales rapidly throughout the globe. Focusing on maternal and newborn health, this collaboration aims to enhance the quality of healthcare delivery and access through culturally relevant caregiver training and education, significantly improving patient outcomes and support for caregivers.

One Heart Worldwide has over a decade of experience working with the Nepali government and other organizations in areas such as emergency relief and improving healthcare at the community level. This experience will be combined with Noora Health’s expertise in caregiver training and education, a model that has reached more than 10 million caregivers since 2014. 

Beginning in Q4 2024, the pilot program will launch in three hospitals: Madhesh Institute of Health and Sciences (MIHS) in Janakpur, Paropakar Maternity and Women’s Hospital (PMWH) in Kathmandu, and Provincial Hospital in Surkhet. The goal is to deliver culturally sensitive and medically accurate training and support tailored to the unique needs of patients and caregivers across Nepal. With Noora Health anchoring the program design process, One Heart Worldwide will lead implementation and monitoring efforts. 

Partnership Initiatives

1. Needs-Finding Report Synthesis: Noora Health and OHW will jointly analyze the needs-finding outputs, a key component of Noora Health’s human-centered design process when entering a new geography, to create content and teaching materials that address Nepal's unique healthcare requirements.

2. Content and Digital Platform Development: The teams will explore and create a digital platform to provide ongoing support for patients and caregiver, disseminating health behavior change content, ensuring accessibility and ease of use for healthcare professionals and caregivers.

3. Training of Trainers (ToT): OHW will coordinate and implement ToT workshops with essential support from Noora Health. These three-day workshops, to be conducted at three selected hospitals, will prepare healthcare staff to conduct regular CCP sessions for patients and their family caregivers. The training curriculum will be meticulously developed to enable effective and empathetic communication by healthcare workers. .

4. Implementation and Monitoring: After the training, healthcare staff will begin conducting CCP sessions in their respective wards. A comprehensive CCP roster will be established to maintain the program's regularity. Progress will be measured using indicators such as the number of hospitals enrolled, nurses trained, caregiver training sessions offered, and caregivers trained.

This approach was designed for government and stakeholder ownership and implementation from the start. Optimized for implementation, adoption, and speed without compromising the quality of training, support, and education, this partnership model reduces barriers to entry while accelerating progress towards establishing family caregiving training and support as a global standard of care.  

“We’re thrilled to play a supportive role in implementing the CCP alongside the vast expertise of One Heart Worldwide,” said Dr. Shahed Alam, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Noora Health. “Together, we will hit the ground running to build an impactful program for patients and caregivers in Nepal.” 

One Heart Worldwide’s CEO, David Murphy, shared, "We are thrilled to partner with Noora Health to bring the CCP to Nepal." He added, “This collaboration aligns with our mission to improve maternal and child health outcomes by equipping caregivers with the necessary skills and knowledge. Together, we aim to create a sustainable and impactful healthcare training model."

One Heart Worldwide and Noora Health have ambitious goals: “This partnership aims to bring the best of Noora Health’s caregiver education practices from across Southeast Asia to Nepal. When you combine that with One Heart Worldwide’s local expertise, it has the potential to transform the caregiver education landscape across health facilities in Nepal over the next three to five years,” said Edith Elliott, Noora Health’s Co-Founder and Co-CEO.

For more information about Noora Health and its initiatives, please visit www.noorahealth.org.

For more information about One Heart Worldwide and its initiatives, please visit www.oneheartworldwide.org.

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About Noora Health:

Noora Health is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving health outcomes by equipping patients and family caregivers with the necessary skills to manage health conditions effectively at home. Its focus is on critical life-saving skills, chronic disease management, and postoperative care — all of which are delivered through engaging and culturally-appropriate training and content.

With the support of public health systems across India, Bangladesh, and Indonesia, Noora Health has reached more than 10 million caregivers since 2014. Its flagship training program, the Care Companion Program, has been shown to reduce post-surgical cardiac complications by 71% and newborn readmissions by 56%. In 2022, Noora Health was honored as a TED Audacious Project grantee and received the Skoll Foundation Award for Social Innovation  —a catalytic opportunity to jump-start their ambitious goal of reaching 70 million caregivers by 2027.

About One Heart Worldwide:

One Heart Worldwide (OHW) is a non-profit organization dedicated to making pregnancy and childbirth safer in remote and underserved regions of Nepal. Founded in 2004, OHW employs a comprehensive “Network of Safety” model that includes training healthcare professionals and local stakeholders, providing essential medical supplies, upgrading health facilities, and raising awareness about maternal and newborn health. Through strategic partnerships and community engagement, OHW has reached a significant milestone of impacting 1 million mothers and newborns with improved access to maternal and newborn care in Nepal.

About the Care Companion Program

At the heart of Noora Health is the Care Companion Program (CCP) — an adaptable, context-specific, and human-centered suite of educational tools and training for patients and caregivers. By partnering with hospitals and healthcare systems, the program ensures that patients and their families receive continuous support and education from the time they are admitted until they return home, improving health outcomes in the long run.

As part of this, healthcare staff in public hospitals and clinics are trained to transfer health skills to family caregivers. Then, the CCP’s mobile follow-up and support component reaches both healthcare staff and families outside of health facilities. 

Since 2014, the CCP has been adapted for several major medical conditions, including: maternal and newborn care, cardiology and cardiac surgery, oncology care, general medical and surgical care, tuberculosis, and COVID-19.

For more information, please contact:

Kelly Hagler 
Associate Director, Communications
Noora Health
kelly@noorahealth.org 

Katie Dyas
Communications Manager
One Heart Worldwide
katie@oneheartworldwide.org