Project HOPE (Health Opportunities for People Everywhere) volunteers began a two-week training seminar for the nurses and midwives of John F. Kennedy (JFK) Memorial Health Center in Monrovia, September 7, 2009.

The four-person Project HOPE team, part of Africa Partnership Station (APS) Swift, is a group of medical professionals from the United States with specializations in pre and post natal care, labor and delivery, and nutrition and midwifery.

Because of the way health care is administered in Liberia, there is a specific need for this advanced training.

"We need this continuing education in order to serve our patients," said Wilhemina W. Jallah, the doctor in charge of JFK's maternity hospital. "[Because of] the type of cases we deal with, we have to be the number one health care facility in the country. And here, we count on the midwives to do some of the things which, in other countries, doctors typically do."

This training is intended to bring the midwives up to the level required for JFK's special needs patients, part of a larger medical objective of APS Swift.

Along with the Project HOPE volunteers staying aboard High Speed Vessel Swift are three U.S. Navy primary care teams, comprised of dental and optometry teams and an U.S. Army veterinarian team. All are visiting hospitals and clinics throughout the greater capital city region, as sailors from Swift's military detachment dedicate their time to community relations projects at two local hospitals.

"We're part of a larger group here on the ground in Monrovia trying to improve Liberian health care," said Thomas R. Stanton, Project HOPE operations officer. "It's a collaborative outreach between Project HOPE, the U.S. military and the Liberians to address some pressing healthcare needs. And it works."

The special projects division of Project HOPE has been involved with U.S. Navy missions since 2005 when medical volunteers worked aboard USNS Mercy (T-AH 19) delivering aid and care to those affected by the Indonesian tsunami.

Since then, Project HOPE has participated in more than a dozen U.S. Navy missions, including APS, to provide health education and health care to people throughout the world.

APS is a multinational initiative developed by Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Africa which aims to work cooperatively with U.S. and international partners to enhance maritime safety and security on the African continent. APS provides a unique venue to align maritime engagements by utilizing an international team of expert trainers in a variety of military capacities and civilian fields.

Homeported in Norfolk, Virginia, Swift is on a regularly scheduled deployment to the U.S. 6th Fleet area of responsibility. The ship has supported various partnership-building operations and training throughout much of the world, including APS.